As I’m sitting here looking out of my window in Granada, Spain at the accumulating clouds, I can’t help but shout “cumulus nimbus!” in my head and remember our first day out to sea from Florida, and the way the clouds had just parted after drizzling on us for days. The excitement was rising as I looked at the faces of my soon-to-be very close companions. The wind was whipping all around us, the spray lightly coating everything with a fine layer of sea salt, goofy grins spreading across every girls face; and then we all got sick. But ever since that unforgettable voyage, four years later, I am still chasing that monumental feeling of adventure, knowing that it will be rough, aware of the challenges that trying something completely different and new will bring, and knowing that at times we may all be face down on the deck, sick as dogs.

As our voyage went on, I was amazed at how quickly the personalities of the girls began to truly show through, myself included. At times there were conflicts, but most of the time I was amazed at how everyone looked out for one another. I remember one night coming off of watch at 3am, feeling so sick with every pitch and roll of the boat, and as soon as I went below I had to run right back up barefoot and hang on to the side of the rail for dear life. The next thing I knew, my friend was strapping me into a harness and talking me through the worst of it as the ship bounced ferociously against the waves, pelting us with the nighttime waters. From that moment on, I knew that these girls had my back, literally. For me, this was a profound revelation, since for most of my life growing up in San Francisco I had never allowed myself to really trust many girls. With Tall Ships, this was inescapable, and the friendships I formed and solidified on that trip to this day are some of my strongest, (and goofiest), relationships.

These connections surpass even the girls who were on the same trip as I was. As I meet girls from other trips, other years, I realize how our shared experience bonds us together even though we may have only just met. We know how it feels to be at sea for weeks, to pull in a anchor, to make up a sea shanty, and we know that feeling of excitement that Tall Ships inspires. That same feeling of excitement rises in my chest once again when I think of my little sister, who currently is on her own Tall Ships voyage. I know there must be times when she wants to come home, and times when she struggles with the tasks presented to her, but I also know that she is discovering strengths she didn’t even know she had, and who knows what stories she will bring home to us!

Knowing my strengths and the extent to which I can adapt to new situations has given me the confidence to work towards my academic goals in college, and to never sell myself short. Tall Ships has shaped the paths that I have chosen since then, from the way I deal with my relationships with other people, to my decision to study abroad this semester in Spain. I am so excited for my sister to come home in a few weeks, and I am also curious to see if she will have caught the same incurable wander-lust as I did. But as amazing, life-changing, and stimulating as these experiences are, it is always a beautiful thing to come home.