For anyone who has ever used a navigation system, and driven (or walked) beyond where the map has coverage, you were probably prompted with a message warning you that, “You are not on a digitized road,” meaning that the detailed directions will cease, and you are on your own until you return back to civilization.
Props to the crew. They love the gulet. They take care of her. The beautiful lines that the fresh water hose makes. The meditating sights of the swabbing of the decks and the polishing of the rails. Beauty in simplicity. Love.
Love to the captain. The captain sets this tone for his crew, which is why they are the best crew in the biz. They work like crazy, keeping us safe and attended to. Then, they party like rockstars when the work is done.
I love and respect our captain so much. He runs the boat and has such discipline. Day in and day out. Year in and year out. Watering the decks is one of my favorites. It’s so cool on my bare feet after, and I like walking around on the wood after making splashing noises in the puddles.
I love travel that challenges me physically. I am in no way a fitness fanatic, but there’s something exhilarating about proving to yourself that you can accomplish with your body what your mind set out to. Surf camp, yoga retreats, trekking excursions, I’ve done them all. I’m also a control freak and could never understand why so many of the adventures I signed up for were one-size-fits-all. Not everyone is one size!
I think so. Because to me, New Orleans is sexy.
After having no idea what was going on for hours, and getting up to board for every flight that was departing, only to be told “non”, I learned that apparently “the plane needs to be plugged in and charged, so we will be taking off at 11am”???
I think in this kind of situation where frustration feeds off frustration, and since I was by myself I was happy just to sit and wait. If I had been with someone else I am sure I would have been agitated. There were 6 other Americans also waiting, 2 men I didn’t meet, 2 women from Miami (Nancy and Arlina) and 2 women from outside Atlanta (Barbara and Suzy).
I love road trips. And boat trips. And train trips. And, not coincidentally, some of my favorite books involve those very trips…
And, we’ve started to have backgammon competitions on each of our Voyages, which are an absolute hoot! The first step is teaching everyone the Turkish rules, (captain’s boat, captain’s rules) and training the novices in the basics of the game. Then, we draw brackets and let the games begin. We’ve had some unlikely upsets, which is what brackets are all about, really. And, it’s a great way for people who may not know each other well to spend some quality time together.
This year my sister and I took her kids to England. And, we missed our mom a lot! But I know she was smiling down on us as we took the kids to see Paddington Station, and to have high tea with marmalade.
At first it was odd to me that I kept wanting to go on the same Voyage. I have travelled the world, and rarely visit the same place twice (except when I’m with my niece and nephew who want to always revisit the same summer house in Michiana – now I know why!). In my travels I always planned something new. That was actually one of my goals (in my matrix…yes…my traveling planning matrix). I felt it was almost a disservice to myself if I retread the same ground. But then…I met the Blue Voyage.
Starting something new, like writing, is exciting. But it is also scary. Having Lamott to look up to as a woman ahead of me on the trail, and not only surviving, but thriving, is reassuring.
One of my favorite parts of the Blue Voyage is the Turkish dance lesson we do onboard. The crew is really committed to helping us all learn. And the joy of dance and laughter and being free and silly is contagious. Even those guests who opt out at the beginning are tying on sequenced scarves and kicking their legs by the end. And if you’re really lucky, Rebekah may join us.
So, the bottom line of my trip, is that I recommend skipping Uluru, and spending an extra day or two at one of the other amazing locations across Australia. I left feeling unfilled and disappointed. But, I do have some amazing photos!
Guest Post by Terri Lydon (http://redfacedmama.blogspot.com)
A focal part of my relationship with my niece and nephew is reading.
Sure, we do a lot of tickling, and kissing, and hugging, and chasing, and shoulder rides, and laughing. There are water slide parks, and cheeseburgers, and musicals…and other things, too.
But, every time put them to bed, we read.
So, it is no surprise that traveling with them involves books, too.
Guest post by Rebekah Marcano (|| https://rebekahmarcano.com/||)
Writing is a way I explore place, just like reading and traveling are.
I think of Mongolia on a daily basis, since I have named my dog Gobi. She looks just like one of the dogs my sister and I met and adopted for the duration of our stay. Like my dog, my memories of Mongolia are never far from my heart.
Guest post by Rebekah Marcano (https://definewellbeing.com)
There is something about getting on an airplane and having a forced technology break that makes me go super inward-my childhood prayers and daydreams come to mind as the plane takes off and I text my I love you’s to my family and head into the clouds with a sense of gratitude for life and curiosity for the unknown adventure!
The funny thing about travel friends is that you can end up with friends all over the world, whom you love just as much as some of your closest friends from home.
