Here is something my friend Bailey wrote reflecting on the voyage and her thoughts on going home. We read it aloud at dinner and couldn't help tearing up, it perfectly captures the feelings and emotions we've all experience throughout the past four months, and continue to foster on this last stretch home. It's a little peak into our lives and I hope after reading you can understand just a smidge more about how it feels to be done with Semester at Sea. Enjoy :)Â
There is a Singapore rail pass, a receipt from a Vietnamese dressmaker, and a Kingfisher bottle cap on the bottom of my purse. I have been to Dominica, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Singapore, Vietnam, China and Japan. My trusty anti-theft money belt is now the home of rupees, rand, cedi, reals, dong, and yen. I donât plan on cleaning it out, maybe ever. I have done more and seen more than most people will in their entire lives.  This is how it feels to have a dream come true.
Where I used to see shapes on a map I now see people; beggars, politicians, drug dealers, philanthropist, thieves, travelers, parents, children and in many countries, angels. Everyday I have seen the best and worst that humanity has to offer. I have been ripped off, misguided, threatened, spit on and cursed out more times then I can count. I have also been brought to tears by the generosity of a complete stranger. We have all had to trust, especially in the taxi, tuk tuk, tro tro, rickshaw, and moto drivers- but above all, we have had to trust each other. We have experienced each others good, bad and really ugly, like day five of the Amazon ugly. Though we were strangers three months ago, we have shared moments of intense fear, hopelessness, bliss and inexpressible gratitude. We have supported each other through meltdowns, travel group drama and of course- missed FDPs. We have watched each other come of age, overcome fears and forge new identitiesâŚsometimes in the form of a nose ring or red lipstick.
 I have gained an extreme amount of weight- or as I like to see it now- I have gained baby weight of my cultural and intellectual rebirth. But really - its not like I was going to skip the Nan in India, the noodles in Vietnam or the rice in China (or the birthday cake on deck five). Although I wonât miss the pasta and potatoes, I will always long for one more three-hour dinner on deck 5. This ship must be the only place on earth where five college kids can have a three-hour dinner without being interrupted by text messages or Facebook notifications. Those long dinners will forever be among my most precious memories. Whether we were planning our weddings or trying to process India, I always felt most at home during dinnertime. May we always remember the freedom of being unplugged and out of touch and the magic of living in the moment with the people sitting around us.
 I finally have the lingo down. I use words like deck, swell, port, berth, tymitz, green sheet, and quarantine. I know that breakfast means deck 6 and dinner means deck 5, unless itâs inedible then its up to deck 7. I no longer worry about the pub night schedule or weather or not my clothes match when I run to global studies. I still donât know the last names of the majority of my friends - even though I can probably name their school, major, hometown and how they handle stressful situations. Like all SAS kids, I too have spent my fair share of time wondering if the peanut butter is actually soy butter or if the mythical stabilizers are out. I tell time by ports, using phrases like âWe became friends after Ghanaâ or âI havenât been to the gym since Singapore.â My closet is now an eclectic showcase of international fashion and tourist chic- I realize as I am writing this I am wearing pants from India, a shirt from China and bracelet from Brazil. It will be weird, the first time I accidently pull a Rand out to pay for a cup of coffee or when I find a Family Mart receipt for five Japanese Strongs in my coat pocket.
 Though I will miss this ship- the garden lounge, the union and the cove. Itâs the people I will miss the most. I canât imagine life without the eggrolls, the SASholes, the shipsters, the pastels, Mizaram, Nalbach, Takada and of course the amazing crew- especially Achilles. It is funny to look back now- at photos of our old selves, before our dreams came true and the world changed us. We looked so put-together, wondering the ship with our nametags on⌠now we look like day three of a Grateful Dead festival.  However you describe it- backpacker chic, pirate couture- this scraggily bunch of college kids is now a force to be reckoned with and I am proud to be among them.
 As emerald shellbacks we have gone on safari in Africa, tried yoga in India, and enjoyed a few drinks in Mauritius. We have accidently hung out at a prostitute bar in Ghana and caused a 300% revenue increase for the 7/11 in Hong Kong. We have built houses, fed the hungry, meditated with monks and stood breathless as we visited 3 of the 7 wonders of the world. We know that no public restroom in the US could ever match the horror of an Indian squatter⌠and we always know â no matter where we go, there will always be Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pitbull music, and convenient store liquor. We have survived Brazilian rum, Ghanaian gin, South African wine, Vietnamese beer, and Japanese sakeâŚand we have the stories to prove it.
 We are professionals now. We have learned the tricks of travel and how to walk with absolute confidence-- no matter how lost we actually are. We have slept with out wallets, tied ourselves to our backpacks and carried index cards with âplease take me to my hotelâ written in various languages. We know now itâs best not to admit it is your first time in a country, especially when bargaining. We are now masters at the âwalk awayâ technique and know that if the shopkeeper is happy- we definitely paid too much. We can spot a fake swatch or Prada bag from a mile away and all the while we wonder if the Tomâs in Africa are fake or stolen. Red flags shoot up every time we hear phrases like âI give you good priceâ, âCome meet my friendâ or âHere brother have a look.â We have learned to bargain for a deal, reproach a cab driver for changing the fare mid ride and navigate subway systems with a language barrier. We know that asking about people's children and hobbies is the fastest way to drive down a price (and turn a greedy shopkeeper into an honest friend). We have learned the importance of pronouncing people's names correctly and even more importantly learning the words "please and thank you" in every language.
 We could have done 1,000 other things this semester- stayed at home, traveled to one country⌠but we didnât. At this exact moment in time we came together- to learn and grow and to forever be the kids of Spring 12. Although we were a special breed before the MV (lets be honest- it takes a special person to drop everything and sail around the world with complete strangers, without any plans)- now we are just effing bizarre. We lived on a cruise ship. We sailed around the world. We went to a university that had a gangway and a pool deck. Our lives are epic and we are epic⌠and it is just the beginning.
 Although we are a pretty confident bunch, we still have our fears. Fears like getting off the ship, losing touch, or getting that first text message. We worry that we will be strangers to our family and friends, that no one will ever understand us again. We will lie awake at night wondering what we will do with our lives to top this experience or to make this semester count. Deep down we all really have one fear- that we havenât changed, that we havenât grown enough and that we will settle back into our old ways of being. We will walk off the gangway in San Diego wondering: ânow how do I make this the beginning not the peak?â It seems daunting now, figuring out a way to make our new selves function in our old lives- and not bark at our friends when they complain about traffic, class or being hungry.
 We will be a hard bunch to overwhelm, to scare or discourage. After waking up to a tarantula in Brazil or walking through a row of beggars in India, nothing really fazes us now. Things that once seemed "difficult" months ago are no longer remotely intimidating. We did this⌠now we can do anything.
 Although we may be unfazed, may we never be âunimpressedâ. May we always be delighted by the wonders of world and find the magic every place and person- not just in the monuments or celebrities- but in every place we see. May we always see the world though these eyes- the eyes of youth and hope. May we stay optimistic and stay positive⌠and may we always stay a little naĂŻve-for no other reason besides being young effing rocks. May we remember the things we said we would do- the people we promised we would help⌠may we never forget the moments when we felt anything was possible. May we always see the world as an opportunity and a challenge- and may we wake up every morning ready to conquer it.
 So as the moments slip away and we frantically look for someone with global studies notes⌠may we smile bigger, breathe deeper and soak it all in.  However you want to say it- YOLO, Love Life, Capre Diem, or Life is short⌠do it big and do it now⌠because this is all we have and we are the luckiest people alive. Of course we are lucky because we just sailed around the world and had 1,000 eye-opening experiences, but the luckiest because we have each other⌠and may we always have each other.Â
