At the ripe, young age of 80, Miriam Bowman saw a voyage around the world as an opportunity to grow within a community of learners. She has just returned from one of her greatest adventures yet.

And the three-month Semester at Sea was even better than she had imagined. Bowman, a Meadville resident, was aboard a magnificent ship, the MV Explorer, which was equipped as a floating university. Built in 2002, it’s a 24,000-ton passenger ship that includes classrooms, study areas, a library, two dining rooms, a student union, a health clinic and various fitness facilities.

Add about 700 students from various colleges, two Allegheny professors and one retired Allegheny professor and you have a one-of-a-kind university.

The journey started at Nassau in the Bahamas and continued to sail to Brazil, South Africa, India, Malaysia, China and several other countries.

“I just loved the beauty of being at sea,” said Bowman. “It’s fantastic and gorgeous. You have all and more than you need and there were so many great people.”

Even the renowned Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu joined the ship’s crew for the entire journey. Tutu, winner of the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize, served as distinguished lecturer-in-residence in courses including anthropology, history, religion and political science. He also presented a series of lectures while onboard between Brazil and South Africa.

“He’s a very upbeat and positive person,” Bowman said. “You were preparing yourself to be a good ambassador on the ship and for your country. There was so much to learn. It just got better and better as it went along.”

A 1949 Allegheny College graduate and long-time Meadville resident, Bowman not only took advantage of the opportunity to expand her knowledge, but also developed rewarding friendships with those in her classes.

“As a lifelong learner, I was free to take as many classes as I could fit into my day,” she said. “I developed an adoptive family. I got close to a group that’s hard to part with.”

Bowman especially enjoyed a course about perspectives on peace. She is a member of Women in Black, an international peace network formed in 1988 that uses silent vigils to protest war, injustice, militarism and other forms of violence.

“It was a really good course,” she said. “It showed different ways to look at conflicts and how to find a resolution. I learned a lot.”

It was an experience that Bowman won’t soon forget. In fact, she’s even considering a second voyage in a few years.

“I wish everyone could have this experience,” she said. “I was so fortunate to be able to take the time. It’s just great.

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