Letter to the Editor --- from Sergei Krikalyov, a Russian Cosmonaut who holds the record for the longest time in space - 803 days.

Dear Mr. Editing,

I much wanted go to the oceans for 1000 day since I little boy. I hear many times the stories of peoples go on the boat for many times and I want to go too someday. My mother, she no want I go to ocean on boat. She will did miss me too very much for that. My father no want me go on boat too, for he think boat very dangerous and maybe break and I sink in the ocean to death. I very want to do this much as boy and dream this many times when sleep in my bed. I want for to make this dream real and have much fun on boat exploring wet places with beach.

When I fourteen years my mother, she gets the bite of goat on elbow and she get very sick. She die from this but goat still OK, so my sister not having mother but she still having the milk. When mother die, my dream is closer, for because she dead now and not miss me if I go on boat. I want leave very soon then, but my father sayings I need for to prepare for trip. He saying best place to learn of loneliness and relying on self is in space and USSR will shoot me into space to learn these stuff and he not have to pay.

Father he talk at my uncle Boris that work at space office and he say many peoples in space but never anybody go on boat for 1000 days. Uncle Boris saying to my father I being stupid for to try and go for the water even for 200 days. My father giving him 4 bottles good vodka and my uncle let me go for to space schooling. I putting my socks and underwear and clothes in bag and ride on bus to space school. I study very hard and get very tired because food not good so much at space school. I training very much at school for six years and many times I want to go home. But I stay for because if I going home then not being prepare to go on boat for 1000 day, so I stay. I do test onetime that I spin very much and I am only student for to not throw up. The next day I shooting in spaceship off of earth.

I get in space on spaceship and then attaching to space station where to I spend much time. I’m being very bored in space looking out windows at earth and waving much to father and sister who don’t see too far away as me. I being sad much and read same book many times. I sneezing once and the juice of sneeze stay float in air for 3 days. When I get very much sad I look out window for to see ocean and dream of floating for 1000 day in boat. My dream of boat make me stay and not go back to earth when till comes 800 days. When I go home to earth I stepping one foot of closer to my dreams. The doctors checking with my body, and but for I weigh more I very health.

My father was meet me at the space doctor building and telling me another man making 1000 day trip in the boat. I read of this and am sad for to not be first. I sad of spending so much time in prepare for this. I go back to village with father and I am moping much times. Much years go by when this other man delay from somethings and not go on his boat to 1000 day. When he at last leave from the land, I am happy for this to happen, but I am sad it is not me. I spend time with my father and sister and our goat at days time, and in the nights I still dreamings about my boat and the oceans and this other man that has bring with him a small lady.

I go to library at local university and on internet I see where they go for to draw heart on top of water. I look at pictures and see they go circles of not the shape of the heart, but maybe if heart squished on road. I watching thems sailing and to hitting big ship and break theirs boat in the front part. I see pictures of the broken bathroom and they shovel those clams on under of boat. I see of them fishings and eating weeds. I watching them get for no fat on them any more and they starves. I read they breaking boat motor and that the ocean coming into boat. I see their sails are breaking and they need to fix many times. The sails for to push boat don’t push boat when wind is on them and boat not to move.

I am worried of these peoples on boat so I calling Uncle Boris and tells him of this. I tells him that our country must do something for to make for better boat trip in next time some peoples want to do this. I ask Uncle that Russia can sends someones to Mars so we can be learning how to take long trip on boat and not drowning. My Uncle saying that this good for reason go to Mars and Russia will do that soon. This will be good experience for to help peoples who want to go on boat for long time.