82 Day Countdown

 "We need the sweet pain of anticipation to tell us we are really alive." ~ Albert Camus

Actually, it's more like an 80 day countdown. We board the Viking Sky in 82 days, but we'll need a couple of days to travel to LA--one to position ourselves near the the airport where we'll catch our flight, and another to fly to our embarkation port. It's nerve-wracking and risky not to arrive a day early, especially for a longer voyage. I'd hate to be stuck in a Midwest blizzard while the Sky  steams westward to Hawaii.

We've knocked a number of things off our "to do" list. Our pre-cruise hotel is reserved (but not our pre-flight one. Oops!) We've selected our excursions for each port of call (I'll share those in another post soon. It's a jam-packed schedule of firsts for us!) We've had a few of our pre-cruise vaccinations, but we're scheduled for the rest of them this week. We almost have our stash of 6 months worth of maintenance meds accumulated. Because it's illegal to ship prescription meds from the US, we have to take everything we'll need with us--plus a month or two to spare in case of emergency. 

I've bought a new carry-on because my old reliable was getting pretty rickety. The new one is bright & shiny & boasts four swivelly wheels instead of two. It glides like a dream, but even though I've done a "practice pack" with it, part of me still likes my old one best. I knew how to squeeze the most out of every square inch! 

Viking has finally assigned us a cabin and I have to say, I'm thrilled! We typically book a Guarantee cabin--a reservation allowing the cruise line to choose for us--because we'd be satisfied with any Viking stateroom since they all have balconies and are luxuriously appointed. But this time we scored a significant upgrade. We'll be in Deluxe Veranda 6053. It's on the starboard side--my favorite! I don't know why but I seem to get turned around more if I'm on the port side. (Maybe because I'm right handed?) 6053 is a the closest to mid-ships we've ever been so I'm looking forward to a much smoother ride. We usually end up near the bow because cabins are typically less expensive there. However, it feels like we're riding the nose of a dolphin in high seas. Maybe a cabin in the mid-ship area means I'll need fewer scopalomine patches for this trip. Fingers crossed!

 Because all DV cabins are basically the same except for location, I thought I'd share our cabin from the 2022 WC.

I love the idea of unpacking once for our 120 day adventure!

In the meantime, as we continue to prepare for the trip, our life here is full. We have family close by whom we love and see often. Our church choir has started work on its Christmas cantata. A black bear was sighted a few miles from town, and just the other night, the Northern Lights were visible in our part of the Ozarks!

#1 Daughter snapped this pic from her place thirty miles north of us. Sadly, we were sawing logs while the sky was dancing. Just think, we traveled all the way to the Arctic Circle in 2023 to see them, but we slept through their visit to us! 

Sometimes, sleep really is overrated...

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