In a matter of days...the long awaited journey begins and the 75 year mystery will be answered! Whether we find anything or not is yet to be foretold. However, each and everyone of us has played a unique part in this upcoming voyage! For many of you, like myself, it started years ago when a shoe part was found, and many of us took to the forum as our getaway per say. For many of us, Amelia has spirited us into broadening our horizons, and telling us not to give up!!! Then came the expedition teams and the voyages to Niku. There was those long days and nights, when many of the team members spent countless hours cutting all that folage and digging into the rocky reef looking for anything. Almost twenty years later, and many expeditions, things are popping out of the sand, and artifacts are being discussed. We now have airplane skin, shoe parts, compact mirror pieces, bottles, and freckle cream jars, and rouge. There are those smoking gun parts that we have in our midst, but still no gun (such as the landing gear). As the team over the years came into new evidence and artifacts, so did they encounter the hardships of living on an unhabited atoll. The painstaking heat, snowcrabs and hermit crabs, sharks, and anything else imagineable. There were those times of sadness, as we learned as a whole on the passing of Karen, but remember her passion for her field of work (not only at Tighar but around the world). Finally, twenty years later we have come to this point in the journey. As for Ric Gillepsie...its nice to see him at the helm of this mission! He deserves it!@ It seemed just like yesterday that he was asked about Amelia, and now he has the excellent opportunity to answer the biggest mystery question of the century. For many of you like myself, I wish I could have had the big bucks, but any denomination would have helped in raising the funds for this voyage. I would have liked to been there, but I don't know if the ship would hold all us Amelia enthusiasts. Anyway, my point in all my writing madness this morning, is to conduct a blessing to our wonderful friend Ric, and the tighar team and ship crew that will make this voyage happen. Ric...for many years now God has blessed you with many blessings. The ability to see things that most people had laid to rest and given up on. You've taken your God-given talents and applied them to finding new ways and means on locating the Electra. Along the way, God has blessed you with a outstanding team and placed you in the midst of so many friends. We are thankful that many of us after so long, we're given the opportunity to go to Washington D.C. for this historic conference, but to see for ourselves the artifacts and the theories at hand. Yes, you encountered most of us. From the wittiness of Collin Cobb (you gotta admit this guy is a hoot!!!), to the outspoken Thomas King, Anthony Mckenna, Irv, Tom Swearigen, Martin Moleski , Skip, Lonnie, Monty, and the list goes on. Let's not forget Julia!!! As much as we debated her theories, most of us have to admit she has the beauty of Amelia inside of her. Which is a spirit many of us possess in our hearts. Always searching for something! As we await the countdown, most of us will dig out that old bottle of wine, or cold brewski in the fridge, or might take that trip to the pub....and then celebrate all the accomplishments!!! If you find something my friend...Its double cheers to you and drinks around per say. Whatever the case....we toast you with many blessings on your journey back to Niku, and we pray to God that you will have safe travels during this time! Bon Voyage Ric and Crew!!!! (Hold Glasses up High Guys!!!) GOD BLESS TIGHAR AND GOD BLESS YOU!!!