Safe.

I could not think of a more amazing way to end my time on land for Semester At Sea Spring 2009.


The Volcano climb was so hard. No. Hard will never convey what it is. I don't think I've ever attempted something so physically and mentally challenging. We fought through cramps, through closed paths, through cycloning weather patterns that went from 60 to 30 degrees in a minute, through a massive thunderstorm and nickel-sized hail at our mid-mountain camp. I was one of the few that suffered from Altitude Sickness, but I seem to be okay now.

In the end, when I crossed the summit at 13,044 feet higher than anything in all of southern Guatemala... on the 3rd highest volcano peak in Central America... RIGHT next to "El Fuego," an active volcano that erupted 3 minutes after we reached the summit ... Almost every one of us had tears in our eyes. it was the most amazing feeling, I never thought I could do it.

I will write extensively about this after I'm rested.


For now, we've all boarded the ship for the last time. The sign that sits at the gangway says "FT. LAUDERDALE" under the 'Next Port-of-Call' header, and we're all feeling it.


Talk to you later. I'm going to bed.

Greg