Semester at WHAT?

How is it that a homeschooling family with three young kids joins UVA's Semester at Sea program for 500 college students?  The answer is a bit of a journey.

It began in January of 2014 on the night of the National Championship game between Auburn and Florida State.  Kerry, an Auburn grad, had friends over and was gearing up for the big showdown.  In the first quarter, our doorbell rang, and it was Frank, our couchsurfer from China, arriving for the first time.  Frank was introduced to American football in grand style.  But while I brought him up to speed on our passion, he was bringing me up to speed on his.  You see, he had just gotten off the ship with Semester at Sea.  He had stories and photos and experiences that would knock your socks off.

While Frank showed me pictures on his laptop and described the adventures he had in 16 countries around the world, I moaned, "Oh, Frank!  If only I had known about Semester at Sea when I was in college!" 

He said, "You can go on Semester at Sea as an adult!  They're called Lifelong Learners."

I said, "But I have kids!"

He said, "There are kids on the ship!  Some Lifelong Learners bring theirs, and so do professors."

I said, "But I can't afford it!"

He said, "Just call!"

And so began my foray into Semester at Sea.  Once the football game was over and life got back to normal, I snuck off and called Semester at Sea to just ask some questions.  Surprisingly, the cost wasn't as much as we thought, particularly for the kids.  I cautiously approached Kerry.

To make a long story short, things worked out much quicker than I imagined.  Kerry was surprisingly open to the trip.  He loves to travel, and having a "home base" on the ship appealed to him.  Also, his job was wrapping up at the end of 2014, making a January 2015 departure very convenient.  Then we were able to rent out our house to friends, helping with the cost of the trip and the care of our pets. And the timing was perfect -- we would miss the winter months and come back in time for azaleas in the spring.  

Here we are nearly one year since that BCS game when a couchsurfer walked into our life and changed it forever.  Thank you, Frank, for launching us on the adventure of a lifetime!