Well, she (the boat) finally has a new name, "Big Sky." The departure date is nearing and our excitement (and nerves) are building. We're wrapping up our careers, which doesn't come without emotion as we've poured our hearts, souls and energy into creating them for the last (combined) 65! years. Excel spreadsheets are a God-send, so we don't have to keep the details stored in our heads. Lists of items to pack, sell, give away; lists of "to do" from dentist visits, first aid courses, to researching the best medical plans; lists of financial tasks from international banking access, insurance to personal files filing; and of course filling up with "family" and "friends" before we set sail. We've charted a tentative course that begins in Turku, Finland, the Gulf of Bothnia (Swedish side), Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,
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