Dear Prospective Golden Bear Cadet,

It is impossible to predict how life on the Golden Bear will play out; there are just too many dynamics that cannot be anticipated. Still, I'll do my best to let you know what this experience has meant for me and hope that it will give you an indication of what it holds for you.

Above all, what you can expect from this undertaking is an experience I believe to be worth having. Initially, what attracted me to this cruise was a chance to travel. The combination of places we visited were exciting and contrasting (Hawaii, Guam, Yap, Hong Kong, Japan, and Midway). A lot of time was spent walking, shopping exploring, and at incredible beaches. I had so much fun at every port, and if there is anything I can assure you of, it is that the ports will be incredible.

Still, you spend much more time on the ship, and that is what I feel you are least able to imagine and prepare yourself for. One need not be exposed to the CMA system long to realize that it is a very different environment from that of Cal Poly. The approach is more structured and disciplinary, with somewhat of a quasi-military feel to it. There is a specific, non-negotiable schedule and dress code that you need to follow. An inherent part of living on a self-sufficient ship is a certain level of inconvenience: noises at all hours, tight quarters, drills, cleaning, and rooms that are not exactly esthetically pleasing. Personally, it was easy to put such things in perspective (after all, you are getting the opportunity to sail to remote places of the world) and I got over them quickly. Plus, they make it real. It is often hard to get a true sense of time and space since we were caught between two extremes: sailing through the longest expanse of ocean, yet occupying no more than a f 500 foot stretch, so these aspects have somewhat of a grounding effect.

One special dimension of the cruise is joining different students together. Initially, when Cal Poly was thrown together I was surprised (and relieved) at how well everyone got along. Other people have had different impressions (I discovered later on the trip), but I remember thinking , "there isn't that one person, the one everyone quietly dislikes". It wasn't too long, though, before people paired or grouped off and the obvious common ground that being from Cal Poly afforded us lost much of its effect. This is natural, and there are now some CMA students that I am closer to than some Cal Poly students, but still there is a feeling of loyalty to Cal Poly (as a group). We had a relatively small group and, incredibly, had no real disputes between people (at least that I was aware of). Because space within the ship is compact, there are very few places you can go without running into someone. Mostly, that was a fun feature of this experience; you see the same people every day and get to be close to them, but there were moments I felt crowded (naturally). It is hard to be an introvert on this ship; it requires headphones and too much time, two things I luckily had.

Honestly, the different environment (and the fact that I had not known anyone previously) gave me some moments of uneasiness. However, they were only a few moments, overwhelmed by many more wonderful ones. Naturally, adjustments need to be made physically and emotionally. The fact that you are on a self-reliant ship with little to no external communication alters much of what normal life is to you. It is like a little enclave in time and space. You're literally removed from daily life as you know it and are able to leave the associated worries behind (while running into relatively few new ones). What matters is what is here in front of you; everything else (family problems, work, etc.) seems to get pushed back into a reserve in your mind, to be accessed at a later time. Note: this is not a guarantee, just what I found to be true.

Overall, life aboard the Golden Bear was quite an undertaking, one I would not trade for any contrived or imagined trip. It is remarkable to me still. . . no planning can predict, create, or even recreate experiences like these. I made some valuable, and hopefully enduring, friendships; traveled to some exciting, interesting, and contrasting places of the world; was exposed to a different approach to learning, one I am not sorry for knowing; and made many sweet memories. It was amazingly special.