What in the world am I doing here????

Life is a lot more fun and relaxing when you are just sailing around the world. You have no errands to run, no doctor & dentist appointments and you don't have to wash dishes or take out the trash. I have been home for 3 weeks now and I must say this is hard work. The unpacking of 12 bags alone nearly wiped me out. I have been taking some time in the sun so at least my tan is back in full swing. I have also been doing a fair amount of research for my next adventures.... I am hoping to do some traveling around the USA & Canada and check out the sights and perhaps see a few friends along the way. I have also been working on a book. I only have about 90 pages done out of a planned 250 but it is coming along slowly. I took over 50,000 photos on the 7 1/2 month journey so there are a few photos to look at.... There just don't seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. So, life at home is hard work at times which can wear on you but... most of all, I am really missing my friends from the ms Amsterdam.... they are very special to me. I am feeling great physically, the doctor has given me a clean bill of health and I am well rested for the next adventure, whenever it comes along.... stay tuned.

Getting acclimated....

It has been an interesting few days since I arrived home.... Gone is the ship I called home for so long, off to other places with other people. I have been quite busy, taxes, appointments, house chores and catching up with friends. It really does feel good to be back.... The overall voyage was pretty good. There were great moments with some less than stellar moments squeezed in from time to time. The crew on the ms Amsterdam were fabulous..... Captain Olav was tremendous, Captain Fred was OK.... The food was pretty good but lacked a bit of creativity from time to time (at least along my conservative tastes). My biggest disappointment food wise was the Carnival Corp decision to go to some crappy ice cream brand called Luke's... horrible aftertaste. The itinerary was great except for the World Voyage section which was difficult because we were sailing east and losing hours. That really had a negative effect on many people. That coupled with the itinerary for the World having a huge amount of time where we were in colder climates just didn't work for me. I will never do another World Voyage like that one. I really enjoyed the Grand Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific Voyage... no wonder, it was warm. I am planning on taking next year's World Voyage and the next and the next and so on.... that is as long as my health holds up. One of the best parts of the voyage remains the people, crew & guests alike. Highlights included my first trip to Alaska, swimming with sharks in Bora Bora, the Galapagos Islands, Antarctica, Iguazu Falls, Safari in South Africa, Bangkok, Beijing & the Great Wall, Mt Fuji and all the great people along the way....