Truly the Middle of Nowhere

Greetings, my dears, from halfway in between Los Angeles and Maui. 

There isn't much to report--and just a few things to see - out here.

Some pretty sunrises...

...some Celebrity Olympian Sightings....

(that's John Naber , five-time Olympic medalist.  Dwight Stones and Wyomia Tyus  are somewhere around...which can only mean one thing...the 2018 World Cruise Games  are about to commence!)

...there's also lots of awesome lectures...

...new experiences like Tai Chi (there were about 60 cruisers trying it out!)...

... the chance to start my day off right, with lemon water, V-8 and coffee delivered to my room at 6:30 each morning...

(the hour of delivery is MY choice....I find I get so much more out of the day if it starts early. I guess Ben was onto something...)

Stacey's afternoon Zumba classes are dragging me, kicking and screaming, toward a stronger body...

(not about to share photos of what my bedraggled self looks like after 45 minutes of Latin-inspired aerobic dance- let's just say I look like I just stepped out of the shower)

I loved the inspiration from a fellow cruiser..

...and when you look out in the morning and see this....well- no words are necessary!

Maui on Monday, peeps!  Have a GREAT weekend!

Sheer and Utter Insanity

I tossed and I turned all night long.

It’s probably because Susanna, my CPAP (named for the Countess’ good and faithful lady’s maid in Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro) was packed.

But I digress…. (quelle surprise)

Let’s start over.

I tossed and I turned all night long.  But I must have finally slept because I heard the alarm go off at 6 o’clock, sat bolt upright in bed and said to myself “Elizabeth, what the hell are you doing?”

What I am doing, my dears, is abandoning Hooterville-on-Red for the next 112 days.

I’m going cruising.

(Another surprise there…..)

So as I type this, I am sitting in my room in the Westin in Los Angeles, overlooking the glaring twinkling approach lights of LAX.  

My bags are packed and I’m ready to go.

Yep, 112 days.

It’s sheer and utter insanity.

Oh, I won’t be alone.  I have lots of gal pals who are regular world cruisers, and Laird is joining me in Singapore for the run to Mumbai.

I’m hitting almost all the places that have been 1) very meaningful to me in the past (Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia) or 2) I’ve always wanted to visit (Middle East, Great Barrier Reef).  We were originally supposed to go to Egypt, and I was really psyched about that, but due to the political climate, that was cancelled, and extra days in Israel substituted.  

It’s something Jane always wanted to do. 

A whole Crystal Cruises' World Cruise. 

So I’m going.  I’m doing it for Mama.  

Ok, I’m doing it for myself, too.  Gonna get it off the bucket list.  

Los Angeles to Rome.  

Ok, so it’s really a ¾ world cruise.  That’s good enough.

I hope you’ll come along with me whilst in the comfort of your armchair, couch, or favorite floor mat.  Look at it like traveling with me —without the packing.

Welcome to E’s “Sheer and Utter Insanity ¾ of the World Tour”

Here’s where we are going….

ps- It was such a beautiful day to fly....just had to share..

What's that bright light in the distance?  It stayed there and stayed there shimmering as we flew over Arizona.

No, the Captain told us....no UFO.  That's the mirrored glass of the buildings in Las Vegas.......we caught it at just the right time.......