Hi everyone. The young people have all finally arrived from the 4 corners of the world. For the past 24 hours, we’ve busied ourselves settling into the boat, learning 40 new names (the young people, the educators and the ship’s crew). We are slowly getting oriented with the ship and getting to know each other – all in English, which is a 2nd language for almost everyone. Oh… and then there’s the jetlag… Zzzzzzzz. After a “buon viaggio” ceremony by friends, family, officials and organizers we finally set sail this afternoon – heading toward the blue horizon and into the arms of this adventure. For many of our group, this is the first time to experience life on a boat. The excitement and wonder is contagious. I have to say it would touch the heart of even the most rugged and seasoned mariner. We are lucky today. The sky is clear and there is wind, so we are putting up the sails immediately! Pictured below: Name Games with some group members