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Published: August 8th 2007
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Double Toast
A toast to Michelle's birthday and to the close of my contract. The last 2 days have been wild. Intensely hectic trying to get things sorted, taken care of. I haven't done all of the things I've wanted to get done before leaving. It will mean doing things at home for people and mailing things to the ship, putting off auditions, long emails making decisions rather than having face to face conversations. Somwhere in all of the madness, I've done my best to savour the moments I could.
After yesterday's lovely day in Costa Maya, it was my last formal night on the ship. A lot of people, nearly everyone I socialize with, went to the disco. It was a lot of fun. It was sad at times. I danced. I had DJ Brian play all my favourite dancing songs. I drank my last mango daquiri. I took photos. I chatted with people I love. I cried. I hugged so many peope over and over. I was told how much I'll be missed, how much people adore me, how people will remember me, how people will see me again one day, how people believe in me. So many kind things people have said. They've all touched my heart.
This morning I
Final Disco Party
Back L-R: Cesar, Felicity, Darnell, Me, Bronwyn, Loraine, Phil
Front L-R: Marvin, Emma, Jackie, Sam, Michelle got up to make music with Marvin. We'd intended to film our supper club duo audition tape today but the piano bar ended up not being available, so it's being put off until he comes home in August. But we play nicely together. Here's to the chance we'd be accepted . . .
Went to Club O2 to run my favourite activitiy (The Amazing Race) one final time. It's Michelle's birthday today. I'd intended to give her her birthday off entirely, but now with me frantically leaving, she's ended up giving me most of the day off. I went for a final supper club meal tonight. We'd planned to go to celebrate Michelle's birthday. My final supper clubs were going to be next week, but instead tonight became that too. Marvin, Patrick (one of the theatre techs), Michelle, Emma and I went. Mmmm . . . the escargot, shrimp, bread & spreads, lobster, asparagus, mushroom medley, fruit cocktail and chocolate trio . . . my standard supper club meal is going to be so missed.
I went by Club O2 again tonight to say goodbye to the teens. Looking around the club, I couldn't believe I'd never be
Disco Girls!
L-R: Me, Bronwyn, Loraine, Sam
Front: Jackie in there again. Aside from my cabin (which I'm mostly there to sleep), it's the space I've been in the most. I still can't believe I won't be going back there. One of our teens this week, Michael, is especially fantastic. Michelle & I have had so much fun with him. Last night, he invited me to go to his family's house when we got off the ship; said he knew I was sad to be going and my flight wasn't until late in the day; he didn't want me to be alone so they offered for me to go to their home for the afternoon and then they'd drive me to the airport! I'm going to spend time with friends instead, but I am so touched by the invitation. He then bought Michelle and I gifts today. Explanation required: in the Blues Brothers Tribute show on the ship, they sing Shake Your Tail Feather and have the audience get up and do stereotypical dance moves like the twist, the swim, the jerk, the monkey, along with other ones that have been made up. This includes "Wash The Dog" where you bend down and move your hands like you're scrubbing
With The Band Boys
L-R: Michael, Ryan, Martin & Mavin (with me in front) the sides of a dog. I think it is the funniest most brilliant silly dance move ever. I'd told Michelle about it and ever since she saw the Blues Brothers show last week, we've been doing it ALL the time. Then we brought our teens to the show the other night and suddenly they all understood what on earth we'd been doing all week. So, Michael's gift . . . a small stuff dog with a Carnival Cape on it's back. He wrote on the cape "Wash Me". I laughed so hard when I opened it. He told us that "it always seemed like there was something missing when you were washing the dog". What a great man Michael is.
After Club O2, I went to the crew bar for the final night. Gave notes I'd written to people. Friends signed my notebook with kind words that I'll save to read when I'm in bed back home. Everyone looked through the albums I've had printed in the photo gallery (all of my pictures are already scrapbooked ready to be viewed!) Took a few more photos. So many more hugs. Many goodbyes. Though I put off as many as possible
until "the morning" - only hours away now.
I cannot wrap my brain around the idea of being gone from the ship. I can't quite fathomthat I'm not going to be here again. I can't believe in less than 24 hours I will be lying in my bed in Dunnville wondering what on earth just happened to my over the last 5 months.
Home will be wonderful. Filled with people I love, people I miss, people I cannot wait to see.
But first I need to find a way to say goodbye to this crazy little ship world that has completely spun me around and altered me. I can't quite understand all the ways that it has, but I know that it has.
Leaving home in December, I cried in the plane watching Toronto disappear. In about 13 hours, I will be back on a plne, looking out the window, possibly getting a glimpse of the ship below as I head back home. There will be tears this time too.
I'm trying to focus on all of the things I've had, rather than the things I'll be missing. Though, I suppose those are the same.
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swills82
Sarah Willett
The Journey is the Reward
You did it Netter! Be proud of all that you have learned... all that you have experienced... you faced your fears, savoured to moments, and truly experienced the opportunity. Congrats.