Chasing Summer –

This summer I decided that I should bring my parents on an Alaskan cruise. They’re getting older and it probably won’t be too much longer before it would become more difficult for them and they wouldn’t enjoy it anymore. So, off we went on a last minute deal and passport renewal rush for mom. The trip was lovely. When we returned home we got into a discussion about cruises in general (mom wasn’t a huge fan of the boating experience) and I mentioned that some people choose to live on cruise ships. It somehow works out cheaper for them. Cruises can be anywhere from $3, 000-$10, 000 a month including food and drinks.

Mom wasn’t convinced, so I began googling- living on a cruise ship. And then I fell down a internet rabbit hole. By the time I emerged I had come across an advertisement for a brand new, never been done before 3 year cruise around the world that sounded not unreasonable in cost. The plan is to travel around the world following summer in each place. Of course summer weather in many countries is vastly different- say comparing summer in Antarctica to summer in Australia. I’m a bad Canadian and I hate cold and winter, so I’ll take each places hotest weather, no matter what it might be.

So for fun I sent off an inquiry to the sales team to find out just how much it would set a single person back. The prices advertised are always based on double occupancy but those rooms are too small to share with a stranger. They advertise that you can join for as low as $30,000USD a year- which as a Canadian really means $40,000.

Meanwhile jokes began with my friends that I was actually going off on this adventure- lol. The thing is most people were serious that if I could go, I should.

Now it was in my brain. I checked and yes I could swing the financials. It’d be better if I could make some money working remote while doing this, but I could definitely do it. OMG! I’ve always wanted to hit up Antarctica and do more of South America and that’s where the boat would start.

The most nerve racking- make my stomach feel nauseous weekend happened when I sent a wire transfer for the deposit. “What am I doing?” was definitely being shouted in my head. To make matters worse, or at least trickier, I’m an international teacher. Have been since 1999- you do the math. So I was flying to another part of the world the day after the wire was sent, back to Albania where I was currently living and the boat was scheduled to embark November 1. School isn’t done by November 1st, which meant I would need to turn in my notice and only teach the first quarter of the school year.

But THREE YEARS ON A BOAT- I couldn’t pass it up. After I handed in my notice I let people know my plans of travelling on a boat for three years and I think many people are still convinced I’m working on a boat. “Like Judy from the Love Boat”, as my parent’s retired doctor put it. One school parent response was that I didn’t have their permission to leave – uhm, okay.

I was still feeling like it was not really real. As if somehow I would show up at the port and be denied entrance to the boat. The sad reality is that the cruise line hit a snag with the purchase of a new boat and refurbishing so the start date was delayed once to November 11 and then a second time to November 30. Other passengers had begun freaking out- and the more they freaked out the calmer I’ve become. Weird, but their freakouts have made it more real for me.

I have become slightly concerned with my ability to put up with a couple of my fellow “residents”, as they call us. We have a social platform to connect and message with each other. Like any social media, several people dominate the chats and not always in a great way. I’ll be keeping my eye out for a few names to watch the drama that they are unfold, but hopefully from a distance. It’ll be a bit of a social experiment. All of us trapped on a boat together, travelling around.

So this weekend I am packing up all my belongings, moving in with a friend for a few days, teaching my last 2 days of school in Albania and then flying back to Canada to await for the trip of a life time. While I’m there I’ll be getting a few vaccinations and figuring out what to pack to chase summer for three years. I’m remaining hopeful that everything will happen and I will be on that boat in about 1 month’s time.