Why don't you make yourself comfortable while I tell you a few juicy tidbits about myself?  Relaxed? Got a nice cup of hot cocoa? All warm and snugly? Great, let's begin! My name is Pat Lilja and I originally hail from Natick, MA (a quaint suburban town 16 miles west of Boston). At the time of my voyage around the world I was 20 years old and attend Cornell University in Ithaca, NY (a quaint college town in the middle of nowhere). I was majoring in biological science with a concentration in plant biotechnology.

I just love Grimace.  How can you not?  He's so happy and purple!

In the spring of 1998, I decided it was time for a change.  Life in the US had become extremely mundane and I needed to break out of the predictability which had governed my life to that point.  I lived in a co-op the previous summer and met a student who had recently returned from the Semester at Sea Program.  I didn't think too much of the program then, but somehow, the idea surfaced again in my convoluted mind that spring.  One fateful day, I surfed to the official Semester at Sea web site (http://www.semesteratsea.com) and instantly fell in love with the Semester at Sea philosophy.  I was kicking myself for not researching it sooner!  I applied for the spring of 1999 voyage, got accepted, waited in anticipation for the start of my trip, packed my bags, and the rest is history!

As I romped across the globe I sent e-mails, detailing my experiences, to many of my family and friends.  What lies ahead on the following pages are excerpts from these e-mails.  In addition, I've added information which clarifies my experiences better, as well as removed some stories which could have me arrested by the local authorities!  Sorry, you won't get to read what really happened the night Dave, Jimmy and I slept on the top of Signal Hill overlooking the city of Cape Town, South Africa (stop your filthy mind, it's nothing like what you'd see on the "Jerry Springer Show")!!!

All of the pictures on the following pages were taken by me unless otherwise noted (except for the ones I'm in of course!).  Also, the "local music" was found on many sites across the web.  Most importantly, there's no way that my web page can adequately take you on a trip around the world.  You need to personally see the extraordinary landscapes, smell the intriguing odors, taste the exotic food, hear the honking autorickshaw horns, and touch the lives of many people to truly appreciate it. Are you ready?  I think I hear adventure knocking at your doorstep...