How to Send me Mail

Some people have been wondering if it is possible to send me airmail on the ship. The answer is YES! I would love to receive cards or letters from friends and family, and you might just get something back when I am in port! The U.S. Post Office recommends sending international mail at least two weeks in advance. They also suggest NOT sending packages because customs restrictions will make it very difficult to deliver them. I know all of you are very busy, but if you have the time, anything you send would be greatly appreciated! Here are the addresses:

PUERTO RICO- AIRMAIL NO LATER THAN JAN. 24

Kate Lilly
C/O: MV Explorer
Arrives February 7, 2007
Cruise Plus Services and Sales
1760 Fernandez Juncos Avenue
San Juan, PUERTO RICO, 00909

BRAZIL-AIRMAIL NO LATER THAN FEB. 3 (we get there on my b-day!!)

Kate Lilly
C/O: MV Explorer
Arrives February 17
Oceanus Agencia Maritima
Av. Estados Unidos, 397, Room 601-604
40018-900 Salvador, BAHIA-BRAZIL

SOUTH AFRICA-AIRMAIL NO LATER THAN FEB. 16

Kate Lilly
C/O: MV Explorer
Arrives March 2
John T. Rennie& Sons
PO Box 702, 1 Thibault House
8000 Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA

MAURITIUS-AIRMAIL NO LATER THAN MAR 1

Kate Lilly
C/O: MV Explorer
Arrives March 15
Ireland Blyth Limited
1 Queen Street, P.O. Box 53
Port Louis, MAURITIUS

INDIA-AIRMAIL NO LATER THAN MARCH 11

Kate Lilly
C/O: MV Explorer
Arrives March 25
J.M. Baxi & CO.
52 Rajaji Salai
Chennai-6000 001, INDIA

MALAYSIA-AIRMAIL NO LATER THAN MARCH 19

Kate Lilly
C/O: MV Explorer
Arrives April 2
Inchcape Shipping Services SDN
4th Floor Unit 4B
Wisma Saw Chong Thuah
39-c, Pengkalan Weld
10300 Penang, MALAYSIA

VIETNAM-AIRMAIL NO LATER THAN MARCH 26

Kate Lilly
C/O: MV Explorer
Arrives April 9
General Forwarding & Agency
5th Floor Osic Building
8 Nguyen Hue Avenue
D. 1, Ho Chi Minh City, VIETNAM

HONG KONG-AIRMAIL NO LATER THAN APRIL 3

Kate Lilly
C/O: MV Explorer
Arrives April 17
Inchcape Shipping Services (HK) Ltd.
Units 1802-1805, 18th Floor
No 3 Lockhart Road
Wanchai, HONG KONG-CHINA

CHINA-AIRMAIL NO LATER THAN APRIL 7

Kate Lilly
C/O: MV Explorer
Arrives April 21
Penavico Qingdao
21 Wuxia Road
Quingdao, 266002, P.R. CHINA

JAPAN-AIRMAIL NO LATER THAN APRIL 11

Kate Lilly
C/O: MV Explorer
Arrives April 25
Inchcape Shipping Services
Kenryu Bldg II, Room 303
6, Kaigan-dori, Chuo-ku
Kobe-shi, Hyogo-Ken 650-0024, JAPAN

HAWAII-AIRMAIL NO LATER THAN APRIL 23

Kate Lilly
C/O: MV Explorer
Arrives May 7
Inchcape Shipping Services
Gentry Pacific Center
260 North Numitz Hwy, Suite 103
HONOLULU, Hawaii 96817, USA

19 Days!

Well now the countdown has really begun! Only 19 days until the Bahamas. I just got back from the American Humanics Management Institute in Washington D.C. It was a 3-day conference on opportunities for a career in the non-profit sector, and was part of my ceritification for the American Humanics cirtificate at USD. Seeing the sights in D.C. got me even more excited to travel abroad! These next couple of weeks will be filled with packing, last minute preparations, and making sure that my mom doesn't go too crazy with worry!

I can't wait to meet the 650 other students on the ship, but it is such a blessing and comfort that one of my best friends Katie Rasinski will be my roomate and travel buddie on the trip! She is the first person I ever met at college, way back on the Pre-O retreat freshman year. She will be my connection to home, and and it will be great to experience this once in a lifetime adventure with her!

Less than a month!

Well it is January 1st, and that means that I now only have 28 days until it's time to go! The MX Explorer will be departing from Nassau in the Bahamas on February 4. For 100 days, I will be taking classes on the ship, and traveling to nine different countries spanning four different continents with 650 other college students from around the country.

As a very special bonus, Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu will be sailing with us for the full 100 days, giving guest lectures along the way! Right now I am reading a two books about him, and am amazed at how his gentle yet powerful spirit has influenced so much change in South Africa. His belief in hope for our world is inspiring, and I can't wait to meet him and hear him speak!

Itinerary
Nassau, Bahamas: Depart February 4
San Juan, Puerto Rico: February 7-9
Salvador, Brazil: February 17-21
Cape Town, South Africa: March 2-8
Port Louis, Mauritius: March 15-17
Chennai, India: March 25-29
Penang, Malaysia: April 2-5
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: April 9-14
Hong Kong: April 17-18
Qingado, China: April 21-22
Kobe, Japan: April 25-29
Honolulu, Hawaii: May 7
San Diego, California: May 14

Classes
* Global Studies
* Psychology of Women
* World History 1400-1914
* HIV/AIDS

I am going to try and update this journal once a week, and/or when I return from a port country. Please feel free to leave me comments after each entry, I would love to hear from family, friends, and future SASers along the way!
I also have a new e-mail address: klilly4@gmail.com However, I do have limited Internet time so this journal will be my main source of communication with everyone.