41.53°N 70.68°W

First full day of classes is finished and I probably caught myself about 46 times thinking how lucky I am to be here and how I want to do something like this for the rest of my life. These first days might reveal themselves as the "honeymoon phase" later, but I don't think so. Everything excites me. What have we been doing?

Lots! There are 2 groups of people here on the SEA campus, one traveling to the Caribbean and the one I'm in. Mine is called SPICE (Sustainability in Polynesia Island Cultures and Ecosystems) and we have a diverse group of majors, but one thing I love is that all of us have a passion for the environment, the water, or something along those lines. It's not hard to find something to talk about. Yesterday during orientation the dean told us normal "social processes" (becoming friends, etc) is accelerated, and I have already found that to be true. There seems to be a general consensus that showering everyday is overrated, composting is necessary, boats are awesome, and questions like, "should we go swimming in the ocean?" are quickly answered with a resounding, "absolutely". And no, we are not a bunch of tree hugging hippies.

There are 5 cottages on the campus, which is one of several marine-focused centers in Woods Hole. Others include the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and USGS. Close proximity means we get access to the libraries of each research institution. Today, we received library cards to the MBL (Marine Biological Laboratories) library in Woods Hole and took a field trip there (hello, Atlantic Ocean!). Their collection solely exists of marine-related material. I have never wanted to spend more time in a library. Not to mention the beautiful view of the harbor from the windows. It's really cool to be in Woods Hole where so much world renowned research on various topics takes place. 

Anyway, like I said, there are 5 cottages, each named after a constellation. Pathfinders, there is one called Deneb! I live in Capella with 6 other girls. Our trip is mostly girls, with 18 girls and 5 guys. My house spent last night, after orientation, doing our reading assignment around the kitchen table drinking tea (tea time seems to be a common theme wherever I go). It's currently quite cold here (low teens) and a cup of tea is welcome. Each house must cook together, clean, and coexist peacefully. So far so good. We've dreamed up many meals and definitely will not go hungry. We've also talked about things we want to do while we're here: running, biking, going swimming in the ocean (yes, I do realize it's January), watching the sunrise and sunset (the sun sets around 4:30), going to Martha's Vineyard, contra dancing, etc. There is a lot to do, even though it's not the summer season, a lot to pack into just 4 weeks and not a lot of time to do it. 

We're in class from 9-5, mostly lecture in the morning and lab in the afternoon. We're currently reading up on Polynesian history and are lucky to have a Tahitian scientist among us for a bit who is telling us about Tahiti and Polynesian culture. The faculty teaching us will also be on the boat, serving as chief scientist, captain, and other roles. It's a fairly informal teaching process, necessitated by the fact that we'll be on a 134' ship together (where there's not much space to get away from each other), as well as the dynamic of the program. 

And that's where we are right now: meeting people, memorizing names, staying warm, and making plans. Life is good.