And so as quickly this trip began, it ends. With the ship back in harbor right where we set sail from five weeks ago at a glance it can seem like we never left. Thankfully, we still have the memories, photos and friendships left over to remind us of this amazing experience.

The Program: It seems so long ago, on June 10th, that 22 students and three faculty met to begin S-287 Protecting the Phoenix Islands (aka: PIPA – Phoenix Islands Protected Area). That evening after a number of introductions and orientations it was explained to the students that the cottages were much more than accommodations.

At this point it is T- 2 days until we arrive back in American Samoa and the past day and a half has given me a somewhat odd chance to compare where I started to where I am now. For the past 48 hours we’ve been dealing with some of the roughest seas and conditions since the beginning of our voyage.

Today is the 8th and with the program coming to an end I am sad but grateful for all the memories that I got from this trip. It all started out coming out of American Samoa in huge 15 ft waves. With the boat rocking and rolling, and majority of my shipmates, including myself getting accustomed to the leeward side (sea sickness), we were confused, sick, land lubbers.

The waves have been getting rougher and rougher the past couple of days, approaching the heights they were in the beginning of the trip. The Easterly Winds are steadily pretty strong at around a force five, helping to build the swells. A watch had dawn watch this morning, Michelle, Silas and I were in lab.

Today’s blog is written by our I-Kiribati observer, Miita. In addition to his role as observer for the government of Kiribati, he has been participating fully in the student experience, beginning with classes in Woods Hole in June.

Living on the boat was very good since it was very comfortable in terms of taking shower in anytime you want. Food was good I like the food so much since I taste food that I never taste before and beside that we ate more a lot of vegetable on this boat. Sleeping was really good and I sleep well in my small bunk. This boat was very clean boat because we do a lot of cleaning on this boat and I love cleaning because I want to live in a clean environment. Those things are very cool to me since sailing in the ocean in a long time with that kind of exciting condition make me happy.

The image attached to this post is what led to the concept of this piece, and truly has left me at a crossroads. We just left Nikumaroro a few days ago, and I’m still wrestling with the idea that our return to Pago Pago (and effectively back home) is imminent.

It’s hard to believe an entire month has passed since the students of S- 287 landed in Pago Pago and boarded the ship that is now our home for the first time. It’s even crazier to think about coming ashore in just 8 days, and being a world away from these islands, which are some of the most beautiful and amazing places in the world.

The sea is calm tonight.  The tide is full, the wind lies fair.  Steady constellations are illuminated from the dark night.  Nikumaroro looks like the island paradise that as a girl I dreamed of living on.  Uninhabited, a place all your own, to live with nature and create the world you want.

As we guide our steadfast sailing vessel across the watery expanse of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, shipboard life teems with energy and excitement. A squall rips through the rigging on dawn watch as we scramble to strike the mains’l. Large, translucent lobster larvae and unidentified purple jellyfish are pulled up from the deep in our net tows