We boarded the boat with 20 other families and prepared ourselves for the day at sea. We spent the entire day on the boat without phone service with each other and the Alaskan wildlife to keep us company. The boat went slowly, allowing its passengers to take in the raw beauty and unique animals that people usually only see in zoos. We saw eagles in a mating flight and sea lions lounging on the chunks of glacier that were floating through the water. The closer we got to the glacier, the cooler it became and I no longer judged Shelby for making us bring twenty different layers. When we reached Prince William Sound, we learned quite a few things about glaciers in general. We learned that glaciers are thousands, if not millions, of years old and we were able to see this one cascade into the water. Because of global warming and the rise in temperature over the years, glaciers have started to melt; when a part of a glacier falls off from the heat, it is called cascading. It happens too frequently, our nation’s glaciers are quickly melting into the water and this is something that needs to be preserved. Glaciers may appear blue, it is from all of the bacteria frozen inside. The bacteria is not necessarily harmful, but the ice has been frozen so long it is unavoidable. That’s why water surrounding glaciers often appear as a beautiful sea green color.That day was the first day that I considered Alaska to be more than a mountainous prison. It is a place of beauty and serenity, a wonderland. On that glacier cruise, I lost my heart to the Alaskan wilderness and will never stop dreaming of returning.