RETURNING HOME

I've done expeditions all over the world, but, for some reason, I've always enjoyed my time in the Pacific Ocean the most. It is the largest and deepest of the four oceans, covering more then a third of the surface of the earth. It seems to be the most mighty and grand thing in the world.

The name Pacific means peaceful. This ocean was named in 1520, by the Portuguese navigator, Ferdinand Magellan. Today, that title held true. This great ocean was gentle and calm. This evening, from the deck of the ship I watched the sun setting on the horizon and could hardly believe my eyes. Nature seemed too beautiful to be real.

We have studied our last site and are going home now. In the time that passes as we travel back to land, people busy themselves with cleaning the ship and gathering their things. Someone brought printing screens and paints and, as always, we have designed t-shirts to remember this voyage by. After the design was complete, everyone made their own t-shirt by hand. Rows of white tops hang on clotheslines on the deck of the ship. I hope they are dry before we reach home.

This ship has a global and year-round schedule. It will return to land just long enough to be prepared for its next mission. Then, someone else will leave their family for a while and have a research vessel as a home.