Reflections on the Meaning of a Semester at Sea Voyage after Twenty-Two Years

Abstract

22 years after completion of a travel-study voyage around the world, a random sample of 29 participants was contacted by telephone and mail to reflect on the meaning of the experience. Respondents answered open-ended questions about their lives and outcomes of Semester at Sea, and they completed Crumbaugh's Purpose in Life Test based on Frankl's concepts. Participants maintained a global perspective and high test scores. Life events such as parenthood and major accomplishments were related to further discovery of meaning. Research earlier in the lives of participants suggested that Semester at Sea was a springboard for personal growth. Within a lifespan developmental model, as participants approach middle age, a more accurate metaphor for the meaning of the Semester at Sea experience may be an interwoven strand in a life composition.

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