So when I told my husband i wanted to take a 27 day freighter voyage  from Philadelphia to Auckland he asked if i was “crazy”. Having endured the 7 day Queen Mary crossing in May I think John had enough. I think he was ready to jump overboard after day 5. He felt there was a lot of sea and not much else. I on the other hand loved all that sea and spent most of the day walking the deck and curled up in the lounge drinking tea and reading.  I found it very relaxing and for the first time in 35 years I felt i had really disconnected from email and Facebook and texts. The idea of doing that for 27 days sounded like heaven!  Then, since i was in NZ I might as well enjoy it for a few weeks.

I think that idea of disconnecting is something I really look forward to. My work had been stressful and demanding and fantastic but i never really left it behind. I started working full time in 1982 and never ever truly disconnected. It always seemed to be hovering about.  I took a few long trips in those years but either work or the knowledge that I needed to find work when i got back was always in my mind.

John likes to tell people how he would wake up at 3 am and the bedroom would be bathed in blue light as I lay in bed answering e mails or reading texts from other crazy employees who were sending them at 3 am!.

Now I have no emails that need answering urgently or texts that must be responded to immediately and i”m looking forward to just enjoy the journey. …and not having to wear a tux at dinner….although we did look pretty good in those tuxedos on the Queen Mary.