A Gift

Couple of days since I wrote last.   Time has sort of all blended together.    The past several days have really been a blur.   Today is our last sea day.   I am quite sad for this part to be over.     There is a lot of thinking you can do when you have nothing to do but just be.

The weather the past two days has been grey.    Water much rougher.   I kind of like that.   Nice feeling at night.  It really is amazing to me to look out and see nothing but water in every direction.   Just us out here with no one else around.   It is one of those experiences in life that you can’t adequately describe with picture or words.  

Today the sun is back out.  I am sitting on the deck now wrapped up in towels and shivering.  I think I’ve given up on War and Peace again.   It is too much work for my brain at the moment.     

The Captain’s Table dinner was wonderful.   I was very nervous.   I am not sure how it all happened, but I feel very honored to have had the opportunity.    The dinner was a lot of fun and the ability to meet new people and share in their lives and experiences was and continues to be very eye opening.   When you have time to sit and talk without distraction there is a lot of wisdom to be shared.     The captain was actually quite charming.   Not exactly the old grumpy looking guy like you imagine.   I was lucky enough to sit next to him at dinner.    An experience I will definitely remember.  

I think this trip has been a gift for me.   

I slept in this morning.   Missed the Walk for the Cure completely.   Oops.  Walked later.    It is getting quieter on deck.   Eight miles today.   Tonight I am meeting my friends (who shall all remain nameless) for happy hour.   Then a group of us are getting together for dinner at Tamarind.    I need this to be an early night.   Actually have to get up on time tomorrow.   May need to set the alarm.

Tomorrow is our first port.   Lisbon.  I also seriously need to figure out how to do laundry. 

The above was written April 11.   It is now 7:40am April 12.   We are in Lisbon.  I couldn’t sleep last night.    The last time I remember was 3:29 and then something woke me up at 4:51.   I went to sit on the balcony at 5:30.   It was still very dark, quiet and peaceful.   Chilly.  Coming down the river with glow of lights around.     Going under the bridge reminded me of the Golden Gate.   Special to me for the time I spent with Dad there.

As the lights were coming up, doors starting banging and my obnoxious neighbors from NY came out.       I just wanted to sit in quiet and think in peace but instead it was a bunch of hacking along with “Honey…. Isn’t that the castle?   All lit up like that?  Oh look at that statue over there with all of those people carved into it.  This looks just like the US”.   Totally ruined my moment.  I need more patience but it is completely unnecessary to be that loud and rude so early in the morning.    Very upsetting to me.   I want to slip a little note under their door but I suppose that is also inappropriate.  Maybe the lack of sleep is getting to me. 

I’ll be meeting my friends here at 9:45.    They have a plan ready for the day.   There will be 6 of us starting out.   I have mixed feelings about traveling with a group but since this is my first time here, I will try.     If we end up back early, I might go back out on my own to explore.   We need to be back by 5 or will get left behind.

Dinner last night was wonderful.    Met a new couple from Australia along with my friends from CA/Scotland and Chicago.   I continue to be impressed by everyone’s backgrounds and life stories.    We talked for awhile about wedding planning, how everyone met, what makes a marriage work.    One of the couples was celebrating their 25^th wedding anniversary.    I love seeing all of these people who have been together for so many years and are still so much in love.   It gives me hope.   Ended with a launch into politics that got everyone fired up.   A nice night.

The sun is out now.   I have two hours until we go, so I’ll keep drinking coffee and then get ready.  Looking forward to seeing the city.   And just got a call from one of my friends, we are now down to 5.