Blog Clarifications....

I was out for dinner with Karen and Lesley. After my arrival I was peppered with questions of 'Where are you going, what are you doing ~ we read your blog but are confused...'

That said, I figured I would update with the very latest so you are in the know, and not working off yesterday's plan that didn't quite come to fruition.

What am I doing?

I am still on vacation and will be until at least May 1st.

Where am I?

I am on GTS Infinity. I arrived Sunday in Fort Lauderdale and will be cruising with Akis as a guest. YES ~ that means I get to be the one in casual clothes in the coffee shop, fight with other cruisers for the lounge chair around the pool, and swim in the pool... hehe

How long am I going to be here?

I am 'booked' on the ship until April 22nd

Where am I going?

We started at Fort Lauderdale and will be heading down through the Panama Canal and up the Mexican coast to San Diego. From there I will stay onboard and cruise to Hawaii with the ship. My plan was to leave the ship in Hawaii before coming back to San Diego and avoid the last 4 Sea Days back to the main land, but due to US regulations, it looks like I need to stay with the ship and debark in San Diego ~ damn Jones Act!!!

So what happens after I cruise?

I will be looking to head back to Vancouver for a wee bit to catch up with some folks that I didn't see when I was first home. Get that darn Seaman's medical done ~ $450 bucks so I can be deemed 'fit to work'. I am also looking to extend my vacation by about a week to take in Liz's wedding to the Aussie. This is still 'pending office approval' so we'll have to see how it goes.

When are you going back to the ship to work?

I will be going back around the 1st of May to Infinity ~ yeah, Akis and I finally are going to be back working on a ship together. He will be on the ship for 2 months and then have vacation over July and August. He should be coming back here in September, but the schedule is always open to changes, so we have learned that sometimes you just need to sit tight.

Where is the ring?

The decision to purchase the ring has been made, but unfortunately the hunt for the ring in South America was not successful. As a result, we are going to be spending the next couple of weeks looking while I am here. Stay tuned, it should be coming shortly.

Vancouver? Toronto? What was the decision?

We have discussed the pros and cons of both locations. The primary concern was that Akis adapt to life in Canada and where we have the best chance of success. While Toronto has a larger Greek community, there is a Greek community in Vancouver ~ and the other benefits such as life style, job opportunities for IT along with the Natural surroundings of the Rockies, we have pretty much decided on Vancouver. Although, as with anything this could change, we are now looking to check out the Real Estate market in Vancouver. At first glance, the cost seems unfathomable, but when I look at what rent would cost, I know that we would be better off putting our money into a home rather than continuing to rent. So while we are in Vancouver weekly during the summer, I will be trying to keep my eyes peeled on the market to see what comes up.

So what about Akis' papers?

Well that is one of those daunting processes that we are just starting to look at. We have reviewed the requirements listed by Immigration Canada and spoken with others who have gone through the process. Akis and I are working to map out our plan so that we minimize the time Akis needs to sit without being employed while waiting for papers. All in all, it is one of those things that you need to do ~ and it is best to just get at 'er.

So that is about it from here. I am sure I will have stories of my life as a passenger. I am looking very forward to it ~ it may just be too much for me to decide that I want to be a permanent passenger!