I just now realized that I didn’t post once on my last two-week cruise. It was a very busy one with lots of lecturing, touring, and socializing, with the added bonus of having my partner, Dan, on board with me.
Today marks a transition I make every time I have back-to-back assignments. The day begins with the rigmarole associated with people leaving, and I grin inwardly because I don’t have to do it. That is followed by a day during which I do whatever I want ( in this case getting my hair cut and a little poking around Kowloon afterward) while others endures the stresses of departing and arriving. Right now, many, including Dan, are in tin cans in the sky hurtling homeward. Others are unpacking and really happy their adventure is beginning.
All that (well, not the tin cans in the sky) is the good part. Tonight, my brain processes an identical refrain: Who are all these people? Where are my cruise buddies I’ve come to like so much? And who among these strangers will take their place? I don’t much like this part at all!
This evening I will remain solo and anonymous, doing a quick sushi dinner on my own and disappearing into my suite (as they call it) to rest up a little for the two-week performance that begins tomorrow. I will be ready then, but tonight I just breathe.