Down Under - Day Eight, Thursday, February 13, 2014

Day at Sea

Big shout out today, February 13th, to my mom who is celebrating her birthday today.  Hope you have a great day, Mom!!  It's also my dear friend Sheryl Johnson's birthday.  Birthday greetings to you, too, Sheryl.  Since it's a day earlier here, I'll be celebrating with you both for two days.  

A day at sea has allowed me to catch my breath and really relax.  It's wonderful, but it also allows me to ponder, which may or may not be a good thing.  I've had a chance to catch up on my blog and reflect upon it.  My blog website allows me to see how many times my rather lame attempt at writing has been viewed.  Two times.  You know who you are and thank you.  I was disappointed at first.  I guess I thought I was writing a best seller.  But then I asked myself why I'm writing this blog, besides the fact that my mom wants a running account of my travels and lots of photos.  I guess the truth lies somewhere in between my desire to keep my mom happy and my desire to have a chronicle of my trip.  Guess the main reason I write is to allow myself to pay attention to the details of each day; to seize each moment of this adventure, really appreciate it and back it up through written words.  It's also a way of sorts for me to reconnect with who Julie was, is and can be.  To try to figure out where I belong.  For the past 17 months, I've done a lot of traveling.  I know I can't wander forever.  I actually have no clue what I'm looking for.  But I think travel is a great way to sort things out.  I'm exposed to different parts of the world, different people and cultures and perhaps different ideas, and in the process, I'm having a really good time.  But sometimes, even around these new people and good times, I find myself feeling really alone. Is this still a part of grieving?  I'm told there is no set time for grief, but I'm sure ready for a new chapter in life.  To find some real meaning.  To learn who Julie is, or perhaps who she wants to be.  Sometimes I ask myself if I ever really had "meaning" in my life before September 17, 2012.  I was certainly busy all the time being a wife and mother and constantly volunteering for one good cause or another.  But did I have true meaning and identity?  I thought I did.  I guess people have been looking for purpose and meaning in life forever.  Maybe the answer is to just live life appreciating every moment.  I once read a bit of graffiti on a wall in Hermosa Beach, California that said, "Don't spend time looking for the perfect moment, rather find the moment and make it perfect."  Sounds logical and pretty easy, yes?  But if either of my two readers have any suggestions for me, please send me an email.  I'd love to hear some fresh ideas.  AND I'd just love to hear from you in general.  All of this philosophical crap is giving me a head ache.  This is what happens when I have a day at sea with too much time on my hands.  Next time, I'll take the dance and bridge lessons and go to the seminar on local tours instead of sitting around the pool pondering.

After my relaxing afternoon, Stevie and I joined two couples for our first formal dinner as guests of two crew members, Natalie and Alistair.   The lady sitting to my right, Liz, from the UK, married to Robert, a deaf gent who could read lips and speak beautifully, were so much fun.  Liz, retired from a company that handles 7000 company's payrolls and is now into traveling the world and hypnosis.  Hypnosis?  Very interesting, indeed.  She asked some very thought provoking questions about my future that I won't get into here because I don't have answers for them yet.  But she really has me thinking.  

After dinner, we went to the Grand Salon for the show "Bravo", a collection of Broadway tunes sung by the two entertainers we had dinner with the first evening on board, Meredith and Chris.  They put on a great show.

Now I'm snuggled in bed waiting to be rocked to sleep again.  The wind is howling outside, making for rougher seas, but just makes for better rocking.  Night, night.  More news and more photos tomorrow.  Cheerio.