Last Day on the MV Explorer :(

I cant believe that this is my last day on the MV Explorer. This trip has been the voyage of a lifetime and now I am going around the ship taking pictures and trying to capture these last few moments as much as I can. I am filled with sadness, but it is for more than just because I am leaving this ship and these amazing people whom I have come to love and who have become a second family to me these last few months.

 

I, unfortunately, had to change my plans in San Diego and change my flights so that I could go home much sooner than expected. Yesturday, Amy and I got probably the worst news we could have gotten. Our best friend, Ashley Valente, was killed in a car accident early that morning. It was such a hard day and it is still a state of shock and anger and sadness. We are just trying to cope right now and get through these next couple of days before we can be home. I have never felt this much pain and I dont know what to do about it. We are trying to be there for each other as much as we can, while dealing with our own grief. We are able to be home Tuesday night and the services will be on Wednesday and Thursday so we will be able to be with all of our friends and family during these hard times.

 

So with the sadness of leaving this voyage and the unbearable grief over losing Ashley, this voyage is coming to an end on a very sad note. I cant change that, as much as I want to, I cant but I know that in a few days I will be home with everyone who I know and love and everyone who knew and loved her as much as I did and we will be grieving together and for the forseeable future. I know that she is watching over us and is our guardian angel. She will never leave our hearts.

 

All I can do right now is try to capture these last few hours that I have on the ship before we disembark tomorrow morning, as hard as that might be.

 

Thank you Semester at Sea for giving me the semester of a lifetime. I have learned and experienced so much and am eternally grateful. I am forever changed and I just hope that all that I have learned will help me in the future to make a difference in this world.