Valeria Out Loud

Hey everyone!

Hope this is finding you well and warm!

I am writing from the plane, on our way home from a truly amazing trip. I can’t believe it is over, and that reality is back in full swing. This one hurt a tremendous amount to leave. The tears we all had, still feeling achey.  We had done so much in a short time and with some amazing people, that I am not sure where to begin or what to describe first. Really, it was just so immensely wonderful that my mind is still spinning.

First, I guess I would like to start with talking about who we vacationed with… My Aussie penpals, aka, my Southern Hemisphere besties. 😘  Now family.

Let me start from who and how we met.  Back in 1998, I made a super fun penpal from Australia, Patrick, during my stint working at The Museum of Science. I worked Tuedays thru Saturdays in the membership department back then, and during down times I would chat on this fun Italian speaking board to gain more writing ability, and well, I am a social hutterfly so also to passtime talking through boring moments at work. Sorry MOS!   Pat and I hit it off right away, along with another friend, Eric. Always full fun cultural discussions, music, food, life,  so after months, we exchanged info to become penpals through post. Then email, etc etc.  Pat visited Boston in 1999, with another buddy, so we had the opportunity to hang out and he got to meet my now husband and all my family and friends. It was wonderful. What a special guy. Then in 2004, he returned to visit, stayed with me and my husband in our apartment in Medford, but this time he brought along his new bride, Mel. It was a fantastic week getting to know these two very special people showing them all of Boston.

We had always had a ton of fun keeping in touch on email, exchanging packages, or phone calls, but with Facebook it made it easier. Fast forward twelve years, we all have children. Us with the two girls and them with two girls and a boy.

Time sure does fly.

Last year, they called us to say that for my pal’s fortieth birthday they would be taking a tour of the states. They wanted to come up to Boston, but March is weather wacky in our area during the start of Spring, so they told us they were also thinking of taking a cruise out of FL during the trip if we would want to come with.

Uhhm, HELLAYES!

We have wanted to take a cruise a year before, but work timing and weather got in our way, so we jumped at the chance to go. We researched a slew of cruises last year, so we were ready to make the jump to make these plans with them. We had never been on a cruise ship before, so we were all excited and nervous.

Ok, we are about to descend now so before the wifi is gone, I will stop here.  Next time I write I will share more anout the actual trip and what we thought of it all.

Xoxoxo

 

 

UPDATED: Since the trip is all online, I thought to post the days here to access them easily…  enjoy!! xoxoxo

Day 1 – Fort Lauderdale

Day 2 – Embarking the Ship

Day 3 – Day at Sea (#1)

Day 4 – Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Day 5 – Grand Cayman

Day 6 – Costa Maya- Mahahual Mexico

Day 7  – Cozumel, Mexico

Day 8 – Day at Sea (#2)

Day 9-12 –  Up to Orlando, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter