|
 Administered
by International Education and Programs
Follow the Voyage!
Information Meetings
Thursdays,
Oct. 9 & 30
11 AM - 12 PM
Fisher Science (Bldg 33) Room 286
|
|
 |
 ::
Letters
from 2003 Students::
-
Letter 1
There is a finite limit to the experiences that come
your way and a finite time to take advantage of them.
This is not one to pass up.
-
Letter 2
One night at dinner, we watched out the window in
the mess deck (cafeteria area) and saw hundreds of
dolphins swimming along side the ship. They were jumping
and doing flips and you just think wow, am I really
here?
-
Letter 3
There is no better way to travel than by boat. You
have your food and housing with you at all times,
so all of a sudden you wake up and are in a different
country with three days to go exploring.
-
Letter 4
There's something else that I want to add, though
most can probably ignore this piece of advice. When
I was thinking about coming on this trip, I was nervous
about the Mazatlan type of travel. You see, in nobody's
letter did it say that they were bigger than most.
I just had to take that chance on my own, and I'm
very glad I did.
-
Letter 5
By the end of cruise you'll have two month's worth
of fantastic memories and a close group of friends
to reminisce with. Don't worry about your class schedule:
I have to take summer classes to make up for this
cruise. Just go! I promise, you'll never have another
opportunity to do this type of thing again in your
life. You only live once!
-
Letter 6
Once you go, you'll realize just how lucky you are
to have this opportunity. You will probably never
be offered something like this again, so push the
doubt out of your mind and just go.
-
Letter 7
In port I had the most amazing times of my life. We
hiked, horseback rode through the rain forest, laid
on the beach while watching monkeys and iguanas walk
by, swam in the warm water, played in waterfalls,
went shopping, and ate a lot of good food. As night
fell, we went to bars, rode mechanical bulls, partied
and danced until about two am ... This is a once in
a lifetime, and when you're finished with this adventure
you'll be a different person. I guarantee you'll have
the time of your life. .
-
Letter 8
I came on cruise knowing that I was in for a very
unique experience. I put my fears aside and dove in
head first. The lessons I learned are priceless and
it is my honest opinion that this has been one of
the major turning points of my life.
-
Letter 9
I highly recommend the Cal Poly at Sea program to
any and all students at Cal Poly. For four years I
passed by the flyer hanging up in Building 52 and
thought to myself "I bet that would be pretty interesting",
but I never bothered to attend any of the meetings
or to put in any more effort than that. I finally
decided to see exactly what the program was all about,
and I am very glad I did so. In fact, after experiencing
the last two months, I kick myself for never having
gone before.
-
Letter 10
And when the work is done, you get to play! You make
friends with cadets, watch movies in Pirate's Cove,
sunbathe on "Steel Beach", stargaze on the helo deck,
pump iron in the gym, learn to play cribbage, watch
dolphins from the bow, and drive the ship. And that's
all before you get to port!
-
Letter 11
Now, I love this trip a lot and I would not give up
this experience for the world (hey, I might even go
again), but there are some things to watch out for
on here that I would have liked to know about before
I came aboard.
-
Letter 12
Even while at sea, the experiences are incredible.
Living aboard a 500 foot ship for 2 months is an experience
in itself. to be able to wake up and see the sun rise
and then see it set followed by an amazing show of
stars, not to mention all the time in between, is
awesome.
-
Letter 13
I am on my hands and knees begging for you to get
off your rear end. Pack up your stuff and hop on the
Golden Bear and let her take you wherever she is going.
Bring friends, lovers, a camera, and a smile to last
for 60+ days. You will not return the same, nor regret
a dime you spent. If you do not believe me, read the
rest of these letters.
-
Letter 14
I decided to participate in this program because I
had never been out of the country. I wanted to see
what else was out there, and I honestly saw the Cal
Poly at Sea program as the most affordable opportunity
to do that. I didn't even account for the added adventures
and experiences that sailing through the ocean would
provide in addition to seeing these beautiful countries.
The experiences on the Golden Bear have added so much
more to this adventure.
-
Letter 15
Once you have arrived in a new port you realize there
is no souvenir you can purchase and take back home
that would summarize your experience. The interaction
with locals and the absorption of cultures were my
intangible souvenirs.
-
Letter 16
The people I have met are probably the best thing
about this trip. You will become very close very fast
with people on this ship. It is so much easier developing
relationships with people here because, unlike at
Cal Poly, you see the same people every day, all day
long. Also, you will be bonded by the amazing experiences
that you will share with them and no one else. By
the time you leave I can guarantee that you will have
made many great friendships that will hopefully last
a lifetime.
|
|
|
|
