Small Spaces – Grand Adventures

“In five years, will you be more interested in buying nouns or verbs? Will you crave things or experiences?”

Dr. Dan Garvey, Semester at Sea, 2017

I’ve never met Dr. Dan Garvey, but I sure would love to. For someone who has never been starstruck by famous people, I am beguiled by the impact that Dr. Garvey’s words from one sentence written in a moving statement presented to several hundred college students (including my daughter) have had on my life. I want his autograph! In addition to his highly successful career in higher education, Dr. Garvey has voyaged around the world (numerous times) teaching college students about the wonder of experience. From what I’ve learned of Dr. Garvey, he epitomizes education. My daughter’s experience onboard Semester at Sea was heightened by his enthusiasm, positivity, and genuine love for students. Because of his impact on my daughter, she shared his message with me – and the ripple effect has moved me far beyond where I ever thought I would go.

Recently, I was offered the opportunity to spend several months working onboard a ship, the MV World Odyssey, during the fall 2020 Semester at Sea voyage (see map). “Hey, kiddos, wanna meet Mama in Tokyo for Christmas this year?” As I’ve stated before when folks ask me how I can afford to do all the things I do, I explain that I choose to value experiences more than stuff (verbs more than nouns). Let me break this down. I am not rich. In fact, the county where I live and work is the poorest county in the state. Although I have five college degrees, including a doctorate, I make less than the annual mean wage for high school teachers in the lowest-paying state in the U.S. I am a single mother with four adult children in college/graduate school. All that said, I love my students and have chosen this job over other, more profitable positions. Additionally, I am able to travel because I work several jobs throughout the school year and live very simply in order to spend my free time chasing verbs.

Several years ago, I had a highly-paid administrative position at a university and lived in a three-story, five-bedroom house; yet, I went to work, came home, cooked dinner, paid bills, went to sleep, and monotonously repeated it every day for several years. I could buy what I wanted and could travel without working extra hard to do so, except my vacation was vastly limited by the amount of work that would pile up in my absence – or I would spend time while on vacation to answer emails and do other work tasks that could be accomplished remotely. I woke up one morning and decided that I was not living a life full of joy, and I had the power to change it, so I did.

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I live in a small home, which is three times the space I need/want. I keep reading about ways to make extra storage/space in a cabin on a ship, but I look at the size of the cabins and realize they are at least four times the space I lived in all last summer in my trailer. I am making lists of necessary items, but that list is quite small. When faced with the opportunity to live in this small space onboard a floating university, I realize how very little I actually need to live joyfully.

Recently, I received an email response from Dr. Garvey. I asked him if I could continue to use his words of wisdom, to which he humbly agreed. Although the world is large and vast, I believe we cross paths with people for a variety of reasons. As I embark on this grand journey this fall with Semester at Sea, I plan to keep my eyes and heart open to receive what the adventure may bring to my life and seek ways to impact the souls of others.