It's 12:19 PM. In a little more than an hour, we'll arrive at the ship to embark upon our great adventure!
This morning Gerlinde and I both woke around 6:30 after a surprisingly restful night. The hotel was very quiet, thankfully, and neither of us woke the other with nighttime noises. What an auspicious beginning!
We each wrote our morning pages, then I did my exercises to keep my back happy and functioning well. Then we headed out for breakfast at a recommended cafe about a mile away. The hotel is off a very busy street (think Midlothian Turnpike - sort of), but it also backs onto a marina, so there isn't much nearby in the way of restaurants, though there are plenty in the strip malls a walk away. Breakfast was good, a great chance to talk and get re-acquainted after several years of not seeing each other. Gerlinde and I met in Vienna in 1984 when I was there teaching at the American International School. We counted this morning and realized we've seen each other nine times since then in places as diverse as Vienna, Portugal, Richmond, Venice, the Outer Banks, and probably a couple more. She came here for our wedding in 2004. She's been such a dear friend, I'm really blessed to have her on this voyage with me.
After breakfast, we walked towards the hotel, passing a Great Cuts on the way. I thought about stopping by - I got a haircut last week that was supposed to last me for the whole trip, but I hate to say it was one of my least favorite haircuts of my entire life. The woman who cut it was simply not skillful. Every time I looked at it, I scowled and wished it looked different. I know - I'm all about "Women should love their bodies no matter what." Well, right now, right here, I'm qualifying that - "unless they have bad haircuts, in which case they should do whatever they need to about it!" I have no idea why it matters so much, but it does.
We walked past the place and on to a bookstore b/c I needed another book to tide me over til tonight or tomorrow ; ) . The store wasn't open yet. I thought about it and decided that, yes, I wanted a haircut. Gerlinde was very supportive, saying just what friends are supposed to say - "Yes, of course you should get your hair cut if you don't like how it looks! Of course!" I walked the mile back to the shop, went in, saw there was no one in there but the hair stylists, told them they needed customers and I'd come to relieve their boredom! I got a very nice, energetic, interesting woman named Barbara who proceeded to cut my hair much too long. I encouraged her to chop it off - all of it! Eventually it ended up looking much like the haircut I just gave Andrew, my son, but with girly-type stylin'. I feel so much lighter and perkier and prettier and younger. It was a fantastic idea! Gerlinde's feedback is that I look a lot younger and lighter too. This was a very good idea. The only reason I hadn't done it before is because Chris likes long hair, and I was trying desperately to grow it long - well, maybe not desperately - I'd grow it out til I couldn't stand it any longer, then I'd cut it so it could grow out nicely, then go through the cycle again. Chris couldn't quite understand why I had to cut my hair for it to grow out. I'll admit it is quite a paradox, but it makes complete sense to me! Can you relate? Or does this sound nuts to you too?
So now I'll be able to go swimming and shake my hair dry like a golden retriever after a great dunk in the lake. I won't have to worry about it, and I'll love how it looks and feels. I'm kinda stunned at what a difference it makes!
So enough about my hair, already!
Though that has really been the highlight of the day so far - and I don't have a picture to post b/c I haven't taken one yet. Tomorrow perhaps.
That's it for today. Tomorrow I'll try to post from the ship, though it appears we'll be busy all day working to greet the passengers aboard so I have no idea what sort of time we'll have. We leave the Bahamas at 5 to head for Jamaica. I think my first teaching day will be the next day, but I don't know what I'll be teaching yet - I have no clue what the schedule will be! I'm SO CURIOUS!!!
It's fun seeing the students come through with tans and interesting hair and T-shirts from the voyage with their parents and friends, exploring the hotel, getting used to being on land in the US again. What a transition they'll have after 3.5 months traveling around the world1
Til tomorrow! Have a great one!
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