Less than a month and definitely counting!

Wow, this past month has flown by. I guess it is good that I have been so busy so I'm not sitting, waiting for the clock to tick. While I'm very excited to be going, the closer it gets the more anxious I am getting regarding leaving. I am so going to miss the rest of my family (pups too)!  Hopefully FaceTime will work for me at some point.

I think we are in good shape.  Passports have been returned with Visas.  Our cruise document book has been received. Travel immunization documents are up to date. Tours are all planned. Foreign currency on hand. Extra digital camera cards have been purchased( there will be loads of pictures).  My check list is finally growing smaller and smaller!

The biggest challenge I have had is with packing... 50 lbs. per bag doesn't go very far.  As I piled  stuff into suitcases, many were already overweight with still much more room to pack!  After much packing and unpacking of individual bags, four are at 48 lbs. and ready to go.  Two garment bags and carry-ons still to go. Despite my best efforts, we will not be traveling very light. Thankfully we will be taking full advantage of Southwest's 2 free bags per person.  It's so hard to figure out what we may need for 2 1/2 months, with climate range from 50-90 degrees. Not to mention incidentals...and shoes.

Tristan's birthday is the day before we leave. My baby is turning 17, he has turned into such a great young man.  I wanted to do something fun with him before I left to spend some time with him and celebrate a bit. So this year he, Joe and I (while Ty spends some quality time with Dad) are going down to Universal's Halloween Horror Night's for the weekend before I go.  It's is usually a yearly trip for just Joe and I sometime later in the fall, but a first for T. I can't wait to get him into those haunted houses. Joe and I are debating whether I will be hiding behind T, or he will be hiding behind me! Should be lots of fun and some great laughs. 

I am going to be one busy girl!  HAL just released the guest speaker/chefs lists.  My favorite thing about traveling is learning about and experiencing the cultures of where I am. I love being able to have region specific lectures, and I am a foodie, what more could I want...right up my alley. I'm not even sure which one of these I'm looking forward to more?

 

I think the countdown has officially begun, I'm officially excited.  I've been trying to avoid it so time wouldn't pass so slowly, but it's here...

 

 

Holland America Line's 2013 Grand Pacific & Far East Voyage Features Guest Speakers, Guest Chefs And Local Entertainment

Press Release: Holland America Line

SEATTLE , July 31, 2013 /CNW/ - When ms Amsterdam departs on its 75-day Grand Pacific and Far East Voyage Sept. 20, 2013 , it's going to feature a whole lot more than beautiful ports, tantalizing cuisine and award-winning service. Holland America Line has added four guest chefs, eight guest speakers and local entertainment in several ports as part of the line's new On Location activity program.

The Culinary Arts Center — presented by Food & Wine magazine — will host four chefs on different segments of the voyage who will whip up their favorite dishes with a local flair reflecting the region where they are sailing. Guests will enjoy cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, question-and-answer sessions and hands-on cooking classes with the chefs in the ship's full show kitchen. Scheduled to join the voyage are:

• Joseph Caputo ( Sept. 20-29 ), culinary educator, author and chef/owner at Zuppa del Giorno and Catering by Joseph in Scranton , Pa.
• George Geary ( Oct. 10-23 ), former pastry chef at Disney Corp., culinary journalist, author and educator
• Paulette Mitchell ( Nov. 3-23 ), ethnic cuisine instructor and food markets of the world specialist
• Naomi Kakiuchi ( Oct. 24-Nov. 2 ), sushi expert, Asian cuisine specialist and president of NuCulinary

Guests wanting to enrich their minds and expand their knowledge can attend lectures by eight guest speakers who will give presentations throughout the voyage:

• Dr. John Palmisano ( Sept. 20-29 ) holds a Ph.D. in marine biology and has studied sea otter ecology in Alaska and the decline of wild Pacific salmon.

• David Smith ( Sept. 20-29 ) is a professional photographer and travel writer who has published the "Digital and Travel Photography Tutorial" CD and "Travel Photography — Tips and Techniques" DVD.

• Joseph Kess ( Sept. 29-Oct. 14 ) is the retired emeritus chair in Japan and Asia-Pacific Relations of the Center for Asia-Pacific Initiatives at Canada's University of Victoria . He is an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and was inducted into the prestigious Order of the Rising Sun by the Japanese government.

• Architectural historian Sandra Millikin ( Sept. 29-Oct. 23 ) was assistant curator at the Royal Institute of British Architects Drawings Collection, which is now housed in London's Victoria and Albert Museum. She also was a lecturer at Open University.

• Professor Roberta Sloan ( Oct. 14-Nov. 17 ) has produced, directed and acted in more than 200 productions. She has taught at Marymount College , Huntingdon College , University of Oklahoma and University of Central Oklahoma , and received a Kennedy Center Medal.

• Stephen Sloan ( Oct. 14-Nov. 17 ) is professor emeritus at the University of Oklahoma . He is a pioneer in research and teaching on terrorism, and his book "Simulating Terrorism" has been used to conduct exercises internationally. Sloan is the author of 13 books and consults for the U.S. government and internationally.

• Melvyn Foster ( Oct. 23-Nov. 17 ) has lectured extensively as a destination, wildlife and maritime speaker. He has an interest in maritime history and commerce, particularly the Atlantic and Pacific liners, and has personally logged more than 75 Atlantic and Pacific crossings.

• Elizabeth Foggin ( Nov. 17-Dec. 4 ) holds a Ph.D. in Applied Social Sciences from Universite de Montreal . Her research and thesis explored the experience of leisure and tourism of people with reduced physical abilities. She is co-author of a study and report commissioned by United Nations' Asia Pacific office concerning "Barrier-Free Tourism in the Asia Pacific Region."

As part of the On Location program, Amsterdam guests can participate in activities such as lei making, ukulele lessons, hula classes and Hawaiian language classes. In Honolulu , Hawaii ; Kobe ( Osaka ), Japan ; Shanghai and Hong Kong , China , and Papeete, Tahiti, local performers will entertain guests during special evening performances in the ship's main show lounge. The itinerary sets the theme for guests to indulge in localized experiences that make time onboard as enriching as visiting the ports of call.

Guests also can fill their time onboard with other activities or simply relax and catch up on personal time with amenities such as the Greenhouse Spa & Salon, Explorations Cafe powered by the New York Times or Digital Workshop powered by Windows®.