Mathilde Tash, University of Rhode Island

Hello land people, it's Mathilde! This morning we anchored the boat in another bay at Great Barrier Island with more civilization. Lots of people went ashore for hiking and French fries though I stayed behind to savor the boat in our final days on board the Robert C. Seamans. That, and all of our work for the program is due tonight. Even though I've been seasick for most of my time on the ship, I'm really going to miss our time here. I don't think I've fully processed what little time we have left but I think after submitting my 10-page research paper it will start to sink in.  Tomorrow we'll be heading back to Auckland so today we had a lot of 'lasts'. My fellow Leeward Lady, Rachel, and I have been trying to squeeze the last 30 days into today and have been pretty successful!

During our final swim call of the trip, I finally mustered the courage to jump off the headrig for the first time! I was too scared to do it on my own so some of my shipmates had to persuade me out there. It was super fun
though and I wish I could do it again.

After, some of us went aloft for our last time. As someone who is terrified of heights, the day was a huge success. It's a bit bittersweet to think that these moments will soon be over, but I'm so grateful for all of these memories and all of the people I have had the privilege of getting to know along the journey. Two more days!

- Mathilde Tash, University of Rhode Island