Heading Towards Home

Man I cannot believe that 4 weeks went by so quickly! It feels like I just got to PA and now I am on the boat again heading home. It was so so nice seeing my mom again and getting to spend so much time with her! Right now I am thinking how was a 2 week visit ever enough?? How did we do all the things in that time?? It was really hot most of the time, but this past week was gorgeous which was wonderful! So nice to have a finally few days that we weren't dying in the sun. It was so sad saying goodbye, but on the positive side it will be really nice seeing Raymond again as it has been forever! It's just a bit sad knowing I won't see my mom again in person for a while...

I left after breakfast this morning and drove up to drop my car off and taxi to the boat. Getting on board seemed so much quicker than it did in Southampton even though I got lucky and it was only 50 min from when I arrived until I was in my room (Southampton was an hour so not that much longer). When the taxi pulled up it was nice as there were people there collecting the luggage that took my bags out of the car for me and off I went to go through security and check in. It was pretty easy peasy (and there was a nice stained glass looking mural on the one wall where the pups got to check in). After security we got in line to check in and when we entered the line there was a lady handing out boarding numbers (so you can board once your group number is called). I got 63. Some people in front of me were somehow 67! And then just after I got through a second lady came to hand out numbers and I guess the first lady just gave her the bottom half of her stack or something so some people not far behind me got group 89 from her!! That is so much higher! I don't know how I got so lucky, but the people in front of me in group 67 had to wait to be called, but they had just called 63 when I got there so I walked right on. So glad I didn't get group 89!!

I got to my room and unpacked my carry on bags and thought I would take a swim, but went up to spy and see if it was busy. Well, it was super sunny and warm, no one in the pool, but I had forgotten to pack my sunscreen in my carry-on! So I was like no swimming for me...but by the time I got back to my room my bags were there! I thought I would unpack first as I like to get that out of the way right away...and then I was so tired I called Raymond to chat for a bit and then just relaxed until dinner. So many boats and helicopters went by which was kind of loud for chatting! Oh, and we were talking about trying to see animals and he asked if I had seen anything yet and I was standing on the balcony and looked down at the water while saying no and there was a little sting ray or some kind of ray right there below my room!! So exciting!

For dinner I just ordered room service soup as I didn't feel like going up to the buffet and then I was falling asleep at 7 so I went to walk around the deck for a bit and it was gorgeous out! The sun was going down so it was getting a little cool, but I was still fine in my shorts and t-shirt. There were also a lot of dragonflies in the area where there were windows on the sides which was odd. But so far so good on the boat!

I forgot to take a photo of the room when I first got in, but it is the same as on the way over, but everything is on the opposite wall. So the bed is on the left wall when I walk in instead of the right. I realized once we started moving that if I sit with my back to the wall on the bed or the couch then I am facing towards the back of the boat, or the wrong way! On trains and stuff I always try and sit facing the direction of travel as that helps to not get motion sick, but we shall see how this goes facing the other way. I do sit sideways on the couch mostly so I can see outside and I'm still feeling fine right now so hopefully it is not an issue. Wait now that I am thinking about it I think it was that was on the way over too - I would be facing the wrong way on the bed. Odd I never noticed that then!

It is not that late, but I am exhausted so I am going to go to bed early. It should work out well since we move the clock forward an hour tomorrow so maybe I can try and stick to a "normal" routine and not end up staying up all night in the future! We shall see! 10 days to Hamburg & home!Read more