To Whom it May Concern,

Well, I just finished watching the last sunset at sea for this trip and I am going to miss seeing the sun set over the ocean every night after dinner. These past two months have been some of the best of my life, and I would not trade them for anything. The sunsets are just the beginning of this experience that we call quarter at sea on board the Training Ship Golden Bear. I don't really know where to begin, there are so many things to talk about and share with you, but nothing can quite describe this experience.

Might as well get the not so fun things out of the way first. The food is not bad. People complain about it, but I think it is better than what they serve at the Lighthouse. But to make up for the food, there is this wonderful lady we call Mom. She is the dessert cook, and makes sure we stay fat and happy with some of the best desserts on Earth. Then there is the gym to take care of all those extra calories. It is lacking in many aspects, but has enough to get stuff done. And to top it all off, there is the general structure to life aboard the Golden Bear. Meals are offered only at specific times, there is a dress code (uniforms), kitchen duty a few times, and daily cleaning duties. Other than that, it's all good times if you have the right mind set from the start.

Ports are definitely the highlight of the trip. We get off the ship and go have fun. Tours, bars, clubs, museums, shopping centers, villages, snorkeling, beaches, people, everything fun you can imagine. But don't get too wasted because hangovers in rolling seas suck. Just have fun. These will be places you will otherwise never go to. I really cannot describe how much fun we had this year. Just find one of us and ask to see some pictures. Basically, I am saying to sign up for this trek. I guarantee you will have the time of your life and not regret a minute of it. See you on board in 2002.