Around the world in 101 days with Semester at Sea!!

Hello everyone, below is my application essay for Semester at Sea's Spring of 2016 voyage. For those of you who don't know what Semester at Sea is, it is a floating university that takes students all across the world. Students take classes just like any ordinary university but are free to roam the countries that the ship docks in. Any comments or concerns regarding my essay are greatly appreciated! Thanks again for your help and expertise!

PROMPT: How will you Semester at Sea voyage create (or enhance) your personal global perspective? Highlight your discussion by referencing at least one country on you itinerary and by explaining how your time there will further develop your awareness. (300-500 words)

Growing up camping in northern Minnesota and yearly trips across the globe has ingrained a great desire to see the world and learn everything I can about different countries and the people who inhabit them. Traveling to parts unknown has always been one of my greatest passions as well as seeing the world from the cockpit of an airplane. To satisfy this desire, I have set off on a journey to fly internationally for a major airline. Flying internationally allows me to travel to a variety of countries for short periods of time; Semester at Sea offers a similar experience. Visiting countries for short time periods will lend practice to traveling with time restrictions in addition to enhancing my global perspective by understanding the cultural backgrounds of people I will be interacting with on a daily basis.

I have always been told that there is no better way to learn about a country than being completely immersed in their culture, it provides a more meaningful and authentic viewpoint than anything you would get out of a textbook. Interacting with people of different cultures in the countries I visit will expand my global perspective through my own personal migration across the world. Specific countries that are key to enhancing my global perspective are China and India. These two countries are home to many major travel hubs within the eastern hemisphere and will be places I frequent while flying. By being immersed within these countries I will be able to understand their culture through interaction, observations.

Understanding different cultures is critical for a pilot due to the diverse nature of their coworkers. You never really know who your copilot or flight attendants are or what their background is. It's key to understand who your coworkers are in order to communicate effectively and work collectively if issues arise.

Currently, I am student who is seeking to broaden my global perspective beyond the classroom and into different cultures to gain a better understanding of the world. Each culture is different and I hope to better understand each and every culture I travel to in a way that cannot be taught in a classroom or through textbooks.