Nautica Impressions HKG to ATH

[Daw6id]

As one who has not commented all through this cruise - let me add my thanks, now that it's over. FDR should be grateful for all the people who are now interested in this itinerary, like me. I am curious as to why the east coast of India [Kolkata, Chennai] are ignored. This series has been delightful - from the powder to the pyramids, and I thank you for sharing with us.

[merryecho]

The picture of Jack and Lumpy at the pyramids is now on my bulletin board. DH asked who it was, but it was just too hard to explain- well, it's a guy who went to the same college I did, but I have never met, who went to the pyramids with his parents and had a wonderful time, along with the Lumpy from Leave it to Beaver, and they both are making funny faces- why do you ask?

[KatWag]

Jack -

 

This has been such a treat. I happened to see a post on anther board suggesting that folks check out your thread. I enjoyed it so much that I read it straight through.

 

I'm more in Ty's vacation situation right now (can't get six weeks off, darn it.) But you've completely convinced me that we need to try Oceania.

 

Thanks so much for sharing your amazing adventure.

 

And I completely agree with the other posters recommendations that you continue with your writing. The writer of Marley and Me, John Grogan, was our local columnist for a number of years. He has an amazing ability to bring the reader right into the story. You have the same gift. Thanks for the smiles, the laughs and a few teary moments. Best to you and Ty always.

 

Kathy

[JackfromWA]

A FEW RESPONSES:

 

AussieGal, so glad you loved the photos. Make sure you meet Sukey (Seasoned) on the 2008 Hong Kong to Athens Nautica cruise. If you enjoy trivia I strongly suggest you recruit her early for your team.

 

Meow!, yes I am shooting with a digital Nikon D80 SLR. I think it holds about 250 photos shot in large format, but since I downloaded frequently to my laptop I am not sure how many it would have held before the card was full.

 

Lagunaman, I enjoyed meeting you family. Glad you enjoyed the story and I truly appreciate your magnanimous offer of hospitality. When I get to your part of the world I will contact you and try to enjoy your generosity. Thank you.

 

ChatkatinCA, you are right. The best part of coming home was the greeting from the wagging tail brigade (Rusty) and defenders of the castle (Ty & Stewart). When I walked in the door Rusty came running up to me. But instead of leaping up and down, licking my arms and barking, he hesitated. He sniffed, looked at me, sniffed again and some olfactory canine sense verified to him it was really me. At that point all hell broke loose. He was beside himself and didn’t let me out of his sight for a day.

 

Lahore, glad you enjoyed the photos and really glad you are keeping an open mind about Luxor. While a ship shore excursion isn’t the ideal way to tour there, it would be a shame in my mind to avoid it. The hassles, inconveniences and limited time can’t eclipse the intense feeling of personally stepping in the cradle of history. I hope you go. Let me know.

 

EstherE, thanks for the compliments. Glad you enjoyed reading it and seeing the photos.

 

Mk0520, you left today on Oceania. You may not read this for quite some time, so I hope you had a wonderful trip and enjoyed Cairo as much as I did. Thank you for your encouragement and kind words about Ty.

 

Scdreamer, glad you enjoyed the writing and photos. Hope you have a wonderful trip on Insignia.

 

Pennyagain, glad the photos clarified the cabanas.

 

Rob & Becky’s Mom, I gave my mom and dad a big hug from you, and my mom hugged me back—so your hugs got passed on. I just read your note to Ty, and he said, “I appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers, even though I won’t know anything for a little longer. I am glad so many people are concerned.”

 

Decebal, glad you enjoyed the photos. I will try to add a few more photos from the ship in the next week or two.

 

Seasoned, I am writing to you here because you posted, so now you are fair game. You are the person I imagined reading when I sat alone in the cabin and wrote everything. When I left the new installments on your cabin door, I was nervous. It was your favorable opinion I was seeking. I knew you would be kind if you didn’t like it, but I also knew you wouldn’t give me false hope—you are too straight a shooter for that. You publicly writing I have The Gift is the greatest motivation I could receive. Thank you. I don’t think it was coincidence we met. I believe when the student is ready, the teacher appears, and I am grateful, and feel very fortunate, to learn from you.

 

SheDevil, glad you found some positive motivation through reading this account. An unanticipated byproduct of writing this has been my newfound appreciation of the joy of traveling with people I love. Like all the best stories, the joy is in the journey, not the destination.

 

Wildduck, I can’t wait to read about your visit to the Pyramids. Have a great time next year. If you play trivia try to recruit Seasoned (Sukey) before Aussie Gal does, or better yet, form a team online with Aussie Gal and Seasoned before the cruise on your roll call board.

 

TenerifeSharon, thank you for writing. I showed Ty your words of encouragement and it made him smile. One of the nicest features of the internet is it allows friends you haven’t met in person to send you positive thoughts and advice. I am thrilled you invested four hours of your life to read everything from beginning to end. Glad you enjoyed it.

 

Jancruz1, one of the highlights of the cruise was meeting you and Stu—now I always have a personal connection to one of the best-informed people on the planet about Oceania. For those of you reading who don’t know it, Jan knows her stuff and is extraordinarily well connected with Oceania. I feel fortunate she and Stu are friends.

 

Dancingpaula, you are welcome. The gift of the time it took to write was my pleasure to give, and since it brought you fits of laughter and an occasional tear, it was all worth it. Thanks for reading.

 

Mvmag, glad you are considering Oceania. Silverseas can be amazing—I have nothing bad to say about them—but I don’t think you’ll ever regret trying Oceania. You know my feelings about Oceania, and I love the money I saved by choosing Nautica over Silverseas or Regent.

 

Twiga, my parents are wonderful. Too bad it took me so long to figure that out. Glad you liked the photos—it does bring some of the events to life.

 

Cruisingserenity, thanks for your encouragement. I think you’ll like what “I had up my sleeve” when you read below.

 

Aneka, you are welcome. Glad you enjoyed the photos and the writing. Enjoy your upcoming cruise on Insignia.

 

Daw6id, thanks for posting. Glad I was able to share something you enjoyed with you.

 

Merryecho, I will be in Portland later this week, and I’ll think of you when I cross the bridge. Your conversation, trying to explain the story of the photo of Lumpy and I on your wall, made me laugh out loud. Some things are too hard to explain!

 

KatWag, to mention me in the same paragraph as John Grogan is humbling. I read ‘Marley and Me’ on Nautica. I missed my dog terribly as I read the book, and I cried when I though of how sad and painful his death will be for me. My Wheaten Terrier is eight. He has made a difference in my life, made me a better person and unknowingly saved me from making some serious mistakes. Reading ‘Marley and Me’ made me appreciate Rusty even more than I ever did before. Thank you for your kind words, encouragement and high-praise.

 

BOOKS & BIOPSIES (Follow-Up #1)

 

“Look Jack, you have a package from Lumpy!” Kay said as I arrived in my office. Kay is my extremely competent office manager. She and my co-worker Eric’s valiant efforts made my extended absence possible. She has read some of the posts of my trip and knows the history of my relationship with Frank aka Lumpy.

 

A few days ago Frank called to thank me for some light-up Dodgers hats I sent him, and when Kay answered the phone she was in the middle of reading my account of the 35-day trip on Nautica.

 

“It’s Frank on the phone,” she excitedly said. I told her to interrupt me anytime Frank calls. Having him call as she was reading my posts made the story even more real. Frank generously sent me an autographed copy of his autobiography ‘Call Me LUMPY.” I plan to read it over the weekend. He also invited me to come to the Peppermill Hotel in Reno this summer. Frank and his friend, Kenny Osmond, more commonly knows as Eddie Haskell, will be featured as part of the Hot August Nights celebration. In my wildest dreams I never imagined cruising on Nautica would result in an invitation to hang out with Lumpy and Eddie Haskell in Reno this summer. I would love to go, but my brothers and their families are coming to visit Bellingham in early August, and I want to stay home to spend time with them.

 

After hanging up with Frank I called Ty.

 

“When is your biopsy? Did they finally call with a date?”

 

“Yes, it is Wednesday, May 23rd at 2:15,” Ty said.

 

“OK, can I go with you?” I wanted to make sure there were no more delays.

 

“Sure it would be great if you could take me,” he replied.

 

So, tomorrow afternoon, I will drive to Ty’s office, pick him up, take him to the doctor’s office, and sit in the waiting room while they carve up his tongue. I don’t know why it has taken this long. I hope it is because no one but Ty, friends, loved ones and me are too concerned. Sometime in the next week his test results will come back and we will know if he has early stage tongue cancer. The doctors have assured him that if he has cancer, it is early and treatable. So, in the long run he will be fine. In the short run we need to know the facts, because fear and uncertainly are almost as malignant as cancer. It feels like our lives are on hold until we know the results. It is time for answers.

 

No matter how great the journey, life patterns, both good and bad, have a habit of quickly resurfacing after I am home. After a week of taking out the garbage, going to work, doing laundry, answering the phone, eating mediocre (compared to Nautica) food and watching TV, the trip feels further and further away. Fortunately, I can look at my pictures, call Sukey, talk to my parents, or read my posts. This cruise was special and I don’t want to let it get too far away from me. As I wrote while traveling, I want to apply some of the wisdom I learned to my life. Some I have applied, some I haven’t. Yet. Writing to all of you helps me remember my intentions.

 

Yesterday my dad came to my office to mail some Dutch cheese to my sister and brother.

 

“Here is a card for you. You better open it,” he told me. The envelope was addressed to me in my mother’s handwriting. When I opened the card a large check fell out. I charged the purchases in Goa to my American Express card, and my dad inserted a check to pay for the exquisite Indian silk rug he and my mom purchased.

 

I smiled at him. “Thanks Dad, you know I love checks.”

 

The card was blank, and completely filled with my dad and mom’s neat, cursive script. I began to read:

 

“May 17, 2007. Dear Jack, I’m not sure how to begin to thank you for all that you have done to make our cruise to Asia the most wonderful trip in my life. As I unpack and put things away, I catch myself smiling, remembering where we were the day we bought the carpet, or the vendors in Goa, or the Gandhi house. These are memories I’ll treasure forever. As wonderful as the cruise was, it was not the best part. Spending so much quality time with you was the highlight of the trip. It is a rare privilege for a parent to have so much uninterrupted time with a grown child. You were and are a joy to be with. I know it wasn’t always easy for you, but I do appreciate your consideration and thoughtfulness. Your insights and comments on your online journal were wonderful. You do have writing talent! Thank you for taking the time to share this wonderful experience with us. Love, Mom P.S. Thanks for letting me use your camera.

 

Dear Jack, Being in second place to write a two person “thank you” note is not easy. I agree with all your mother has written. I only hope that the trip was equally enjoyable for you. I am also grateful for your generosity with air miles and frequent contributions. You did much more than your fair share. It was a bit humbling to he known as Jack’s dad/parents. I am sure that you were the best known passenger on the Nautica, or at least it seemed so to me and the best thing was that your notoriety was all related to positive behavior. I will always remember the many new and wonderful things we saw for the first time. We would never have made this voyage without your encouragement and help. Thank you! Love, Dad”

 

Some things are priceless. When the day comes that health or death make a trip like the one I just took with my parents impossible, I will have no regrets. We already took it.

 

Two songs have always haunted me. ‘Cat’s in the Cradle’ by Harry Chapin and ‘In the Living Years’ by Mike and the Mechanics. Both speak to missed opportunities, and sadly realizing the mistake when it is too late to do things differently. I think the men who wrote those songs would be pleased to know that I listened. I learned from their sage lyrics, and while I have made, and will continue to make many mistakes, I won’t make the mistake of procrastinating spending time with my dad and mom and family and friends I love until it is too late. I tell the people important to me that I love them, and more important than telling them, I show them. I know the value of spending time with people I love. To me, it is the most precious thing in life. My greatest possessions can’t be stolen—they are my memories, my character, the love I have for others, and the love others have for me.

 

In my last post I promised a surprise. Thanks to Sukey (known on cruise critic boards as Seasoned) I will have a neatly formatted, professionally copy edited manuscript of our journey. Sukey spent over thirty years working for Time, Inc. as a copy editor. Her effort is a labor of love. I probably couldn’t afford her. She has completed about half of the posts, and I suspect she will finish the rest in the next few weeks. If not, I will happily, gratefully, wait until she is done. Many of your posts will be included, as the story isn’t just my story; it is our dialogue that makes the story what it is. Since I am not a professional writer, don’t have a publisher, don’t know all the legal intricacies involved, etc., I am not going to sell the books. I am going to give them away. Of course, there is one condition. The cost to print and send you a copy is about $10. To receive a copy I request that you please make a $10 donation to the Red Cross, or any other charity you choose which helps people in time of crisis. The link to donate to the Red Cross is here: http://www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html

 

I plan to print one hundred of these manuscripts, I am keeping a few myself, so if you want one please send an e-mail to nautica@gumball.com and be sure to include your name, number of copies and your mailing address. I will ship “first come, first served” and will try to fill every request. Please don’t make a donation until after you receive your book, as I don’t know if I will have enough books to fill every request. It will probably be a few months before this is ready to ship, so please be patient. I will post on this thread when the copies are done.

 

This is a cruise board, and though I’ll eventually run out of cruise related things to write about, and have to go somewhere else, there is still a little left. I’ll post again soon when I know the results of Ty’s biopsy. I appreciate all your well wishes, encouragement and most of all for taking this journey with me.

 

Thanks for reading.

[Aussie Gal]

Jack,

 

I have just read your wonderful post. I had tears in my eyes when I read what your parents had written in their card. Having two wondereful children aged 39 and 37, I could relate immediately to how your parents feel about you.

 

I am going to email you immediately to order a copy of your journal. Can I send my donation to the Australian Red Cross instead of the U.S. based one?

 

Thanks also for the tip of asking Sukey if we can be in her trivia team. We have a lot of knowledge about the wider world, but nothing about U.S. sport or U.S. T.V. shows and need someone who is an expert in that field. We are looking forward to belonging to a team and playing that whilst on board.

 

Please keep in touch, we are all waiting to hear that Ty's health is back on track.

 

Jennie

[JackfromWA]

Jennie,

 

Any Red Cross, or any charity of your choice that helps anyone in time of crisis is fine with me. As amazing, inspiring and exciting as the cruise was, the poverty was difficult to see, so I am happy to print these and send them out, as long as the actual cost goes toward helping those in need. I know the amount we will send is a pittance give the scope of extreme poverty, but if everybody did what we are doing....

 

Always good to hear from you. Recruit Sukey early. I hope to have Ty's results by early next week.

 

G'Day

 

Jack

[lahore]

Hey Jack

Thanks so much for everything you have done on the cruisecritic board.

I really can't write a lot at the moment, but just wanted to say thanks again; you have done a wonderful thing; you have taken a personal experience that would be wonderful in any circumstance and you have converted it into something even more: a wonderful treasured experience with your parents and on top of that you also made a lot of unknown people very happy/excited/pleased.

As some say here in Australia " on ya mate"! (that means well done friend)

[seasoned]

I must thank Jack for his very kind words.

 

When the work is done, it will be Jack's writing that deserves the continued praise. As he knows, I am on a necessary road trip right now and online when I can spare time from various obligations with my family. I am waiting for my own quiet zone when I can dig into the last half of his journal. I hope it will be this weekend. Till then I hope everyone will remain patient for the finished product, which will still, no doubt, be a work in progress.

 

-Sukey-

[JoePDX]

Dear Jack,

 

I can't begin to tell you how impressed and touched I have been by your travel journals. I've laughed, I've cried and I've been in awe of your experiences and the talented way in which you wrote about them. You made it easy for me to close my eyes and envision that I was there too. I've been sharing snippets of your tales with my partner Jeff since I came across the post last Friday. I guess in some ways I was lucky to be able to read the entries from start to finish, without having to wait for the daily installments. Although, as many pointed out, that may have been the highlight of several weeks to log onto Cruise Critic and hope for another entry from you describing your adventures with your parents and the others who by sheer chance just happened to share the journey with you.

 

I am thankful every day for the travels that Jeff and I have been able to share together, along with a wonderful cast of characters, some who entered our lives for one cruise only, but also a big group that we've been able to travel with numerous times. Travel has enriched our lives and provided us with education beyond expectation. This particular cruise has long been on my wish list so I send a thousand thank yous to you for sharing it with all of us, but also selfishly with me, in your own personal way. One day I'll be the one taking this journey - I know it.

 

I'm sending to Ty a "Lucky Dollar" through the internet since I don't have your address. Stu received one that Jan told me she taped above his hospital bed in Florida during that very dark time. It sure worked for Stu and I send every belief and best wish that it will do the same for Ty. Peace to you both.

 

With great respect,

Joe & Jeff

[Jancruz]

Dear Jack,

 

 

I'm sending to Ty a "Lucky Dollar" through the internet since I don't have your address. Stu received one that Jan told me she taped above his hospital bed in Florida during that very dark time. It sure worked for Stu and I send every belief and best wish that it will do the same for Ty. Peace to you both.

 

With great respect,

Joe & Jeff

 

Joe, I cant tell you how much I appreciated all the good wishes and the lucky dollar at that time..I do believe in my heart it was all the prayers from everyone on this board and friends that helped Stu recover and Im sure that we all can help Ty also with our prayers....

Jan

*****

[JoePDX]

Joe, I cant tell you how much I appreciated all the good wishes and the lucky dollar at that time..I do believe in my heart it was all the prayers from everyone on this board and friends that helped Stu recover and Im sure that we all can help Ty also with our prayers....

Jan

*****

 

Hi Jan,

 

It was such a pleasure to see a picture of Stu on Jack's Picture Page.

 

One day - I know we'll meet on the high seas!

 

Cheers,

Joe

[JackfromWA]

Ty and I are home from his biopsy. The season finale of American Idol is on in the background, and Ty is eating some of the popsicles I got him—he loves popsicles when he isn't feeling well, and tonight there are stitches in his tongue. We are in the waiting-for-the-results place in the cancer game—one of my least favorite places to be. We both thank everyone for the prayers and good thoughts.

 

Reading Jan and Joe's post prompted me to write tonight. I do believe all the prayers and wishes for good health, many from people I've only met here, make a huge difference. I don't have a logical reason why I believe that; I just do. When I was a cancer caregiver for my best friend, I spent months posting in the oral cancer message boards. The love, support, encouragement and advice there was unimaginable. Online communities can make a difference.

 

We will have his results soon, and I will let everyone know. I am hopeful, but either way I know things will be all right. I am glad I am not on Nautica this weekend—I need to be home with Ty. I learned today the reason the biopsy kept getting postponed is the doctor was hoping the unusual bumps on his tongue would just go away. Most eventually do. His did not, so he finally got the test.

 

I have received about fifty requests for books, at least six were from Australia. Wow! There should still be plenty left for anyone else that wants one, and I think I can print a few more if necessary. So, if you want one I'll do my best to make sure you get it. A few people have asked if they can give to other charities. Absolutely! Some of my favorites are the Red Cross, American Cancer Society and Amnesty International. Any charity you choose that helps people in need is perfectly fine. A few people have asked if I need a receipt. NO! I trust you. If you tell me you made a donation, I know you made a donation. Don't worry about it. My brother mentioned today he was willing to start a charity for his kid's college fund (next week I go to Washington D.C. to watch my oldest niece graduate high school) and I should ask everyone to donate to that, but I told him his need wasn't significant enough. It did make me laugh, especially since I think he would have taken the money!

 

I hope everyone in the United States has a great Memorial Day weekend.

[Saga Ruby]

In today's mail is my new issue of Smithsonian and the cover story is Petra with the cover photo being that magnificent slot in the rocks leading toward the Treasury building.

 

I was gobsmacked with the "finest kind" photography that you shot on your trip - the Wadi Rum and Petra photos are topnotch. I'll enjoy reading the article because, thanks to your writing skills, I feel like I've already been there.

 

If you've ever been to Alaska or are planning a trip, feel free to "read all about" my extraordinary one day in Seward. You'll get a kick out of it. It's Post #136 on this URL:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=480683&page=7. "Saga Rose Greenland August 2007" if you can't pick up the thread. It was a hoot!

 

Happy sails!

Ruby

[molomare]

Jack, You never cease to amaze me with your sensitivity and understanding. Your description of your your relationship to your parents on this trip just hit a very tender spot in my heart. You really hit the nail on the head - My married children live in St. Paul, Mn. and I do not get to see them very much. They like many children today are caught up in the frenzy of life, and I am constantly aching to see them and talk to them. My daughter has not grown up at the age of 51, to understand that I am in the winter of my years and like your parents, won't be around forever. I love your description of how you treasured your moments with them on this trip. It did bring a tear to my eye. I guess if I offered them a trip just to be with them, I might get a positive response, but I can't, and they would not have the free time. So, Jack, having just come back from three days with my children in Binghampton, NY for one of their three kid's college graduation, I have to take my pleasure in small doses when I can. It was all too hectic and not really quality time. I just love you to pieces, Jack, and I don't even know you. You are a treasure! My DH and I look forward to our cruise along with Lahore in November and I thank you so much for your wonderful insight into some of the places we will have shared on our trip. My best to you and Ty and your wonderful parents. Sincerely, Marcia

[meow!]

On the last count, this thread is very close to 20,000 "views"! Let's keep reading and posting on this thread, to make it the first on this Oceania column to surpass 20,000.

[roseleib]

Jack, Thank you so much for sharing this amazing journey with us. I was on the Insignia's April 28th sailing Rome- Venice when another cruise critic member mentioned this post to me. It took me until this week to find the time to read it. I have been at my computer for hours since I've discovered it, reading your posts, sharing in your adventures, rejoicing at the wonderful bonds you have with your family, anticipating Ty's biopsy results and living vicaroiusly through your incredible memoir. My family ( 4 kids) have wondered why dinner is late and my husband wanders in frequently asking who I am talking to. I explain I not talking to anyone just feeling, learning and sharing a trip to many places I will probably never get to but feel feel now, I've experienced. Thank you for taking the time to write so eloquently and with so many insightful thoughts. I laughed at your descriptions of the Trivia teams...it brought back fond memories of the wonderful people who were part of our trivia team onboard ( Ah what we'll do for an Oceania workout towel or hat) I too love Oceania after my first cruise with them last month. I came home immediately and wanted to book another cruise with them but instead encouraged a good friend to experience sailing with Oceania. One day I hope to be lucky enough to sail Oceania again. My thoughts are with Ty and you as he awaits his results ( I know how scary this time can be). I hope when my children grow up we can share a journey similiar to yours and your parents. I wish you only the best and look forward to reading about your adventures and travels in the future.

[heinzweiser]

Jack: Thank you for your postings!

I just found this thread yesterday.

Your words describing the Nautica cruise my wife and I were on in 2006

are truly magnificent and deserve to be preserved in the book I requested today.

Heinz

[JackfromWA]

A FEW RESPONSES:

 

SagaRuby, a friend brought the recent Smithsonian magazine it and said the cover of Petra looked just like the picture I showed her. I read the article with much greater interest than I would have two months ago!

 

Molomare, I shared your comments with my mom and dad. Your words really touched me. Have a wonderful time on your cruise in November.

 

Meow!, it did…Wow! Over 20,000 “views”. Seems like a lot to me—I sure didn’t anticipate that the first night I sat in my cabin and wrote about boarding Nautica.

 

Roselieb, I am glad you enjoyed it and dinner is back to the table on time. Please extend my apologies for the tardy dinners to your family. I hope you get to enjoy a journey like this with your kids someday.

 

Heinzweiser, glad reading the thread brought back some memories of your time on Oceania.

 

BENIGN!

 

“I finally got hold of the doctors,” Ty said. We were just finishing dinner and watching the 6:30 evening news.

 

“Did they call you? What did they say?” I asked.

 

“I called them just before five. My test came back negative. The growth is benign.”

 

I was so relieved I didn’t even ask why he waited almost two hours to tell me. Sometimes I think Ty thinks it is his role to teach me patience. Maybe it is. I had called him frequently at work everyday since the biopsy to see if he had heard anything. I know he got tired of me asking if he had heard anything yet.

 

“Do you feel relieved?” I asked.

 

“What do you think! Of course I feel relieved.”

 

“Do they know what it is? Do they know when it will go away?”

 

“Nope, it isn’t cancer and doesn’t appear serious.”

 

With that it was done. I am so grateful Ty isn’t adding cancer patient to his life resume. He is only in his late twenties and has already experienced more than his share of death, trauma, cancer, and difficult life circumstances. He deserves better than cancer, but that is true of every cancer sufferer I know.

 

With Ty’s news behind me it feels like the last thread in this story is complete. My mom is working on sorting our pictures—between us we had 3,500, I whittled it down to 1,200 and now she is trying to choose the best 400 to share with friends—my dad is getting his yard in shape for the summer and I am already lost in the pressures, twists and turns of my job.

 

I miss Nautica.

 

Even though life looks the same on the outside, I feel different since returning home. The people, cities and poverty I saw gave me a new found appreciation for my life. Being away from Ty—my partner of seven years—for almost six weeks, put how much I love him, and value our relationship in perspective. The compliments and encouragement from all of you online was overwhelming and humbling. I have made some writing goals, some fitness goals and some family and spiritual goals.

 

I received some luggage tags from Oceania a week ago. They are monogrammed with a metal Oceania Club logo set in a tan leather circle. I brought them home from my office today to attach to my suitcase. Ty and I are talking about taking an Oceania cruise together. The Amazon and Caribbean sound great, but the November date won’t work for either of us. Maybe the Panama Canal in January. We’ll find something—I am going to share Oceania with him. I am not going to do it alone.

 

It’s hard to write this last paragraph. This thread is my last tangible connection to the cruise—and the cruise was the best journey of my life. All good things must come to an end, and it is time to say goodbye, move on, and look forward to meeting you again on another journey on another ship. Until then, I wish you fair skies, calm seas and happy sailing.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Jack

[merryecho]

Yeahhh! One hurdle less to leap.

We, on the other hand, just figured out that DH was sitting 2 rows away from the @#$! who chose to fly to france with incurable TB. He goes in for tests tomorrow, tiny chance of a problem, but not the lottery you want to win. What bugs me is that we had to figure this out on our own- no attempt to contact us by Air France or Delta (it was a codeshare flight, booked through Delta) or the CDC for that matter.

[JackfromWA]

Merry Echo,

 

That is awful! I have been reading about the TB attorney in the paper. It is definitely the wrong lottery to hit, and the CDC or airline should let you know. I thought they gathered all that personal contact information for Int'l flights for emergencies. This certainly qualifies. Let us all know everything is OK with your DH when you get the results. Arrgggh!

 

Jack

[Aussie Gal]

Jack,

 

What a relief for both you and Ty. Now you can get on with your life together once more.

 

I am so glad that you posted this today as I am off tomorrow on our cruise to Tahiti and Hawai and was hoping that I wouldn't miss the news when you finally posted.

 

We are so looking forward to next April when we will be the ones doing this wonderful cruise. As we will be meeting up with Sukey we will feel that your spirit will be with us.

 

Never say goodbye as one doesn't know when one will meet up with one another. The world is not that big and paths often cross. I do hope ours will one day.

 

Jennie

[TenerifeSharon]

Jack -- this last post of yours again brought tears to my eyes. But this time with happiness for you over the good news! I am thrilled for both of you. Enjoy life to the fullest ... I know you will.

[esther e]

Jack, I'm thrilled with Ty's good news. Thank God!!! Now, I have a wonderful, albeit it selfish suggestion: how about a Caribben cruise on the Regatta in Feb? Love to mee you in person!!!!

 

Esther

[seasoned]

Why don't you and Ty join Jesse and me on the Patagonia & Antarctica cruise on the Insignia, sailing Dec. 21? Holiday cruisers can't be ALL bad.

 

-Sukey-

[Druke I]

Jack

 

Wonderful news about Ty.

 

Should you take that next cruise, we will all look forward to your posts. Still think you should write that book!