Its a small world after all…Aloha!…Our video history…Tom’s last night sunset photos!

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This was our favorite sunset photo of the evening, taken last evening from our veranda in Fairlight. But, of course, I’m also partial to the Kookaburra sunset photo below.
Last night, I happened to check my email before heading to bed. Much to my surprise and delight, there was a message from YouTube stating there was a new comment on one of the many videos we’ve posted over these past years of travel.  


 For all of our travel videos, please click here. Some are rather funny, which our newer readers may enjoy. We’ve received lots of “likes” on many of the videos. Please keep in mind; I’m not the best at taking videos, so we ask for your patience in viewing ours.

Quite a view of the sky during sunset last night.

The message we received last night read as follows, including my response:

“AucklandHard 15 hours ago
Thx for videoing Sio and me, the quicker guy; I had the tree that you have to keep adjusting your gear because of the diameter of the truck. The climbing gear is called a Swiss tree gripper. We both got caught by our uncles and dad’s families to help provide its tough work, Aloha.
 
Jessica Lyman 11 hours ago
Wow! Great to hear from you. Your efforts attributed to one more story for our 5 years blog of traveling the world. Click here for the full story and more photos and…for being safe in your hard work. Here’s the link to our story on your hard-working day: https://www.worldwidewaftage.com/2014/11/high-in-treesobserving-unusal-tasklife.html 
Kindest regards, Jess & Tom.”

We couldn’t help but be thrilled to hear from one of the brave coconut tree trimmers we’d videotaped over two years ago in a post we’d uploaded while in Maui, Hawaii, from October 15 to December 1 2014.

Here are two videos we’d posted during that period and the link associated with that post dated November 22, 2014:

Video #1, coconut tree trimming in Maui

Video #2, coconut tree trimming in Maui

These two videos precipitated the above commenter writing to us when he must have stumbled across them while searching YouTube for coconut tree trimming videos.  Ha!  Small world, eh?
It’s the magic of technology that brings readers and viewers to us over the years that continues to enhance the quality of our own personal experiences. Whether we meet a future reader in person while living in distant places who later connect with us online or, in the case of most of our reader email and comments, it’s a result of their own perusal online when they stumble upon us.
The sun’s bright array rims these clouds on the horizon.
We do little online marketing and promotion for our site and over 1700 posts to date that we have well over 528,000 readers to date on our site.  
In the realm of the Internet, it’s a paltry number. In our world, it’s more than we ever imagined. We’re grateful for the opportunity to share even a morsel of our worldwide experiences with readers from all over the world as our site continues to grow year after year.
The sun’s ray peeking through the clouds creates quite a photo op.
If we intended to make a lot of money from our site, we’d approach it differently. But, that is not our goal. If we did so, it would change the nature of what we do exponentially.  

And, it’s the simplicity and ease with which we write to YOU each day that enhances our personal experiences in many ways. But, of course, this is greatly increased when we hear from our readers by commenting at the end of any day’s post or writing to us via email. We love it all.
We’re always looking for these sunset shots which Tom captured last night.
Yesterday, we took off on the bus to Manly to walk the long distance to the end of the outdoor mall, the Corso, to have a look and take photos of beautiful Shelly Beach.  
By the end of the day, my new Fitbit, the warranty replacement that arrived in the current shipment from the US, received on Tuesday, read a little over 10,000 steps. I was thrilled, to say the least. But, unfortunately, Tom, not an enthusiastic walker, didn’t give it much of a thought.
We don’t have a clear shot of the sun going down, but the sky offers quite a show.
We took tons of photos which we’ll share over the next several days. But, right now, we have more photos than we’ll be able to share during our remaining two weeks (as of today) in Fairlight.  
And yet, we’ll continue to explore and share the photos as we go. Today, we’re attending a viewing for the eventual auction on April 22nd for the multi-million dollar house next door. We’ll take plenty of photos which we’ll share in tomorrow’s post.  You’ll be shocked by pricing in Australia! Please check back.
Kookaburra on the power line while Tom took sunset photos.
Thanks to “AucklandHard” (whatever that means for a guy in Hawaii) for writing a comment on our video, and please, no matter what, stay safe climbing those tall coconut trees in Maui.

Happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, April 8, 2016:

This post from one year ago today is the first leg of the “back to back” cruise on the Celebrity Infinity, which we’ll board after leaving Costa Rica (Central America) on November 22, 2017 (19 months from now). Then, we’ll fly to Fort Lauderdale, where we’ll spend one night boarding the cruise the next day. This will be our first foray into South America. We’re enthused about going through the Panama Canal a second time from the opposite direction, seeing the new locks for the first time. For more details, please click here.

An inside peek on the joy of meeting people along the way…Smiling and blushing at the same time…

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Bob explained this single red bloom, a type of lily, is growing out of season.  The photo was taken on a cloudy day.

There’s no doubt our hearts are filled with appreciation and joy from the kindness and love we receive from people we meet along the way, whether it’s in a town, a quaint village, or on a cruise.

The curiosity and interest in our lifestyle are often coupled with an abundance of warmth and friendship we can hardly believe comes our way with such ease. We often ask one another, “How did we get so lucky to meet so many fine people?”
Now 11 days since the last cruise ended, we have received emails from passengers we met during the 12 days at sea. Again, we were asked for our web address prompting us to hand our business cards more times on this shorter cruise than when we sailed on the 33-night cruise when we’d attached ourselves to the same two fine couples for happy hour and dinner every night. 
We had a lot of fun with Lois and Tom and Cheryl and Stan, remaining in touch since the cruises ended on December 3rd via Facebook. It was a memorable experience during the lengthy cruise, which circumvented the entire Australian continent, which we’ll always remember fondly.
With the steep drop in the yard of the holiday home, there’s a protective fence, as shown with this pretty succulent leaning against it.
However, we learned a valuable lesson…mingle. The depth of the meaning of our world travels enhanced by having a wide array of experiences; meeting people from all walks of life, meeting people from many parts of the world, while hearing their often exciting and unique experiences of not only travel but of life itself.
Mingling with many people provides us with the added opportunity to learn even more about human nature, a process that hopefully will continue through the balance of our lives regardless of where we may be at any given time. 
We’ll never delude ourselves in stating, “We’ve seen and done it all.” But, in many ways, we’ve just begun with so much more of the world to see ahead of us. If we continued to travel for 10 to 20 years or more, we’d barely have touched the surface of what this world has to offer. 
We remind ourselves daily to remain humble and in awe of the world and our opportunity to live this life, often through challenging and difficult times, which to date have not deterred our enthusiasm in any manner.
Tom took this photo of the center of the above succulent.  Simple beauty with dewdrops.
When we receive an email such as the message we’ve included below, we share it not to “toot our own horn” or to “brag” about people “liking us.” That’s not us, as those of you who have followed our candid and vulnerable story for any length of time is most assuredly aware.
We share this email with our readers to join us in the pleasure we glean from meeting wonderful people along the way. After all, our loyal readers seem to empathize with our trials and tribulations as well as in the memorable happy events we encounter day by day.
While aboard the recent 12-night cruise ending on March 13th, we met a lovely couple, Christina and Harold (whom we’d mentioned on a few prior posts) on the third day of the cruise during Cruise Critic’s “cabin crawl,” an event where various members volunteer to show their cabins in other categories.

In this particular case, Christina and Harold kindly hosted a lovely event with food and drinks in their penthouse cabin, which even we’d never seen after 17 cruises in the past four-plus years. 

Coleus, an excellent shady area plant.

Little did we know we’d hit it off so well with this special newly engaged couple, considerably younger than us (by about 25 years), world travelers in their own right, with Harold having visited many of the exciting countries we’ve stayed in our travels.

It wasn’t just the commonality of our experience that connected us. It was the warmth and kindness we all exuded in one another’s company.  
Yesterday, we received this beautiful message from Christina that warmed our hearts, prompting us to ask if they’d mind if we share it here today. Christina wrote back promptly saying they love for us to share it, and thus, here it is, presented with a bit of modesty and surely a blush on our faces:  
“Hello from sunny Florida!!!
Harold and I went to Christchurch, Auckland, Vegas, and Houston before my return home to Tampa last night – It’s been a fantastic adventure!! 

You were the most memorable couple we had the pleasure of meeting – We looked for you in your designated spot on the last day, went to the lounge, called your room a few times, and didn’t get you – you were like beautiful angels who had now disappeared. 

Harold is a world traveler (I’m brand new to his adventures). He has never met anyone who traveled for pleasure more than he did until he met you, and he’s been raving about you ever since – We’re honored to have met you!!!! 
We want to say THANK YOU for being so kind and open, telling us about your lives, giving the great life lessons and advice you gave (we kept looking at each other in shock because you were honestly speaking to us), your travels, your healthy eating lifestyle (as I’m trying to convince Harold that that’s the way to go.) and inviting us to meet you someday out on your adventures. These excellent chapters of your life have genuinely impacted us!! 

I finally got a chance to look at your website and the fun memories you share!! We love what you’re doing in your retirement and look forward to seeing you again someday, hopefully sooner than later. 

We will keep you in our prayers for safe travels and excellent health throughout, and we’ll be watching with admiration and love!!

It’s back to reality here on the home front – work, work, work – However, now the plan is to fund a perfect retirement, vacation more, and enjoy life!! 

You’re our heroes!!!!

With love,
Christina”
Unknown variety of red berries.

We wrote back expressing the appreciation we feel for having met them, the time we spent together (including dinner served by butlers in their suite) and at various times throughout the ship and, the hope that our paths will cross again someday. Thank you, Christina and Harold, for sharing a part of your lives with us and for your heartfelt, meaningful message.

It’s not only a breathtaking scene, an exquisite animal in the wild, or a blissfully colorful flower we encounter in our travels that fills us with an appreciation for this magical world… it’s the people we meet who open their hearts to welcome us for a moment, for a day, or a lifetime…
P.S. I couldn’t resist including contact information for Christina’s real estate business in Tampa, Florida, USA.  We have no doubt she is a highly competent real estate professional.  Please contact Christina at this link. 
Thanks, dear readers and friends, for sharing another day in our lives!
Photo from one year ago today, March 23, 2016:
When seeing these fish prices in New Zealand one year ago, we felt they were quite reasonable. For example, one TV guru Gordon Ramsey’s favorite, is the John Dorey and red snapper (which we purchased).  At the NZ price of 37.50, the US $25.33 for a kilo is 2.2 pounds! What a great price! For more details of our visit to the seafood market, please click here.

Fabulous get together and lunch in Sydney with friends from South Africa!…Small world…

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Tom and I and Ken and Linda, great friends from Marloth Park who happened to be in Sydney simultaneously as us! Small world!

When Linda and I chatted on Facebook over these past few months, we could hardly contain our enthusiasm over the prospect of her and her husband Ken meeting us in Sydney on March 15th.

Our wonderful friends, Linda and Ken, whom we met in Marloth Park in 2013. We look forward to seeing them again next February when we return to South Africa.

How ironic after staying in touch over these past years since the onset of our friendship in Marloth Park in 2013/2014 that we’d happen to be in the same part of the world simultaneously, Sydney, Australia.

Our mutual time frame in Sydney only overlapped by a few days making the 15th the ideal for getting together. Although we hadn’t rented a car during this 40-night stay in Manly (hopefully, immigration situation allowing), we needed to begin using the local transportation.

Ken, Linda, and Tom, in front of Fortune of War pub, also known as First Fleet Bar & Bistro, the oldest pub in Sydney, circa 1828.

After spending over AU 150, US $115 for three taxi rides to and from Sydney for the required visit to the immigration office, we decided using public transportation is a must while in this area.

Ken and Tom toasting “James Squire, the Swindler” summer ale in the pub!

With the use of the popular Manly Ferry and the free Hop, Skip, Jump bus that has a nearby stop with only a few block walk to the holiday home, we were easily able to make our way to Circular Quay in Sydney to meet Linda and Ken right on time at the Observer Hotel Pub at noon sharp and then to return “home” with ease.

Our fabulous landlord and new friend Bob insisted on driving us to the Manly Ferry wharf for our first ferry experience. While showing us around, Bob pointed us to the bus stop where we’d catch the bus upon return later in the day.

Linda and I were toasting the special occasion.

Bob had given each of us an Opal card, a local transportation card to which money is added at most news stands and “top-up” machines, which is then used to pay for ferries, buses, and trains easily. Bob escorted us to a news stand at the wharf, where we topped up the cards. 

My grilled chicken salad included a side of avocado.

The round trip cost for the Manly Ferry to Circular Quay is AU 28, US $22, but there’s no charge for the bus. It’s too far to walk to the Manly Ferry from here in the Fairlight area. 

By car, it’s a ten-minute drive to the ferry station. The free local bus makes this trip relatively easy and affordable, especially compared to a rental car which is pricey in Sydney. We’ll share details and a video of the Manly Ferry in an upcoming post.

Tom’s steak sandwich with grilled onions and chips.

Close to noon, we spotted Linda and Ken sitting outside of the Observer Hotel Pub, beers in hand. We couldn’t have been more thrilled to see one another, embracing in a warm hug among the four of us.

Linda’s burger with avocado and “chips.”

After chatting and catching up a little on our mutual world travels (Linda and Ken are avid travelers like us), we decided to head to the popular historic First Fleet Bar & Bistro, where Linda and Ken recommended we take photos of our get together.

The conversation was lively and animated when we all have so much in common, including past experiences in Marloth Park over which we easily recalled and giggled. We’d had memorable experiences in Marloth Park and look forward to more upcoming next February.

Beautiful orchids at our table.

By 5:00 pm, after our fabulous meal at the bistro, we headed back to Circular Quay and Wharf #3 to make our way back to Manly. The ferry ride was delightful when I sat next to a 90-year-old woman, who migrated to Australia almost 70 years ago, a published author and patron of the arts. 

The pub was packed throughout the day, with lively locals enjoying themselves.

Once again, I was engaged in an enlightening conversation that reminded me of how much we thrive on interacting with others, including those from our past and those we meet along the way.

We continue to concentrate on the immigration issue, yet we can enjoy ourselves in the process. In a few nights, we’ll be heading back to Sydney to the Opera House, to which we purchased tickets almost a year ago. I can’t wait for that!

Have a great day filled with lively conversation that stimulates your mind.

Photo from one year ago today, March 16, 2016:

Roses continue to bloom in the cooler weather in New Zealand. For more photos, please click here.

Part 2,…Oh, What a Night!…The fun continues…Photo of us and our new friends…

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Our new friends, Christina and Harold, enjoyed dinner in their Penthouse Suite, which is the size of a typical one-bedroom condo.

Cruising is so far removed from most people’s reality that many are disappointed to return to everyday life by the time it ends. However, for us, as constant world travelers, it becomes a part of our daily lives.

We do all the same things when staying in a location; posting each day, searching for photo ops, relaxing, walking, and dining on great food. The bonus for us is fewer ports of call, many of which are too “touristy” for us, and more about the opportunity to interact with people from all over the world.

We have a US $375, AU $494 cabin credit that we’ve had to “use it or lose it” resulting in a bit of shopping. 

Many we’ve met are not a lot different than us, except they have a home to which they return now and then to regroup, repack and recharge for the next adventure. So, for example, last night, we met a lovely couple who are on the move for most of the year, often for six consecutive months in their caravan/motor home.

This common theme among many passengers creates considerable chatter and enthusiasm for where we’ve all visited in the past and anticipate for the future. Many are well into their 80’s which we hope will work for us as well. One never knows.

We never gamble although we could use the cabin credit. However, once one starts, it’s hard to stop.

Yesterday and this morning, we spent more time with new friends Christina and Harold as shown in the above photo sharing travel stories and discussing possibilities of meeting on a cruise or on land sometime in the next year or so.

Yesterday, we disembarked the ship taking a shuttle to the small town of Nuoma on the island of New Caledonia in the South Pacific. Walking up and down the city’s streets for a few hours we took many photos we’ll share tomorrow.

I purchased a few casual items on sale as did Tom.

Today, we’re docked in the island of Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia. However, we may decide to stay onboard based on several reviews we read on Trip Advisor such as the following:
“Great if you like snorkelling”

2 of 5 bubblesReviewed one week ago

If you are a swimmer or snorkeler this island would be fantastic. However, if not, then there is little or nothing at all to do at this location. We had to tender to the island from the ship, then walked in each direction for 1/2 hour or so only to be drenched in sweat. There were no open toilets available.”

For those who enjoy lying on a towel on a beach or snorkeling this may be an ideal location. Unfortunately, Tom has no tan base whatsoever, and my tan was brought about via a self-tanner which does not protect me from UV rays making the idea of baking in the sun unappealing.
Jewelry is a popular purchase among passenger. As a result, there’s now a Tiffany store (not shown here).

Some has asked why we don’t snorkel and for us the answer is simple; we’re worried about my lousy spine if somehow I was startled or jerked in a certain way. Besides, Tom has no interest in snorkeling.

I was seriously injured in the pool in Bali last June taking five months to recover. We don’t want to have to end our journey due to an injury that could quickly have transpired over this past year along with the recent gastrointestinal illness from which I’m now recovering a little more each day.

This was my first cup of coffee in month; a sugar free vanilla decaf latte with lactose free whole cream.  Amazing! 

How can we travel the world and not swim in the ocean, snorkel, scuba dive, zip line, climb mountains, bungee jump or jump out of airplanes? We can. We do. And yet, we’re supremely content meeting people, learning a wide array of cultures, seeing some of the gorgeous scenery on earth, and immersing ourselves in wildlife, vegetation, and nature.

Then, of course, there’s the infinite joy of sharing the most infinitesimal details of our day to day lives. Wow! That in itself is a huge privilege.  Thank you to all of our readers for sharing this life with us!

Photo from one year ago today, March 5, 2016:

Trish and Neil had acquired these two pink cockatoos, a mating pair, from a elderly couple who’s health is failing. This pair was living in a chain-link cage on the grounds of the alpaca farms with lots of space and plenty of food. To get this photo, I placed the camera,between and touching the closely woven chain-link cage. For mo0re images, please click here.

Happy Valentine’s Day!…A special day for many throughout the world…How are we celebrating this year?…

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A pretty pink rose with Happy Valentine’s Day wishes for all of our readers both today and tomorrow, depending on which side of the International Dateline you’re residing.

As the years of world travel literally fly by, the special occasions and holidays become less important to us. Instead, we focus on the exquisite joys of daily life, simple in their execution and complex in the layers they represent in our world journey.

View from the car while driving on Highway A6 in the Huon Valley.

Valentine’s Day is another of those special occasions that we’ve gradually lost interest in celebrating with gifts, flowers, or lavishly prepared meals. Tonight, we have delicious leftovers, which are quite fine with us.

In our old lives, it was an entirely different scenario. Tom would always come home from work with a big bouquet, an embellished greeting card with handwritten loving words contained therein. 

Apple ripening, ready for the picking.

I’d bake a heart-shaped cake (yes, I had two heart-shaped baking pans), decorated with a loving touch (no, I wasn’t the best at decorating cakes) along with the special dinner, a beautifully wrapped gift, and of course, a card.

Church in a small town.

Around this “holiday” and others (seemingly perpetrated by Hallmark) lie a certain number of expectations. Easily, these types of celebrations may result in a degree of disappointment and heartbreak if one or the other of a couple doesn’t hold up their end of the deal. 

Huumm…another vehicle atop a roof of a fuel station. It must be a trend here in the Huon Valley.

We’re way beyond setting ourselves up for such potential disappointment. Besides, in many parts of the world, particularly less developed countries where we’ve spent considerable periods of time, it’s simply not possible to shop for such items when Valentine’s Day isn’t celebrated worldwide.

Splendid scenery.

As in this statement from The History Channel at: (click the link for the origins of Valentine’s Day:

“Typical Valentine’s Day Greetings    

In addition to the United States, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia. In Great Britain, Valentine’s Day began to be popularly celebrated around the 17th century.

By the middle of the 18th, it was common for friends and lovers of all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes, and by 1900 printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology.

Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions when direct expression of one’s feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine’s Day greetings.”

An unusual fishing boat.

As it turns out,  Valentine’s Day, my birthday (February 20th), and our wedding anniversary (March 7th) fall within a three-week period.  Were we to make a fuss over each of these occasions, we’d be in a predicament. 

This fuzzy fruit left us curious. What could it be? Shaped like a pear, fuzzy like a peach. Any suggestions?

A warm embrace, a kiss, and a loving smile are all either of us needs or wants on these otherwise celebratory occasions. Besides, neither of us has any room in our luggage for any superfluous items. Therefore, we strive to keep it “light” in every way possible.

We took this photo through the water-marked window to the end of the dock to find this Black Faced Cormorant. She/he stayed at the end of the dock for a few hours in the rain.

By no means does this diminish our love and devotion to one another, which we revel in each day. How many couples spend 24 hours a day, seven days a week in each other’s company and still adore each other after almost 52 months of traveling the world (and together, almost 26 years)? We’re blessed. We’re grateful.

However you celebrate Valentine’s Day or not, have a loving, fulfilling, and meaningful day!

Photo from one year ago today, February 14, 2016:

Love comes in many forms. This year ago photo was posted on Valentine’s Day in 2016. For the birth of a new little cria, please click here for the story.

A meaningful and heartbreaking story from a loyal reader…Tomorrow, Tom’s birthday, a special but scary story with photos…

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All of today’s photos were taken yesterday on a drive to the countryside surrounding Penguin, Tasmania.

After a lazy start of the day, finally I opened my laptop to begin today’s post. Each morning, before starting I check my email for comments that we may have received overnight. 

At times, there are many email messages from readers and some comments posted on the site. Rarely is there a day when we don’t hear from our readers. With the commitment to respond to all email messages and comments within a day, on most occasions we respond within 12 hours

Poppies, Permethrin flowers and the hills.

This morning, there was only one message and it read as follows with this word in the subject line:

“Inspiration

Dear Jess,  I came to your talks on Radiance (of the Seas)and now follow with great interest your blog. I wish both you and Tom continuing health and happiness. You are both so inspirational. Happy holidays!”

Immediately, I wrote back thanking the thoughtful sender for writing to us. Each message we receive, short or detailed, is truly a gift.  As Christmas approaches we’re reminded that we have no need for decorations, a tree, presents to unwrap, cards to open, cookies to bake and yet… the gifts keep coming and coming.

What are those gifts? Simply put, the gifts of words, written by readers, family and friends when they share their love, their experiences and their heartfelt expressions over the holiday season and throughout the year. 

Beautiful farm land with hay rolls (bales) at a distance.

Sometimes, we receive a comment or message that touches us in immeasurable ways; with compassion, empathy and appreciation for a reader opening their heart to reveal their innermost struggles and losses. 

Today, I share this story that came to us via a comment at the end of a post of a few days ago. Had the reader chosen to be anonymous, he could easily have done so. Instead, he used his name and location both of which we’re excluding today with the utmost of appreciation for his privacy. 

We share his story with respect and sympathy over his tragic loss.  Had it not been the holiday season, which inspired our story of a few days ago of the sorrow and loss many suffer over the holidays, our dear reader may not have been inspired to write. 

Bordering trees.

Perhaps in doing so, it may have provided him with a moment of relief from the grief which some of us may feel when we put thoughts into the written word. “They” (whomever “they” are) often say expressing ourselves in writing may provide clarity. 

His message had a powerful and lingering effect, one we’ll carry with us long after the holiday season comes to a close. As sad as his experience, he so kindly wrote to us to share his life changing experience. 

For us, in a way, his message became a gift, one we’ll always treasure. Not all gifts in life bring a smile to our faces. Some are a message from which we learn and grow. Isn’t that the message of Christmas, after all? And, long after a “happy” gift has worn out and withered away, the gift of learning and growing lingers with us for the remainder of our lives.

Thank you, dear reader, for sharing this sorrowful, yet powerful story, for being a part of our lives in your own special way as you work  through the grief and healing you’ll experience for many years to come.

A creek running through farmland.

Here’s his story as written to us in a comment a few days ago:

“Hi Jessica and Tom. I have written you a couple of times during your travels and my wife and I have followed you since you left Minnesota, where we lived nearby.  I love your adventure and we were using you as inspiration to perhaps do something similar. I had to write today because your words of grief are so true and enlightened. I lost my wonderful companion and wife in July this year. Without going into details she hid her depression from everyone and developed psychosis late in life, very unusual (age 66). She took her own life. And it has been very daunting. But myself and our daughters are forging ahead and I treasure your wise words about filling our hearts with the blessings we’ve been gifted (I feel very fortunate for the 33 amazing and wonderful years my  wife and I had together) and this Christmas time we will tell joyful stories about her. So just wanted to say I find your words many times inspiring and wise, always interesting, and look forward to reading every post. Thank You. You and Tom have a wonderful Christmas.”

We wrote the following response to his comment:

“Dear Reader, we hesitated in responding to your comment on our site as quickly as usual. We were at a loss for words, our hearts aching so, for the loss of your beloved wife. Its kind and generous of you to share the story of your devastating loss of your love and companion of 33 years.

No words we or anyone can express can lighten the load of the sorrow you must carry with you each and every day. The typical, “I’m sorry for your loss” is meaningless and shallow, an easy attempt to deflect the responsibility of saying something more revealing and heartfelt when we try to imagine the depth of your loss. None of us who haven’t experienced such a loss can even comprehend.

We are grateful to hear your daughters have rallied at your side while together you try to make some sense of it all. We commend you and admire you for your determination and hope for the future.  (Continued below).

A peek between the trees to the sea.

Reading your comment has had a profound effect on both Tom and I, especially in light of our discussion of loss in the prior post. We are honored and grateful to know you have found even a morsel of distraction in reading our posts and thank you with all of our hearts for reaching out to us.

If you don’t mind, we’d like to make mention of your comment on tomorrow’s post. We will do so anonymously, using no names, no city or any specific identifying references. We all have a lot to learn from you which is all the more vital during the holiday season and year end, as we all reflect upon our own lives.

May healing and comfort find their way into your hearts as you work your way through the painful grieving process.

Much love and blessings always,
Jess & Tom”

One of Mother Nature’s bountiful gifts.

Photo from one year ago today, December 22, 2015:

One year ago in Fiji, we noticed there were no poinsettias or Christmas cactus plants in the stores, only colorful flowers blooming year round.  For more in Fiji, please click here.

Day 32…Circumnavigating the Australian continent…Seminar Part 2 was a success!! Thoughtful email from attendees!

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We were surprised by the number of attendees at our second presentation.

“Sighting on the Ship in Australia”

Zebra’s painting located in the gallery.

Those of our readers who’ve followed along with us over these past years know how humbled and in awe we are in our lives.  We never fail to remind ourselves to be grateful for each and every day of this unusual life and… for life itself.

Awakening each morning to the joy of another day of life is a gift in itself. Good health, being together, living within our means and the love of our family, friends and new people we meet along the way only adds to the exquisite pleasure of traveling the world.

The huge Colony Club was also packed for our second presentation.

We ask ourselves, is it luck? The perception may be that we “landed on something.” As we look back over our lives, we realize that getting to this point wasn’t a stroke of luck. We gave up a lot and, over the long haul, we worked hard to make it possible.

Many find our lifestyle foolhardy and impractical. Others revel in a sense of wonder over our “bravery.” We aren’t foolhardy and we aren’t brave. Is it foolhardy to fulfill a dream one is capable of turning into a reality? Is it brave to jump into the cool water of a pool on a hot day? No bravery required here.

Tom was enjoying himself during our presentation.

Then, what is it, if not luck? Many years ago I taught sales/motivational classes centered around the Dale Carnegie concept of the fact that there are five steps to making a sale;  Attention, Interest, Desire, Conviction and Close. 

In essence, subconsciously we maneuvered our way through these five steps as we made the decision to travel the world as follows:

1.  Attention: That day in January, 2012 when I asked Tom what he wanted to do when he’d be retiring on October 31, 2012.  He got my ATTENTION but could we make it work?
2.  Interest: Once we started investigating the possibilities, both financially and logistically, we developed a strong INTEREST in pursuing it further.
3.  Desire: Once we realized it was feasible a powerful sense of DESIRE kicked in and we began to embrace the concept.
4.  Conviction: The more we researched, the more committed we became and during the first 30 days, a powerful feeling of CONVICTION to make it happen captured us both.
5.  Close: Like the finale of an actual sales transaction, we truly CLOSED when we began to pay deposits on future bookings and planned for the sale and disposal of all of our worldly goods.

The ship is beautifully decorated for Christmas.

These thoughts came to mind from so many years ago, as my brain was spinning with the enthusiasm we both are feeling from the second of two seminars we conducted for passengers aboard Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas. 

The positive feedback we’ve received from attendees both in person throughout these past days and by email has truly been overwhelming and appreciated. Who knew? Not us. We expected a handful of attendees when in fact there were in excess of 100 at each presentation. Go figure. 

Even staff at the customer service desk is prepared for Christmas.

If we’d had more lead time to prepare and announce the two part series, surely we’d been able to garner more attendees. We can’t stop smiling. This happy and fulfilling experience will stay with us for a long time. 

Will there be more in the future? In the next two days, we’ll be talking to Kevin and Steve, activities director and cruise directo,r respectively, to see if this can lead to something that appeals to us in the future. 

With bookings well into 2018, we’ll have to see if it is a possibility for us since it’s unlikely we’d want to change our itinerary going forward. We’ll see how and if it rolls out.

The ship is decorated for Christmas.

Last night, before bed, we checked our email to find this message:
On Wed, Nov 30, 2016 at 1:51 PM, Mary wrote:

Dear Jess & Tom,
We have attended both of your presentations and have enjoyed them thoroughly.  Jess, you are a better speaker than MANY of the presenters we have had on many cruises.  Good amount of both information, humor, pictures, and you have no repetitive phrases or awkward pauses – brilliant!  I was a high school science teacher for over 20 years and have some familiarity with quality speaking

The other day we introduced ourselves to you in the Windjammer.  We are the 2 gals who have lived full time in an RV for 22 years, while also doing international land trips, and many cruises.  I’m sure we have been in more countries than you have, yet that doesn’t matter – we still learned a few things from you.  Thank you for that

Since we often travel spontaneously, with hardly any plans, and no reservations, and hardly ever stay anywhere longer than 3 weeks, we found it very interesting to learn of your travel style.  You are right;  people have to discover what works for them, no matter what anybody else does.  But you gave some excellent tips which everyone should know, just to be safe.

Hoping to cruise with you again some time.

Warmest regards,  Mary & Elaine

We are so appreciative of this message from these lovely people. It means the world to us to hear from those we meet in our travels, especially when they take a few minutes to say hello or share their story. Thanks to Mary and Elaine for sharing your thoughts with us!

In the interim, we’re down to our last few days aboard the ship, cherishing every single moment of this extraordinary adventure, made all the more exciting by the serendipity of our lectures and making so many new friends aboard the ship.

Luck? Maybe a touch. Happiness? In abundance.

Photo from one year ago today, December 1, 2015:

In Fiji, one year ago, we drove under canopy of trees in a nearby neighborhood. For more details, please click here.

Day 12…Circumnavigating the Australian continent….Answering a loyal reader’s questions in an email…Remembrance Day observation aboard ship

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View of the deck where the navigation of the vessel is provided by the master and his crew.

“Sighting on the Ship in Australia”

Stone sculpture/artwork in the lobby near the Cascades dining area.

In yesterday’s post we discussed an email we’d received from a loyal reader, Elaine, who with her husband decided to travel the world influenced in part by reading our site over these past few years.

It meant so much that we may have played a small role in inspiring them to be willing to sell their home to become unencumbered with stuff to enhance the affordability and enjoyment of the experience for a two year period. 

However, long one may choose to travel, without homes, cars and belongings in their home country, many find traveling to be a life- changing and enriching experience.

Tender boats which are actually the ship’s lifeboats were taking passengers to Benoa, Bali for sightseeing. After spending four months in Bali, we see no point in getting off the ship today.

In her email, Elaine had a number of questions, a group of which we decided to require and deserved a little more time and space than we’d provided in yesterday’s post.

Elaine wrote:

“One more question for you.  Which are your favorite booking sites?  Vacations to Go?  For cruises…VRBO for bookings (have you had any bad experiences with bookings?)  Favorite Airlines (sometimes a necessary evil)?   Any favorite ways to save money…ie Airline Miles plans etc.”

For ease in reading our responses to each of Elaine’s questions, we’ll address each one separately as indicated below:

What are our favorite booking sites?
Long ago in 2012 when we built our site, we began using our favorite booking websites, some of which are listed as advertisers on our home page. We selected these companies to fulfill our travel needs after considerable research as to:  quality of service, pricing, response time, reliability of website, length of experience and user reviews. 

Each company/website provides its own unique service which continues to serve us well with few, if any, issues over these past almost five years since the onset of our bookings which we began long before we actually left the US. Please see our list below with details.

Some passengers had booked outdoor activities on this rainy day in Bali.

Cruises:  Vacations to Go, rep Brooklyn Earnhardt. Exemplary service, quick response, best pricing possible on every cruise. Plus, if cruise’s price is reduced prior to final payment, all we do is notify our rep and she’ll lower the price accordingly, but it’s our responsibility to continually check for price reductions which Tom does daily.  We’ve saved several thousand dollars on this feature. (Price increases do not have any bearing on our pricing once the initial deposit is paid at time of booking).

Hotels: Almost in every case, we use this link on our site to Hotels.com. With a rewards program that includes “one free night after spending 10 nights” this has worked well for us. Their pricing is highly competitive and we’ve been very happy with the results. For our upcoming hotel stay in Minnesota for six weeks, they gave us an excellent corporate rate discount (based on long stay).

Vacation/Holiday Home Rentals: Since our first vacation rental booking in 2012, we’ve been primarily using this link on our site to HomeAway.com. On a few occasions we’ve used other sites such as VRBO.com but have found the most listings on HomeAway. 

Their easy to use site seems to have better priced listings than many other such sites. Also, on HomeAway it’s possible to pay a deposit to hold the property, whereas on Airbnb, which often includes shared rentals, (we’re not interested in sharing a house), they require payment in full at time of booking for the entire rental period. 

Benoa, Bail as seen from the ship.

We aren’t willing to pay three months of rent in advance, often as much as 18 months out, to a stranger. Note: DO NOT PAY RENTS OR DEPOSITS FOR VACATION HOMES VIA A BANK TRANFER. THERE’S NO WAY TO RECOVER LOST FUNDS IF ANY ISSUE ARISES. USING A CREDIT CARD THROUGH A BOOKING SERVICE, SUCH AS STAYZ (IN SOUTH PACIFIC), HOMEAWAY OR OTHER BOOKING SITES OR, PAYPAL (USE CREDIT CARD PAYMENT OPTION, NOT BANK ACCOUNT WITHDRAWAL) RESULTS IN SOME FORM OF RECOURSE IN THE EVENT OF FRAUD. CREDIT CARD COMPANIES WILL ASSIST IN RECOVERING FROM FRAUDULENT TRANSACTIONS.

How do save money using these sites? Simple, negotiate property owners/manager, if possible. If you have special circumstances such as only two people staying in large property or are requesting a long term stay (anything over two weeks), don’t hesitate to ask for a discount. Best way to accomplish this? Suggest an alternate price for the entire period. Don’t ask the seller to suggest a price unless you’re willing to wonder if you could have booked it for even less.

Bad experience? Yes! Our first vacation home rental outside the US was a beach house in Belize. It didn’t have regular running water, no insect screens and was unlivable for us.

We left in a week, losing our first month’s rent. The experience was awful considering it was our first international rental, but we learned a lot. Luckily, we found another property (more expensive) but ultimately fabulous and enjoyed the remaining period of our stay. See this link to begin this story which continues over a period of several posts.

Local tender awaiting passenger’s boarding for tours.

Flights:  As little as we like the necessity of flying, it’s difficult to see the world by cruise ship, train, car or other modes of transportation.  We’ve seen many options for cruises that we could use for further transportation to and from various continents in an attempt to avoid flying, but the cruise fares are often out of reach financially over the long haul. Instead, we bite the bullet and fly only when necessary on an average of four to six flights per year. 

Do we use one particular airline? No, it’s not possible. We check this site for an airline’s safety rating, and then choose  those with the best ratings based on best times and prices suitable for our needs.  Yes, we do sign up to become rewards members, but based on our travels to date, we’ve yet to accumulate enough worthwhile points since we keep changing airlines. 

Close up of local tender boats taking passengers to the shore when the port of Benoa is too small to accommodate the ship.

As for booking airline tickets, we exclusively use this link on our site to Expedia.com. One can accumulate rewards points, but they aren’t significant, but after considerable time and research, we’ve been happy with the efficiency, ease of talking to a “human” if necessary, and pricing. The site is easy to use and understand for even the most inexperienced traveler. One can shop for days for a flight in an attempt to save a few dollars and may in fact be able to save a little in doing so. But, if one researches carefully, you may find, as we have, that there’s always a tradeoff of one sort or another for even the smallest of discounts.

Saving money in general?  We’re always searching for ways to reduce our costs. Whether it’s the cost of a rental car, a trip to a farmers market or a hotel stay, we never hesitate to kindly ask for an upgrade and/or a better price when the situation calls for it. Only you can use your best judgment. We choose diplomacy and kindness when asking and a high degree of gratefulness whether they’ve been able to comply or not. Coupons, discount codes, special promos are often available at the above websites and other which are readily found on a simple google search.

The contraptions are “davits” described as:  “Any of various crane-like devices used on a ship for supporting, raising and lowering boats and anchors on a ship.”

Today, with time and space running out once again, we’ve left out a vital aspect of our travels: rental cars. In tomorrow’s post, we’ll discuss how to book and save huge sums on rental cars throughout the world and a variety of nuances to consider when selecting a vehicle. 

This morning, aboard the ship at 6:00 am, a Remembrance Day Sunrise Service (same a Veterans Day in the US) was held poolside.  A few minutes ago at 11:00 am today on November 11, 2016, the entire ship observed a few moments of silence by ringing of the ship’s bell at the beginning and end. Every person, including all staff and ourselves, stood and bowed our heads in respect for the fallen soldiers of World War I and other wars.  

Please check back tomorrow on how we’ve saved on both costs and time in renting cars over these past four years. 

Photo from one year ago today, November 11, 2015:

The special clothing in this shop window is often purchased for Diwali celebrations which was celebrating one year ago on this date.  For more details, please click here.

Day 11…Circumnavigation the Australian continent…Quite a day in US politics…Interesting email from a loyal reader…Medical emergency one year ago!…

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A small rescue boat anchored to the side of the ship.

“Sightings on the Ship in Australia”

Not sure what this display is about… footballs of some sort?

With the election behind us, we can now return our focus to life aboard ship. That’s not to imply that our focus has diverted from having a great time. But it has been on the minds of most Americans and others worldwide for some time, and often the topic of conversation among our fellow passengers, both Americans, and Australians.

I’m looking forward to being able to read the posts and see photos of family, friends and readers on Facebook without the toxic vitriol espoused by those expressing their personal views of either candidate. 

At times over this past year, I’d considered giving up on FB, but its also been a great means of seeing family and friends photos and staying in touch across the miles of sea between us. 

Clothing for sale in one of the ship’s shops.

Hopefully, now and in the future, opinions will be focused on our own efforts to make the US and the world a better place with love, understanding and compassion in the forefront. Amid that, supporting our new President’s efforts will surely unite our country whether we agree with his plans and ideas at this time. Time will tell.

Speaking of our readers, yesterday we received this letter from a long time loyal reader Tom met long ago on another cruise. Of course, I asked her permission to post her letter to which she happily agreed. I’ve also included my response.

Please see below:

“Jessica, you and Tom have been our inspiration. 
 
We just sold our house and our things are about to be given away/stored for now. We have taken a severance package from our employer. 
 
Our plan is a 2 year adventure for now. I have been reading your blog since we briefly met Tom on Brilliance of the Seas TA (I have written before) a few years ago now. We begin in January. Our plan is similar to yours, avoiding flying, cruising to destinations and AirBnb etc., monthly stays in cities we like, along the cruise repositioning routes.  (Continued below).
Men’s clothing.
I have learned a lot from your site. I still have not decided which direction we are going yet. I couldn’t plan as this all happened rather suddenly (sold our house while cruising to Australia lol). Any advice about direction?  Follow the sun in warm weather.. (Australia, New Zealand first, then Singapore to Dubai, then Suez canal to Europe) or do
 
South America followed with a Transatlantic with summer in Europe?
 
I hope you enjoy your Transpacific on Explorer of the Seas in April. We have done it both ways this year. If you ever make it to Pt Vila Vanuatu you must tour with Atmosphere tours and ask for a guide named Alfred – he is passionate about his culture and a fabulous guide. Best guide, we have ever had.
 
In closing, I wish you and Tom all the best and continued happy and healthy travel. The memories of the life you are leading mean more than all the “stuff” people have.
 
I hope we run into each other on a future cruise. Would love to chat.
Elaine”
Logo wear.
We replied as follows in bold type:
“Elaine, how excited we both were to see your message. We’re so excited for both of you embarking on your own adventure.
 
It’s not easy answering your questions when so much is predicated by what appeals to you both to see over the next two years. Our desires may be entirely different than yours.
 
We both believe your best guide is to make a list of where you’d like to visit and then using the world map, map it out so you don’t waste time and money jumping all over the globe.  (Continued below).
Perfume and cologne shop.

We don’t like big cities but you may. We no longer care if the weather is ideal. We’re looking for the experience.  We don’t care to live in apartments.  You may find this works for you.

 
Since our focus is wildlife and nature, you may find historic buildings more interesting. If we never enter another old building, we’ll be fine. But, Africa is calling us for another visit in 15 months.  Antarctica in on the schedule for 14 months. 
 
You see, how it’s so hard to say where and when to go. Our tastes are all so diverse and unique. But, I will say we’ve loved NZ and AU. By the time we leave the South Pacific for a 9 week family visit, we’ll have spent almost two years in this part of the world.
 
Thank you so much for reading our site. You have no idea how much it means to us if we’ve inspired you even one iota. We’d love to hear what you decided to do and wish we could be more helpful.
 
May I copy and paste your email to our site. We won’t use your names, but what a great story to share!
Warmest regards,
Jess & Tom
Tourist trinkets.

Then, Elaine responded again:
“Sure, go ahead and post my email Jess and Tom. Thank you for your responses. They actually do help a lot. We want to do Antarctica too, and the Northwest passage. We must see the pyramids in Egypt.   wo years probably won’t be enough, but as long as finances hold and we don’t get tired of travelling (not likely for us) we probably keep going. 

One more question for you.  Which are your favorite booking sites?  Vacations to Go?  For cruises…VRBO for bookings (have you had any bad experiences with bookings?)  Favorite Airlines (sometimes a necessary evil)?   Any favorite ways to save money…ie Airline Miles plans etc.  Diamond status is lovely isn’t it.  We just hit it on our last cruise and I expect it’ll be great.
 
Quote “You have no idea how much it means to us if we’ve inspired you even one iota”  (Continued  below)
Bargain tables with handbags.
Our whole idea for doing this began with the posts by Tom made on Cruise Critic which led us to your website, talking briefly to him and reading your words each morning before I go to work. We always intended to travel, as we do already now, but not to just cut loose and go. That cutting loose is what is enabling us to finance this trip by investing our money. 
 
The next 7 weeks are going to be crazy! We love Australia too, but have never been to New Zealand. I’m not sure what our focus is yet. We’ve seen many historic buildings already.  I love art and sculpture. My husband loves history. Wasn’t Petra amazing, but I could do without that walk in the heat!  I think we just want to go everywhere and see and experience as much as we can, while we can, make memories for when health fails us and have no regrets. So exciting to see all the wonders of the world we’ve heard about all our lives.
 
I’ll email our choices once I figure them out! Wish I had more time to plan, but what a wonderful conundrum to have!
 
So, Thank you both once again. You are changing our lives.
 
 Elaine”
Scuba, beach and snorkeling products.
Our dear reader posed some excellent questions as shown in blue above from her most recent response. Due to space and time limitations today, we’ll answer the above questions in blue in tomorrow’s post. Please check back.
Have a beautiful day!

Photo from one year ago today, November 10, 2015:
One year ago, we visited the dentist in Fiji when Tom developed an abscessed tooth. The bill for the dentist visit was surprising at FJD 6, USD $2.76, AU 3.60. The two antibiotic prescriptions were “free’ when we walked across the parking lot in the local hospital’s pharmacy. For the full story and photos, please click here.

A playful “night on the town” aboard the ship…Cumberland Islands…

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This is one of the most important reasons why we prefer a balcony cabin. View of one of the 70 islands in the Cumberland group.

“Sightings on the Ship in Australia”

Interesting sculpture on display on the stairs.

As a couple its easy to slip into a life of routine and predictability.  We laugh at our humorous quips and jokes. We tolerate the whining/whinging and negative chatter. We empathize when things aren’t quite right. We celebrate  our efforts, successes and accomplishments.

Stepping out of this routine isn’t always easy. The true essence of feeling “in love” has the potential to envelope us in an entirely unique sense of joy as opposed to the solid sense of simply loving one another. 

Many times, this requires a change of scenery or circumstances, such as a holiday or vacation, dining at a romantic restaurant, walking along a beach or  picnicking in the park.

It wasn’t easy taking photos on the misty, cloudy morning, especially when the camera fogged up going from the air conditioned cabin to the humidity outdoors.

This is not to say that the consistent feelings of loving our partners are less important. Over the long haul, it holds more weight, purpose and value in ensuring a meaningful and lasting relationship.

This magical feeling of being “in love” while immensely attracted to one another is often lost in the stresses of everyday life. While on this year’s long journey to see the world, we can easily become immersed in that “I love you” state of familiarity and comfort, one that without a doubt, we’re blessed to possess.

More Cumberland islands.

Then, when that wave of feeling “in love” washes over us it can be euphoric, putting a smile on our faces and a twinkle in our eyes that is hard to erase. It’s an impossible feeling to constantly maintain, although many new or young lovers somehow believe it can be carried well into the future. More often we hear that those types of relationships ultimately fail in a plethora of unfulfilled expectations.

Last night, we both experienced an “in love” evening, certainly nothing new for us but memorable nonetheless. In part, in may have been us finally loosening up a little with a few cocktails, the “oldies” piano music played by a talented performer in the Schooner Bar and our close proximity to each other as we blissfully swayed to the music. 

Need I say, we had an extraordinary evening, never returning to our cabin until almost midnight, not falling asleep until 1:00 am and awakening way too early this morning at 5:00 am, anxious to get up and begin another glorious day at sea 

The captain explained that some of the islands are inhabited, while a few have resorts and facilities for tourists.

Tom says my eyes look sleepy today and I agree. Maybe a 15 minute nap should be on the agenda this afternoon after we watched the movie, “Ghostbusters” in the tiny theatre.  (Our taste in movies has changed for this cruise when yesterday we watched the silly movie, “Boss.”  Tom dozed while I chuckled my way through it).

This morning at 6:25 am, the captain announced we were entering the Cumberland Islands. Having showered and dressed for the day, we took a few photos we’ve posted today. 

Photos of islands taken from a ship at sea aren’t usually within my skill range, so I apologize if they aren’t very clear and defined. I do better on land.  Here’s some information about the Cumberland Islands:

From this website:
“There are about 70 islands in the Cumberland group, sometimes referred to as the southern Whitsundays. Almost all the islands are designated national parks. Apart from Keswick Island – home to the sophisticated and secluded Keswick Island Guest House – there’s no formal accommodation in the Cumberlands.
Brampton Island is well-known for its nature walks, and was until recently the home of a posh resort. Carlisle Island is connected to Brampton by a narrow sandbar, and during low tide, it may be possible to walk between the two. Scawfell Island is the largest in the group; on its northern side, Refuge Bay has a safe anchorage and a camping ground.
Campsite availability, bookings and permits for the Cumberland Islands and the nearby Sir James Smith Island group can be found online at www.nprsr.qld.gov.au or at the Mackay visitor center.
Facilities on all islands are limited and access can be difficult unless you have your own boat or can afford to charter one (or a seaplane); ask for more info at the Mackay visitor center.”
A few tour companies provide partial day tours to the islands.
Last night, at dinner, at a shared table, I had the opportunity to engage in conversation with a most delightful 86 year old man also named Tom. His wife had recently passed away and he is now cruising with his new “girlfriend,” as he described the kindly woman sitting at his other side. 
He and I chatted through dinner and it couldn’t have been more enjoyable. My Tom was thoroughly entertained chatting with the couple to his right.
Again, one more memorable evening spent in the dining room and, as explained above, the evening thereafter.  Is it evident why we love cruising?
Tonight, we’re playing it by ear. At this point, all we know for sure is we’ll be in the dining room sharing another large table for 8 to 10 passengers for more wonderful conversation and reasonably good food. 
No whinging here!
Photo from one year ago today, November 4, 2015:
One year ago today, we posted photos of the gorgeous upcoming vacation home rental in Costa Rica beginning in nine months on August 1, 2017. For more photos, please click here.