Life as I Know It

“Life shrinks and expands in propotion to one’s courage.”

– Anais Nin

In 10 days, I will be in London. In 13 days I’ll be in Paris, in 16 days I’ll be in Germany, and in 18 days I’ll be falling asleep in my new room on a ship, a place I’ll consider home for the next 4 months.

I’ve been saying this in Joey’s voice for the last few days whenever someone mentions my travels 😛

For any of you who don’t know what I’m going to be doing with my life in the next 4 months, here’s a quick FAQ to clear up the details:

1. You’re going to be living on a boat??
   YES! The MV World Odyssey will be my floating home.
2. Aren’t you afraid of getting seasick?
   Yeah, but like, not enough to keep me back from this once in a lifetime adventure!! (cmon guys, don’t let fear hold you back!)
3. Are you going to be studying marine biology then? I though you were a film major?
   I am a film major, and I shall remain a film major! On the ship, I’ll be taking oceanography, photography, international issues in recreation and tourism, and global studies. Students in all different majors from all different universities can go on this voyage. Don’t worry though, I won’t let my video skills get rusty 😉
4. How are you going to have time to study?
   We only have classes on days we’re at sea. When we’re in ports, we’re free from classes, although each class has one field trip in a port. For example,  for my photography class, I’ll spend a day walking around Ecuador with my professor and classmates, taking pictures to later merge into a collage. At sea, I have 2 classes a day. I’m sure I’ll have a LOT of time to study in the free time at sea.
5. Who else is on the boat?
   There’s roughly 600 students, the professors and their families, some life long learners (adults who decided to come with) and the crew.
6. So you’re going to be living the Suite Life on Deck?
   Why yes, yes i am 😉
7. Where are you going?
   My dad and I are flying to London, then Paris, then Hamburg, where I will board the ship. On my voyage, I go to Greece, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Senegal, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, through the Panama Canal to Peru, Ecuador and Costa Rica. I will be back home on December 23rd.
8. Do you know anyone who is going?
   No! I mean, not personally. I’ve talked to a girl named Abby who will be my roommate, and talked to a few other people, but that’s about it.
9. Are you excited?
   YES!
10. Are you nervous?
    YES!

 This is an amazing opportunity and I am so blessed to be able to follow in my brother’s footsteps and do this. I know it’s the biggest jump into ‘independent living’ I’ve taken, but I have a big support group and I’m excited to be able to experience this.

So, if you want to stay in contact:

1. Message me somewhere and get my email! I will not be able to call, text, Facebook, Snapchat, iMessage, ANYTHING regularly. I will have access to my email all of the time we’re on the ship though!
2. Follow this blog! I will be able to post to my blog through my email so stay updated that way!
3. There will be a special Semester at Sea snapchat story available for everyone in the world to watch under the live snapchat stories. Only us on the boat will be able to post on it, so keep updated with that and maybe you’ll spot me!
4. Follow my Instagram! I’ll probably keep that social media updated the most whenever I have the chance. @rebekahjoya is my username.

Keep me in your prayers as I embark on this journey!

Love you all,

Rebekah Joya

Summer Lovin’

(had me a bla-a-ast)

 

It seems like a lot of people out there are wasting their time this summer. Sure, summer is one of the only acceptable times you have to waste time and just do nothing, but if you’re not enjoying yourself while doing nothing, then you need to start doing something.

 

That was confusing. Let me explain.

 

Despite how sad I was to come home from my first year at Drexel, I’ve loved this summer. I love wearing flip flops, I love going to the beach and being outside, I love getting a decent amount of sleep every night and not having real responsibilities. For me, summer has been a great time to wind down and get a break from the nonstop whirl of adventuring that is my life in philly.

 

However, I’ve noticed a lot of my old classmates who are home hate summer completely. They say that they never want to be back here for more than a week at a time, and although I can kind of see where they’re coming from, on this tiny, nothing to do island, I think that it’s pretty sad. Because of how Drexel works, I won’t be able to be back here for more than 2 weeks at a time after this summer until I graduate, and I’m not overwhelmingly happy about it.That’s hardly enough time to see all my friends and family, and regain my island tan before having to go back. It’s definitely not enough time to catch up on my sleep and eat enough of my mom’s cooking.

 

So, maybe it’s because I know this is the last opportunity I will have to be carefree for 2 and a half months, but I’ve been really appreciative of this summer and trying to take advantage of the time I have. So to all yall who aren’t enjoying it, my advice for having the BEST SUMMER EVER is to prepare for it in advance. Throughout the year, make a list of things you want to do but don’t have the time for, so when you get to summer you have a whole list of your own personal ideas. My list included some things like the following:

 

1. Make an income (lol)

I thought about getting a job a few times while in school, but I was just too busy. I got one this summer and even though it isn’t the most fun thing ever (sorry @my boss 😛 ) it’s going to fund my adventures for the next 3 months. Babysit, dog walk, whatever you can to make a few bucks.

 

2. Work on my drawing skills.

I’m not the best, but I want to be better. Summer is the perfect time to practice.

 

3. Rewatch ‘Friends’ on netflix.

It’s something I wanted to do all year but didn’t have time for. Don’t judge 😛

 

4. Talk to some people who I’ve drifted apart from.

Those friends who are also super busy. Summer is a great time to just catch up.

 

5. Practice my cooking skills.

I’ve cooked SO MANY THINGS this summer. I enjoy doing it, but I don’t always have time/ money/ the appliances to do it in school.

 

The point is, just figure out what you personally aim to accomplish, but things that aren’t important enough to do in everyday busy bee life. Nothing is too insignificant if it’s something you want to do. Jot it down throughout the year so when you get to summer you remember all these little things you wouldn’t have thought of.

 

Besides for that, don’t say no to getting invited out. Make an effort to plan your own events with the people you only get to see a few times a year. Go to the beach as much as you can, maybe take a boat trip if you can, or do whatever else it is you can only do at home. If you just sulk around, stay in bed all day, and complain about having nothing to do, maybe some of that is your own fault, you know?

 

Have a good rest of summer!

 

Rebekah Joya

 

PS. Hey mom, dad, it may seem like I’m one of those who stay in bed all day and therefore am wasting my summer, but it’s different because I am thoroughly enjoying laying in bed and doing nothing. 🙂

Don’t Knock it Until You’ve Tried it!

Okay guys, this may sound crazy, but I have a new discover love for cauliflower…but only when it’s trying its hardest to not be cauliflower. Let me explain.

Recently, I became a vegetarian. Honestly, it wasn’t that hard for me until the dreaded day I started to crave chicken wings. C’mon, who doesn’t like chicken wings? Anyways, with some googling, I found an alternative that seemed a little far fetched, but I was desperate. Hence, my descent into the wonders of cauliflower.

Cauliflower chicken wings (link to recipe) are delicious! My mom laughed for weeks before I made them about how they weren’t going to be good, and I myself was very skeptical, but both of us ended up loving them! Just make sure you let them get really crispy and make enough of the sauce to coat them nicely and you’ll have a delicious treat.

After that, I got pretty excited and experimented with more cauliflower recipes in substitute for chicken. I did an asian garlic cauliflower, a sesame cauliflower, and the options are endless! Just choose a sauce, bake the cauliflower in it, and it’ll be great!

So then we got to researching, and found some more great ideas! You know how you love potatoes and bread, but the carbs can get to be too much? Cauliflower is a great substitute to make your favorite recipes healthy! We made a cauliflower potato salad (link here) and a cheesy bread (link here) and we didn’t even miss the extra carbs! They were just as delicious, and a whole ton more nutritious!

The opportunities are endless. There’s cauliflower rice, grilled cheese, hash browns, and a lot more options that I’ve seen floating around the web. Don’t be afraid to try something new, because you may be surprised at how good it really is!

As for being vegetarian, I’d recommend at least trying it. What’s bad about saving animals when it also means you’re eating healthier? Because of being vegetarian, I’ve hardly eaten any fried food all summer, I take my own, home cooked meal for lunch everyday to work, and I have to come up with creative alternatives when I can’t have meat (like avocado as a topping on an egg sandwich instead of bacon, delicious!)

The moral of the story? Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! It’s not fair to say things are bad unless you know for yourself. So get out there, and try something new today! You may end up being a little surprised 😉

Love,

Rebekah Joya

ps. I’m trying to figure out how to post blog posts by email, so if the formatting of this is a little weird, that’s because of that. ONE MONTH UNTIL LONDON BABY!!

picture credits to Hot For Food