May 20, 2024
My To Do List! Time is ticking!
I am slightly prepared, due to all I already did in anticipation of sailing with Life at Sea, last November. I repacked & shipped 3 small bags via UPS filled with my dry goods, creature comforts, sports equipment, games, some shoes and weather gear to a shipping container, in Florida, that VVR is provided and is transporting to Belfast for us, back in March. I bought my airline ticket to London Heathrow and have since rebooked to Dublin, Ireland, where I will first spend time visiting family in County Mayo and Cork, before heading up to Belfast to meet the rest of the passengers.
I sold my car, closed my ez-pass account and parking, and cancel my auto insurance. I've been to the dentist and eye doctors, had my yearly mammogram and colon test, seen both my primary and endocrinologist doctors, got my latest Covid booster, vaccines and immunizations for yellow fever, typhoid, Hep A & B, influenza, pneumonia, Tdap, RSV, Shingrix and an update tetanus. I also got several prescriptions filled for sea sickness, anti malaria pills and other remedies for common ailments that may come up during 3 plus years of travel.
I have also reviewed my Will and POA and made sure my financial assets are all accessible to my family, with all the necessary paperwork in place and automatic payments that I have set up. My Employer is in the loop, as are my Clients and Vendors, who are allowing me to continue to serve them and take their business on the trip with me. I will see if I can truly continue to make things work, whatever time zone I’m in.
One of the most time-consuming tasks has been getting my healthcare (primary and secondary levels) in place. I’m currently on COBRA and then may go to marketplace for primary and I’ve secured a secondary policy for out of country. Biggest question is how will I get my prescription drugs (I’m a type 2 diabetic). I'm planning on taking a large supply with me and trying for mail service for balance, or friends couriering when they visit! The tricky part is the medication needs to be refrigerated, typically done with ice packs for 1 to 2 day post. The ships’ medical team Vikand is also stocking and helping to get certain medications and testing we have all requested. My doctors have been supportive and confident we can work out the details. Fingers crossed! I am also buying a travel emergency and interruption insurance policy.
Speaking of visitors, one of my favorite elements of this adventure is the VVR friends and family (F&F) policy. They don’t want us to get homesick so there are 35 FREE cabins for F&F to use on a first ask basis. F&F can visit for up to 2 weeks and only pay $33/day/person for their meals, alcohol and port fees. It’s a true bargain! And I am hoping many of my F&F take advantage of signing up. So far I have 3 approved and 3 more pending!
I have set my phone to the military time option and am trying to train myself to know the pm hours by heart, before boarding, as all communication is done in 24-hour time. I am still trying to squeeze in lots of time with friends and family, especially the young ones, who grow and change so quickly! All the while clearing out my refrigerator, freezer and pantry and packing my 3 checked bags and one carry on bag. Right now, my to do list is down to roughly 4 items, and everything seems to be falling into place.
We had a beautiful sunny day to explore Wellington ! Was a very nice change from the stormy, big swells weather we have had the last two days! Wellington is the Capital city of New Zealand and the CBD is nice and big with lots of shops and museums. We didn't make it to the LOTR studios due to the time crunch but we took the cable car up to the top, for a scenic overlook of the port and then leisurley walk down through the Botantical Gardens, parks and historical cemetary.
Rotorua became a bonus city for us. Our Port stay in Tauranga got cut down to one day, due to NZ biosecurity regulations and since we really wanted to do Hobbiton, we decided to get off the ship and stay in hotels and get back on the ship, in a few days. Due to a variety of factors, the Ship ended up doing a quick pick up of us in Tauranga, three days later. The Kiwi's we encountered along the way, who helped with all our last minute details, were amazingly kind, hospitable and generous. Below is our tired, chilly group huddled at the security shed, outside the Port in the wee hours (1:30 am) Monday morning, awaiting our final hurdle of getting back on our Home. Home sweet home! What an adventure!
Rotorua, New Zealand is known for it's geothermal activity ( geysers, mud pools, hot springs) and rich Maori culture . I saw lots of that last time I was here in 2016, so this time I wanted to see their Redwoods in Whakarewarewa Forest. John and Colleen joined me in exploring. Their redwoods are smaller than the ones in Muir Woods California, but still impressive. Both are planted forest dating back to around 1908.