Ashley's Going Away 'Again'

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain

(Before you get too confused, these beautiful pictures of paradise are from my stop in the islands on my way home back in May. I'm a tad late in posting them but this farm girl has been a bit busy!)

Seven months at home in the States. Seventeen hour work days, driving my rusty green, no-muffler Chevy two hours along rush hour interstates - one among the thousands of blurry eyed, coffee drinking commuters. I can no longer sleep past 6:30 a.m., my early morning routine requires a hair dryer, and I (wince) stop at Starbucks at least twice a week. Although I do happen to bring my own "go-green" mug for these double latte treats, I curse my addiction and promise to ban myself from popular restaurant chains.

Can you tell that I have one again settled into comfortable, no adventure life in Illinois? Not without gain however. I've been working double jobs and running out my frustrations on a treadmill, counting down the months, days, and finally hours until my flight to the Pacific Islands on the 31st of this month. My equally travelitis blessed father is sailing around the world for the second time, following the same route as he did on his first circumnavigation over thirty years ago. It's a little different this time out! Instead of being a late twenty, carefree, single young man, the tables have turned a wee bit. Cap'tn Quen is bringing along three daughters, wife of thirty five years, son-in-law, friend/scuba diving buddy from Florida, sister-in-law, and old sailing mate from his first trip, Don Travers. It may be a bit like a Very Brady Reunion without the singing and dancing (hopefully). We will all be joining the voyage in Tahiti and cruising the South Pacific for four months. Follow along at www.queequegtwo.com for info and pictures as we visit Bora Bora, Tubuai, Raiatea, Tahaa, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia. Of course, I'll also be updating this site as well, probably on a more occasional basis and not as G-rated as the Queequeg site!!

What have I been doing to pass the time you ask? Influencing today's youth with my worldly wisdom and selling steak and margaritas with a smile. (Teaching and waitressing for those of you who need an interpreter.) There were a couple of short term marketing projects thrown in there as well, just enough working hours to cause short term memory loss and tooth damage. Case in point, I was grading spelling tests the other day and had to pause to review the spelling of "cemetery." Yes, I actually looked it up in a dictionary. To make matters worse, I had a final dental appointment today and my blue eyed doctor asked if I've been stressed recently. Apparently, I've been grinding my teeth at night, causing some serious "ouch" spots on my back molars. I explained to the intense young Doc that my worries were soon ending as I was joining the likes of Conrad, Melville, and Stevenson out on the high seas. My half-hour check up lasted three times as long while I talked about Mt. Kinabalu, my students in Cambodia, diving in Borneo, and other highlights of past trips. He must have liked my stories for the good natured gent provided me with an armload of toothpaste, extra toothbrushes and a no charge dental appoinment!!!

If all goes according to plan, I'll skip across to South America after my sailing adventure and hang out for a year or so, perfecting my Spanish and hiking the many beautiful hillls, glaciers and other what nots of our opposite hemisphered neighbor. I have no itenerary just yet but am open to suggestions if you would like to throw some ideas to me. I had a taste of the many wonders of S.A. when I circumnavigated on the 47' Morgan back in 2004 but have not yet conducted in depth research for this next trip. Teaching English in Buenos Aires is a must and there is a wonderful wildlife refuge in Boliva that I can't wait to volunteer with for a few weeks. Carnival in Brazil, rafting on the Amazon, riding with the cowboys in Chile, Patagonia, Lima, yada yada yada......it's not time for details now! I'll keep everyone updated. Our flight leaves early in the a.m. and I still have goodbyes to wish, clothes to roll, bags to weigh, bills to pay, and.....oops....a blog to finish!!! Cheers to y'all. You'll be hearing from me shortly!

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