A Life-Changing Decision

I often find myself wanting to be back on S/Y Argo. There, I found a great community of friends who all pushed each other to achieve more than we thought we could. Since coming home, I've told people how much I miss being in a community where everyone is working hard and motivating others to do the same. Because of this communal work ethic, there was never a wasted day. An important note on this, though, it is very important that you are willing to not only contribute, but do your best in each of your jobs every day. I'm not saying people were perfect, but the ones who tried hard were the ones who made the trip better for the entire boat. So a willingness to fully commit to each task (even night watch from 12 a.m. - 4 a.m., or deep cleaning the boat) is a must. As far as classes go, the workload is challenging, not because the subject matter is impossible. but because each day is so full. Every student found the right balance for them, though, between academics and exploring the South Pacific on the trip. One important thing to note is that the twelve college credits from the trip will make you a transfer student at many colleges. I was a gap year student, and did not realize this until I tried to apply to colleges in the fall, and was told to apply in March as a transfer student. So, if you are on a gap year, make sure you know what your future college's credit requirements are for freshman. Finally, here are some of my favorite memories from S/Y Argo: cooking while underway (aptly described as traumatic yet satisfying), swimming with humpback whales, bow watch (sitting at the front of the boat with one other watch team member) while the sun sets, and scary stories under the beautiful stars on night watch. I left Argo more self-confident and motivated, and was very happy I made the decision to make it part of my gap year.