Tuesday May 24, 2011 ms Zaandam
I really feel in my heart that I am in the right place. I love it here. It feels right. I am surprised at how fast I am falling in love with cruising. I like the lifestyle. Long FAST days.
At 9.30 this morning I met 4 rangers from this area of Alaska (Glacier Bay) and took them around the ship for various talks and presentations. It was AMAZING to watch the rangers come onto the boat in the middle of the ocean from their boat as it came along side of us, while both boats were moving. Just like the space station, only on water. This is in the bottom of the ship. Only a few people witness it. I introduced one on stage this afternoon (my first time on stage) and it went well. I did well. They laughed when I said “Hi, I am Richard and I am an idiot. I wore Boynton Beach clothes to Alaska, like I didn’t know it would be cold here”.
For 1 hour I stood on the bow of the ship looking at mile high glaciers all blue in color. They are hundreds of years old. When they break off and fall into the sea, they make a thunderous noise. While birds are flying overhead and animals are walking on rocks and swimming by. It is a very spiritual experience. Nothing like watching Alaska on the Discovery Channel.
The outgoing Travel Guide is Kainoa. He is a giant of a man who TOWERS over me. He is brilliant and talks for hours off the top of his head giving talks and presentations. He has adopted me and we have become very close. It is funny to watch us walk around together. I hang on his feet like a puppy following it’s owner for a treat. I tell people that we met on Match.com or eHarmony. I love him and will miss my new friend when he leaves on Thursday to go home to Hawaii.
Meetings, Guests, sightseeing, learning to get around the ship, eating the best food 3 times a day from various buffets and keeping track of what I am doing tomorrow and weeks ahead.
As I said at the beginning, I am loving this new lifestyle. Now I see why people flock to Alaska and cruise.
Thanks for reading this. More to come. It’s only been 3 days.
