Dear Students,

This has been one of the top five best experiences of my life up to this point. Traveling to different areas of the world will open up huge doors for you. I met people who uprooted their lives to live in beautiful places. And also people who had to move out of necessity. You will also discover through these people you meet that you can do anything. Though be wary of who you put your trust into; I've heard horror stories, though no one ran into trouble on our trip.

I very much enjoyed ship life. The ocean is beautiful and amazing. When you're out there don't just look at the beautiful color, look for things. The more time you spend out there, the more rewarding it will be. Whales, dolphins, flying fish, turtles, sharks! Learning the ship way of life and about the systems on board was also very interesting to me.

The ports were awesome, but you only get out what you put in. I would suggest getting guidebooks. there's nothing like getting together with a tiny group the night before and outlining your day, all in a huddle. But I do suggest that you explore in small groups. It is hard to get consensus in a large one, unless you all just want to go to the bars. If there is a big group, split up and decide to meet for dinner somewhere and chat about what others enjoyed so you can try that tomorrow. And eat the food, unless you know it will make you sick. Avoid McDonalds at all cost, unless you're getting green apple milk shake or a red bean pie or unless your goal is to eat at McDonalds around the world. Eating is so much a part of the culture that it would be a shame to miss it.

No matter how thrifty you try to be, you will always end up spending more. Plan for it and get a job or bug your relatives. you can also plan to get some school out of the way, so take GEs. Definitely take astronomy! There's nothing like being out on a completely dark ocean with millions of stars above you, and shooting stars without fail.

I only encountered a tiny bit of resentment from the CMA students, otherwise everyone was very welcoming and helpful, both students and faculty. As long as you work hard to do your jobs on board and follow the rules you will have no problem. On this last trip some people did not represent us so well, which is probably why some were no so kind as they could have been. Remember that you are a crew member just like the rest of the CMA and Cal Poly students. Any good effort will be well appreciated at the Sinbad Games.

You might be sea sick the first day, but don't let that get you down. There is such an awesome adventure ahead of you.