Memories from Malta

[September 27 - October 01, 2023]

Valletta, Malta was the second port stop along our Semester at Sea Voyage itinerary, and it still blows my mind that it's now been a year since I got to experience this beautiful, hidden gem in the Mediterranean. My time in Malta was very meaningful, and gave me both some of my greatest highs and worst lows of the whole semester. Malta is chock full of charming history, crystal clear waters, and is vastly unique and special in so many ways.

While in Malta, I got to go scuba diving for the very first time in the ocean, since I had just received my certification a month prior in, ironically, the landlocked state of Utah. This experience was absolutely pinnacle for me, as I am now obsessed with scuba diving in the ocean. I got to try rabbit meat for the first time, and enjoyed the literal best caprese sandwich of my life. The heavy sicilian influence left my tastebuds and my stomach in awe after every meal, and the nightlife was certainly not a letdown.

I can now say I have kissed a jellyfish, been to the famous Popeye village, and have had an octopus throw rocks at me. The Malta national aquarium is certainly a must see as well, although I wouldn't recommend going when you're practically on your deathbed with a viral infection. The Maltese people are so friendly and welcoming, and it is a very neat cultural melting pot of the European Union.

I am ever so excited to be able to return to Valletta for a quick couple of days in January, and those mesmerzing, blue waters and massive medevial ruins are assuredly calling me. Malta is a tiny patch of island paradise unlike any other island in the world. It is a beautiful asset to Europe, and serves as an important bridge to link Africa to the mass Eurasian continent. If you have never considered Malta before, I can't express enough how much I recommend it. Additionally, the main island's sister island, Gozo, is absoutley worth the ferry ride to visit and explore! I hope you enjoy seeing some of my personal highlights from my time on the island of Malta!