On The Sea Again...

April 16^th, Day 87

April 16^th has finally arrived! This is only a remarkable statement because for the last two days it has been April 15^th. Also unless I somehow make a journey around the world in the opposite direction, this year will contain 367 days for me! The powers that be decided we would repeat the day before we actually crossed the International Dateline, meaning we are in a wonderful make believe non-existent time-zone and a day off of the countries around us… I still cannot believe that the trip is this far along. Even considering how I have spent the last few months my life seems to be accelerating at an ever increasing pace. Tonight was a blast though as Kate and I went to play ping-pong with the balls provided by my parents only to discover that there weren’t any rackets. Being the brilliant minded intellectuals we are we improvised by playing with my sandals from Puerto Rico! It was great fun though there was about an inch of water on the deck making my feet quite cold!

April 18th. Day 89

Today as I lay out on the deck in the early afternoon I had a sudden realization. I was the only guy on this section of the ship surrounded by about 2 dozen college girls in bikinis, sitting under the warm sun on a beautiful day in the Pacific, on my way to Hawaii! Life is sweet! And as if that wasn’t good enough the significance of what we’d been doing the last few months finally hit me. I had just seen the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Brazil, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong, China, Japan, more places than some people see in their entire lives in the span of 3 months! I’ve made a lifetime’s worth of memories and created friendships that will endure long after our ship has sailed on. Though I am saddened that our journey has nearly reached its end I know now that the experience is something I will carry with me always and something which has resonated to the core of my being. I’ve seen things and people I couldn’t have comprehended before now and still attempt to make sense of. My only hope is that I can use this experience to grow as a person and as a world citizen and that has given me a new desire to live a life of purpose. Perhaps the Lion King sums it up the best: “There is more to see, than can ever been seen…More to do, than can ever be done!” I want to spend the rest of my life exploring and experiencing as much as I can. It’s been one hell of a ride...

Also I wanted to take this opportunity to give a shout out and a thank you to all of you who have been sending me messages and comments during the voyage! They have been very much enjoyed and appreciated! And thank you also for keeping me updated about my beloved Avalanche, and here's to hoping we make short work of the Red Wings!