Alexis and I met on day one aboard our ship of dreams, the MV Explorer, ready to set sail and embark on the best study abroad experience known to mankind, Semester at Sea. We boarded as strangers and were placed in a cabin together for the remaining 100 days of the voyage. What emerged from this new friendship was an unbreakable alliance of trust and a parallel viewpoint of the world, this gem that begs to be treasured. We waded through multiple continents on trips of various levels of intensity; some times taking a “three-hour sailing tour” with the self-proclaimed pirates of Mauritius and their favorite tools of torture (octopi), others spent in a one person tent on a cliff top in Brazil, with storm clouds and jaguars lurking outside our nylon walls. There have been times when the two of us were buried in the depths of a foreign country, no one aware of our whereabouts, and we could have easily dropped off the edge of the Earth. We mentally stumped con-artists in the midst of their “jobs” and boarded rickety buses, trains, and airplanes against our better judgment for the thrill of the journey. Every trip we brought to life was envied by onlookers and traveler friends; all jealous we had the guts and the brains to do the unthinkable. My favorite travel buddy and I search for the pulse of our destination, find its juiciest vein, and plunge into the adventure with eyes open and smiles engaged. I recount our exploits in South America, Africa, Asia, the USA, and the high seas on an hourly basis and wait with bated breath for our summer plans for the Balkans and Eastern Europe to come to fruition. This exploration through the great continent of Australia with Connections is the epitome of a typical Lindsay/Alexis travel quest, chocked full of active thrills, cultural immersion, and just enough time for beachside relaxation and personal reflection. As we left our ship on day 100, we adorned home-made signs that announced, “Boarded as Strangers, Disembarked as Best Friends,” and I still, to this day, ponder in awe of the incredible luck I had in getting Alexis as a globe-trotting comrade. Yes, this 6’2’’ hunk of beauty’n’brains is my travel pal and will forever be at my side through every law-breaking, culturally-stimulating quest of our futures. Help us to tackle our sixth continent, STA!