PLEASE BE A TRAVELER

 Please be a traveler, not a tourist. Try new things, meet new people, and look beyond what’s right in front of you. Those are the keys to understanding this amazing world we live in.”

― Andrew Zimmern

I read this quote this morning on someone else’s blog and had to copy it on my own!  This has been my concept of how my Around the World Cruise Life should be ever since we signed up!  My concept worded just right!  Thank you Mr. Zimmern!  After pondering these words, I also see that it is a perfect mantra for MY WORD for this year  - OPEN. 

This is a mural in one of the elevators.  Lots of trees and one doesn’t usually notice the little characters that are hiding.  It’s pretty amusing!  “Look beyond what’s right in front of you.”……..

I have always been just a traveler - looking for a fun time, but never really paying attention to the real lifestyles and history behind all the beautiful places I was visiting.  This time it’s different for me.  I’m on this ship a looooong time and I know that studying the cultural aspects of each place I visit will offer another layer for me to enjoy!  I mentioned yesterday that the ship offers all kinds of lectures and activities to help me with this endeavors.  I plan to continue to take advantage of these!  A Facebook friend, Joan, expressed it so well to me today…. “It sounds like you approach a long cruise like this differently than a short excursion.  Nurturing new friendships and immersing yourself in the activities.  Enjoy!”  YES, Joan!

This morning Mark and I attended a tour of “The Back Rooms of the Ship”.  It was hosted by the hotel manager, and was very informative.  We saw the food prep areas, and met Tony the Pastry Chef.  We learned that it’s not the laundry service’s fault if our clothes shrink, it’s Tony’s fault!  So true!

We also found out that the long long hallway that runs most of the length of the ship is called I 95.  What a great nickname!

Here is a picture of the ships hotel manager who gave the tour followed by a photo of Tony, the Pastry Chef! 

One of the food stations is next and then a picture of Tony and me!

And then I 95!

My afternoon today was pretty uneventful.  I tried to attend an another class on I Phone Photography, but by the time I arrived it was standing room only at the back of the room.  (I arrived early too!). Popular class that they should have booked into a bigger space.  I didn’t stay and spent the afternoon reading in a cozy spot overlooking the Pacific and enjoying a glass of alcohol-free wine.  

Our Cruise Director Matt was teaching a Hula Class at the same time and I enjoyed the music and watching our fellow passengers learn to Hula.  Entertaining!

I met up with Mark after his bridge session and we went to the “Port Talk” to learn more about Honolulu and Nawiliwili, our destinations for the next two days.  Tomorrow it’s Honolulu and we will be touring Pearl Harbor in the morning and then exploring Honolulu on our own in the afternoon.  We’re both looking forward to being on land for a while!

Quiet dinner in the World Cafe and off to our room to read for a while.  It has been a nice, quiet and somewhat uneventful day.  That being said we enjoyed it very much much!

Pretty Sunset from our balcony.  We dock at 8 am!  Aloha!