Day 9: Pre-Port and Cartwheels

As I write I'm sitting on one of the outer decks watching Daniel (former fellow RA from CLU) and a few others attempt cartwheels.  I realize that anybody reading this probably could care less but the image is so entertaining I have to share.  Just imagine me attempting to complete a cartwheel and I think you'll get an idea of what this is like.  This whole situation is a prime example of the madness that 9 days at sea can instill in people.  I've said it in the last few posts, but I can't wait to get on land.

We had our official "logistical pre-port" session tonight.  It was pretty long and  literally filled with a hundred questions (yet there always seems to be more).  We will dock at 8:00am, go through customs, attend a diplomatic session, and hopefully be able to get off the ship by 10:00am.  I spent most of today researching sites in Barcelona and actually had lunch with a professor of Spanish culture and history (knighted by the Spanish king) at UVA who is one of our inter-port lecturers.  We got a lot of good advice and tips.  It will be especially interesting to be in Madrid on Friday night when Spain has a World Cup match.

The Abnormal test I had to day went well, it was about what I was expecting.  It's pretty obvious that profs and students alike are anxious for tomorrow.  Given all the upcoming ports and activities, I have a feeling that the next few weeks are going to fly by.  I'll try to update as possible and hopefully get some pictures up with land-based internet.  There's a group of us tomorrow morning that are waking up early (no more 23 hour days for a while!) to see the sunrise and watch the process of being guided into port.  That's all for now, the adventures are just beginning.