The Twins

Even the best laid plans...

This past Friday was one of those earth-shattering, world-rocking days. The kind of day that takes weeks and months to recover from.

When my brother-in-law texted me Friday morning to tell me that my sister was having complications with her pregnancy and they were going into the hospital, something told me, deep down in my gut, that is wasn't a matter of if I would be rushing off to meet them at the hospital, but when.

Happily, I was working from home that day, or I would have missed what came next. I busily waited for the text I knew would follow. An hour passed. Two. I worked and at one point ran to the store to grab some sandwiches and groceries. (My family doesn't do well when we're hungry.)
Around 12:30 my BIL called: Come to the hospital now.

I wasn't sure what was happening. But my sister needed me and it was a thirty-minute drive. When I arrived, my little sister was in labor (fully effaced, dilated to a 4). The babies were coming and would not be stopped. But the little girl twin was breach, so an operating room was prepped for an emergency c-section.

But this just wasn't right! My sister was only 28 weeks along. We were all supposed to have 12(ish) more weeks to prep for the twins she was expecting!

The Doctor walked into the room and began to speak, "There will be four doctors. They are specialists from great pediatric hospitals in the area. The babies will be very small, we expect around two pounds each. They will have to be stabilized and then taken to a NICU. At 28 weeks they have great chances for survival. We are very optimistic."

It all happened very quickly. 45 minutes later the first incubator rolled through, with my baby nephew and went to the nursery, where he was worked on for the next two hours by a team of doctors, nurses and respiratory specialists. Ten minutes after baby boy, baby girl was carted to the nursery by her own team.

Later my sister was brought out. Relief rolled over me. Everyone had made it. All three precious souls.

The past week is now a blur of hospital rooms, car trips, food runs, tears and grateful prayers.

Today the twins are a week old. They and mama are all doing magnificently. Every day they get a little bit stronger and look a bit better. They eat more every day and are breathing room air now.
Not too shabby for babies born at 28weeks, around 3lbs each.  

They are our little miracles.

Baby Avery just after birth

Baby Rhys just after birth. Being worked on in the NICU.

Avery Paige, with mom's hand. Wednesday, June 27th.

Rhys Allen, June 27th. Sleeping and growing.

The Departure Lounge: Mental Preparation

The Departure Lounge: Mental Preparation

Christy:

If you're planning on moving abroad, you've probably got at least one really good reason. Perhaps you're moving for a job. Maybe your spouse lives overseas. Or maybe you just want an adventure. Whatever the reason, if you're going to move abroad and hope to make the very, very best of the opportunity, you need to be mentally prepared!

Mary of My Life in Scotland - our resident expat expert - has got some great tips for us on preparation. Hindsight is a great teacher, so let's see what her experiences with moving abroad have taught her.

---

Mary:

Why do you want to move abroad? What are your expectations? Why is it important to you? These are all questions you should be asking yourself {and answering} if you plan on moving abroad. 

So, why am I in Scotland anyway? Well, I met my husband online and after 1.5 yrs of dating long distance we decided to stop going back and forth. We chose to get married and spend our time together. We had a dilemma. LD was living in Scotland and I was in America. Where would we make our home? After much research and deliberation, we decided I'd move to Scotland. I wanted an adventure. I wanted to travel. I wanted to try something new. And believe me...I got it. I've always felt that you never come back the same when you travel. I always want to be changing and getting better. I want to see how other's live. I want to be a part of something greater than just my neck of the woods. This is why being an expat is important to me. 

Most people envision expats as having an Eat Pray Love experience.  Walking through plaza's with a creamy gelato in your hands or sitting at a cafe with your journal writing your novel with bagpipes in the background. I'd say there is some of that, but it definitely isn't the norm. When you move abroad there are some challenges. 

Do you know what culture shock is? Everybody thinks they are well adjusted and they won't have any problems but let me tell you. You will. Of course you will! You are in a country that isn't your own. They don't do things the same way. Even if the people speak the same language--they really don't. You will go through some culture shock. 

Culture shock will hit you in a variety of ways. It is different for everyone. It hit me about a month after I'd moved to Scotland. I hadn't seen the sky in 3 weeks and it had rained every single day since my arrival. I felt trapped. What had I done? I still didn't have friends. I didn't know my way around yet and I didn't have a job. I was wasting away. I had expected to be sightseeing non-stop and had pictured myself with many friends and a job by then {idealistic, I know!}. I was living in a studio flat that smelled of mould. This wasn't what I signed up for. 

If you don't want to see yourself packing up and going home you need to be prepared. Now answer these questions: 

1. Why are you moving abroad?
2. What are your expectations?
3. Why is this move important to you?

The answers to these questions will be what keep you in the adventure and not cutting your dream short. You'll be able to see it through and enjoy it. For there is so much to enjoy!! 

Here are some of my tips for keeping culture shock at bay {or keeping it to a minimum at least!}:

• Do your research before you leave. Find out what is around you. Grocery stores, banks, pubs, and the movies. 
• Join a church or group of some kind. You need to be around people. Locals that can welcome and help you. You'd be surprise what can be cured with a good old fashion conversation. 
• Find some kind of work. This doesn't have to be formal employment but something to keep you busy. Whether it is volunteering at the local food drive or writing a that novel. Get yourself something to do. Idle hands and all that. 
• Before you move make a list of places you want to see. Whether they are right around you or take a bit of a travel. Make a list you can check off. You wanted to move so you could see new things, so see them! 
• Learn about public transportation. Ask questions and read about it. Then try it out. Make it your friend. 
• Decide what methods you will use to keep in touch with friends and family. Email, Facebook, Vonage and Skype are my chosen forms of communication. Oh and my Blackberry Messenger works abroad too! For free! I love this. 
• Find other expats. You will feel a kinship with those from your home country. It will be helpful to have someone you can ask all manner of questions to. They will also help you exponentially with finding what you're looking for. They will give you the 411 on what to do and not to do. Use them. 
• Have fun! If you wanted to walk with a gelato in your hands, do it! If you want to sit at a cafe drinking coffee and writing in your journal, do it! Just go out there and experience your new life as an expat. Carpe diem and all of that! 

---

Christy:

I haven't moved abroad yet. But I have worked away from home for extended periods of time. Most of those times were absolutely fantastic, but I remember two specific jobs that were really, really tough. I wasn't prepared - not prepared for the region I was traveling through (weather and general conditions), not prepared to be away from everyone I knew/loved for quite so long at just that time. Just generally not quite equipped to handle what I'd signed up for. I don't want to repeat those difficult experiences, so I want to be sure I can cope, mentally, with what I'm signing up for this go 'round.

When I move abroad next spring, I have several goals in mind. For me, this adventure is a big part of the artistic process of my life. People aren't meant to stay the same. We are always growing, changing and stretching. And if we aren't doing those things we should ask ourselves why not? Stagnancy is not healthy.

So what is it that I'm preparing myself for now? Why do I really want to move abroad?

Let's examine my motivations:

When I turned 18 I traveled abroad for the first time. I spent three weeks on a whirlwind musical tour of five European countries. It was amazing. I loved every minute. And I knew that one day I had to go back. I never really thought travel would become such a priority to me. Then around six months before my twenty-first birthday I was offered a summer position working on cruise ships. And I took the job. And I got on the plane six months later. And I boarded the ship and did the work and loved it. And five years later I'd visited forty countries and had become an entirely different person. 

After five years on ships I was ready for something else. I was ready to try living a localized life, on land. Call it an experiment, if you will. I'd call it successful. And now I'm ready for something else. Something less structured. Something full of life and passion and freedom. Travel has always sated that wild hair in me that aches for the unknown. My trips overseas during my five years in California have taught me repeatedly that I feel like my best "me" when I'm traveling. Those trips have also shown me that I haven't seen enough. The more I see, the more I discover that I haven't seen anything yet.

So that's why I'm moving abroad. Because exploration is my motivator. Knowing that, I know what to prepare for.

Moving abroad? Have questions for Christy & Mary?
Leave us a comment!

Sprouting & Growing S'more

It's been a while since I've updated you on the garden growth...
Well. Things are... growing!
I managed to get a crop of strawberries from my little strawberry patch before the deer ate up the plants.
The Zucchini & Squash are doing magnificently. They've taken over their plot of earth and are going to conquer the world next. It's funny, I planted all of these squash and I don't even like eating them... In my defense, I planted some last year and they did very poorly. This year, I took it as a personal challenge to do better. It worked.
Note to self: Mix half potting soil, half local dirt and large amounts of chicken fertilizer for out of control squash of all varieties.

Ah well.
I put up a partial Deer Fence in phases. Now, I have two completely fenced-in areas. Before I managed to finish the whole project, the awful buggers managed to get around at the fence at least once, chomping a path of destruction and wreaking havoc on my Tomato plants. (Which had been doing SO well...)

I'm determined to have a tomato crop despite the terrible Deer. If those critters hadn't gotten to the tomato plants in the garden, they'd all be massive and overflowing with tomato manna! (Or so I'd like to think.)

I've gotten 4 of these massive Zucchini from my plants so far. I pick one and there's another to deal with a couple days later... Anyone need Zucchini?

I've already gotten a couple of white cucumbers from the plant on the right. A new cucumber is just starting (center of the photo). These little babies are wonderfully yummy!

I ran out of room in the back for another tomato plant, but had an extra seedling, so I stuck it in the pot on my front porch and it's outperformed all of the plants in the back by far.


So, this is what the backyard garden looked like when I got everything in the ground:

And this is the most recent. The strawberries seem to have shrunk... but the newly installed deer fence ought to remedy that! Check out those massive squash plants!

The tomatoes (to the right) have gone through a couple of trims from the deer as well, but overall they're doing well, now protected by their own deer fence! 

I really hate deer. In the context of them living too close to me.


PS: I had a birthday yesterday! Can you believe it? They happen every year! :) This is going to be a magical year, I tell ya!

From Future Me

Today is the day I've been waiting for my whole life. It's my Birthday. I'm rather excited. I'm excited because this is the year I've been waiting for my whole life. I've always known this year would be grand. And it's definitely shaping up to be, already! So many amazing things ahead, this year, and all of the ones to follow, but this year - this year is going to be so special! I just feel it.

It started off with a loud *BANG* for sure! Friday, my little sister, who was 28 weeks pregnant with twins, had to have an emergency C-Section. The twins were delivered, weighing around 3lb each. They're both stable and Mama is doing great. So, I've been caught up in a whirlwind of hospital stays, shuttling family around, delivering sandwiches and babysitting my little nephew, Q. We've all been so very blessed. Thanks for your thoughts, prayers and birthday wishes, my friends.

Christy

PS- here's a little something I sent to myself (for today) back in 2009, using a cool website called FutureMe.org:



Dear FutureMe,
I'm writing this email to myself on July 12, 2009. Christy, you're 32 today. Happy Birthday! I hope it's a fantastic day full of fun and fun people. Once you're out of the cake coma, it's time to get crackin' if you haven't already. If you're still working at Clorox, single and living in your cute house - you've been there five years! MOVE ON. You can go back to ships now, you can move to Rome, Puerto Rico... wherever. Get out and spread those wings again. You've had enough of the California corporate lifestyle!
;)

#FriFotos Curated Collection: Museums

This week's #FriFotos theme is Museums. I've been to a few of those over the years... Take a look through my photos from my favorite museums all over the world!

 The Grand Staircase at the Hermitage. St. Petersburg, Russia.

 The Acropolis. Athens, Greece. This one may be pushing it --- but the entire thing is a giant museum, right???

Statues at the actual Acropolis Museum in Athens.

One of the coolest museums to tour, ever!
(Or as my friend Jesika calls it, Azkaban!)

The Egyptian Museum, Cairo

 So... This one's a cell phone (illegal) snap... Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Did you know they actually make you check your camera at the front gate? (I've never been so nervous about my camera. Ever.)

 The Louvre. Paris.

 Ellis Island. New York.

 Mt. Nebo museum. Jordan.

Another "illegal" shot - interior of "Netherfield Park" - 
the manor house used in the film Pride & Prejudice. Reading, England. 
Costumes and props from the film.

 Exterior of "Netherfield Park"

 The Carriage House. General Guadalupe Vallejo's Home. Sonoma, California.

 Navy Submarine (turned Museum). San Francisco, California.

 Viking Ship Museum. Oslo, Norway.

And, for le grand finale, my favorite museum on the planet:

 The Vasa Museum in Stockolm, Sweden. The ship is an actual warship that is several hundred years old. It sank in the Stockholm harbor just as it was christened and was only discovered and rescued from the depths in the 1950's.

The Departure Diaries: The Money Talk

The Money Talk

By Christy & Mary of My Life in Scotland

Mary:

Show me the money! We'd all be traveling the world if we were independently wealthy--wouldn't we?  It seems the main problem with moving abroad is not having the funds to do it.  Many people don't even think it's a possibility because of the cost involved. Is this you?

I'm here to tell you that it is possible to realize your dreams. It just takes some preparation, research, and hard work.

How much does it cost to live abroad anyway? Well, that's a tricky questions. Seeing as there are so many different countries with  an ever changing list of needs in those places it is hard to know an exact number today. So, we're going to talk about what I did and what Christy is doing about money. We'll talk about how to figure out what that magic number is.

I married a European. He already had a job in Scotland when I married him. He already had us an apartment {even if it was the smallest flat know to man}.  I did not have a job however. I was awaiting my VISA and did not have the right to work. How were we gonna do it?

We had a very very small wedding. Family only {minus a few friends} and most of our cost involved our tickets to actually get my husband over to marry me then move to Scotland. We had a few thousand dollars in reserve after our wedding expenses. At that time the GBP was worth twice the dollar. I mean, it was great. Except when coming the other way. I was bringing my American dollars and exchanging them for  the Great British Pound. So, I ended up with half the money we actually saved. That's how it works my friends. 

When my husband lived in the USA for 6 months {attending a language school} he did it on $5,000. I'd say that is a steal. You couldn't do that today. But, he was very frugal and wanted that experience and to learn the language. He knew he needed to be careful with his funds and he was. He had a great time and he's fluent in English now! I would say that you'd need upwards of $15,000  {at least} to move abroad. If you have a job when you move that number can be significantly less. 

I'd say it is all about savings. How much do you want it? You also need to think outside the box. Do you have any marketable skills that you can do "freelance" work? I actually was a part of several focus groups when I got to Scotland. They paid me £20 for an hour or two of market research. It was an evening of chatting about experiences or products. It was fun and I found out about them on www.gumtree.com {it's like craig's list}. It got me some cash in my pocket when I couldn't formally work yet. Just start thinking outside the box. 

Here's what Christy is doing:

Christy:
Let's face it, travel ain't cheap.

I'm not a trust fund baby. My blog isn't sponsored. And I'm not a dotcom millionaire.

So just how do I intend to pay for my upcoming world wanderings, you ask?

It's simple, really.

I'm saving.

I set a very aggressive savings goal for myself when I decided to embark upon this journey. And sure, a couple of things have popped up here and there, and I'm a little behind on where I'd LIKE to be with my savings, but overall, I'm making great progress toward my goals.

But the real kicker for my travel savings will be selling my '07 Jeep Wrangler just before I leave. I guess you could look at my car as a great travel investment, because I'll be living off of the proceeds of it's sale when I venture overseas.

Now, the nitty gritty: I expect that spending six months of living in Italy and doing a bit of side-venturing here and there (including walking the Camino de Santiago) will cost upwards of $20,000. And I also expect to have a reserve of at least $5,000 set aside for emergencies and buying my plane ticket home.

Sure, I could travel for twice as long and half as much were I going to S.E. Asia or maybe Mexico. But my interests lie with Italy for this trip.

$20K is no laughing matter, I know. Trust me, I'm well aware. And trust me, I've put quite a lot of consideration into the fact that I could use that money as a down payment on a house, or to pay off a good deal of my student loans. I know. But the bottom line is that travel is very important to me. Period. Thus, this trip.

Now, the figure of $20,000 may be low. Then again, it may be high. The final cost will depend on many, many things, like the cost of the Euro (currently valued against the dollar at a historic low of 1 Euro to $1.264. The fiscal instability in the Eurozone is truly a terrible thing, but for travelers- you just can't beat the low cost of European travel right now - it's great!) or how many travel hacks I can cash in on for flights and accommodations, or how posh I want to live while overseas.

I've set my goal of $20K based on the price of the Euro, the price of researched housing that I've found online, and on reading articles on the same subject by other travelers who have already done something similar to what I'm going to do.

There isn't really a magical number for what my trip is going to cost. I'm not going on a packaged tour (ie: this 14 day tour of the Swiss Alps is $2300...) and I really don't even have a set plan for everywhere I'll end up. I just know Rome and Italy will figure prominently. Beyond that, I'm kind of winging it.

--

Are you planning on moving abroad? Have any questions for Christy or Mary? Leave us a comment!

Sailing Greece: La Isla Bonita

Something magical happened after we slipped our lines and motored out of the Kos harbor...

(No, not THIS something magical)

Nothing.

No phones rang. There was nowhere to go but where the boat was headed. It was just four people, a 50ft sailboat, the sea and the horizon.

Time and nautical miles slipped by and and eventually, between the moments spent nursing my dislocated thumb (yup, I dislocated it five minutes into the sailing trip... story here) and the moments spent wondering what on earth had possibly taken me SO long to get back onto a boat, the world opened up around me and land slipped further and further away. Soon enough, there was nothing around us at all but wind and the Mediterranean-blue sea and it.was.amazing.

After a couple of hours we made our first stop, anchoring off the coast of the first tiny island we came to! I have no clue which island it was. And honestly, it didn't matter. Jumping off the aft end into the sparkling, clear water for the first time was sheer bliss. I mean, hello, dream come true: being able to dive into the Med from the back of your own (for the week) boat and swim over to a deserted cove to catch some sun on an empty beach. Idyllic.

In we go!

We'd been there maybe thirty minutes when this guy showed up. I guess there was plenty of room to share our little piece of heaven...

Later on, boat #3 joined in the party, too. This was to be the pattern of the entire week. These same two boats, and a couple of others formed a makeshift flotilla, island hopping to most of the same places we did. By the end of the week we were sharing meals in the harbors. Good times.

The Departure Lounge: Visas {Part 2}

In case you missed it, catch Visas {Part One}

 

Welcome back to the Departure Lounge!

Today, Mary (of My Life in Scotland) and I will be covering the second half of our Visa discussion. Last week we talked about ways to enter a country, long-term, that we wouldn't/haven't opted to take. This week, I'll discuss my actual plans for entering Italy and Mary will tell us a bit more about her experience with moving to Scotland. She'll also tell us about how her Venezuelan/Portuguese husband was admitted to the US.


So, when I move to Italy, here is what I actually plan on doing things in this order:

-I'll enter the country on a Schengen Visa. 

-Once I'm in Italy, and settled into an apartment, I'll begin the process of securing a more permanent visa.
As an American moving to an EU (European Union) country, who has not secured a job, has no spouse living in the EU (or anywhere else, for that matter) and I am not a student, the options I have left are these: 1. Apply for Italian Citizenship. 2. Obtain a Guest Resident Visa. While I LOVE Italy, citizenship is not something I'm ready for (yet).

So it's the guest resident visa that I'll be going for. Italy is one of a very few countries that allows for this type of visa. Perhaps it's the country's longstanding love affair with arts and artists that make this visa possible. I mean, can you imagine artists not being able to journey to the veritable Mecca of painting, sculpture and architecture that is Italy? Me neither.

The main thing about this visa is that YOU CAN'T WORK. Not Italian jobs. I think there is some leeway when it comes to freelancing or writing, so long as your employer is in your home country. As long as you have enough money to live in Italy without working there, Italy is happy to host you.

So far as I understand it, I'll need to file a bunch of paperwork once I'm in Italy, including a form called a Permesso di Sogiourno.  Along with that form, I'll need to supply the following information: proof of a place to stay, proof of an income to sustain you, medical insurance, (which you can buy, rather inexpensively, if you so desire, from the Post Office. Yes, I said the Post Office.) a letter stating your reason for the move and a document from the police stating that you have never been convicted of a felony. (Information from: http://expatsinitaly.com/node/2)

 

Confusing enough? I'm sure I haven't got everything perfectly right. And I'm really not worried about it. I'll take care of it when it's time to take care of it, that's just how Italy works. Other countries don't operate in the same, laid back manner. Right now, the important thing, for me, is to be aware that there is a process (however confusing it may be) that I will need to participate in. Beyond that, for now, Que Sera, people.

 

 

Let's see what else Mary has to say about her experiences with Visas:

If you're wondering what Visa I have, I am living in Scotland on a Residence Visa. It basically states that because my husband is Portuguese {a member of the European Union} I am eligible to reside where he does. It is good for 5 yrs. I will be able to renew it easily enough for a small fee. Or I can become a dual citizen of Portugal and the USA and have my very own Portuguese passport. 


They quoted me 6 weeks to get my actual Visa. It took 18 months. Yikes! I did receive a letter 2 weeks after I filed that basically said I was good to go and work etc but my actual Visa was not ready yet. That took quite a bit longer. So, be prepared for the red tape.

For those of you whom are not marrying foreigners and would like to live abroad, Christy {The Departure Diaries} and I have a few options for you:

My husband lived in the USA for 6 months on a Student Visa. He attended a language school in Utah. I previously thought Student Visa's were for those in a degree program abroad. It's not! If you want to learn a new language, why not apply for a Student Visa? You're sure to immerse yourself in the language and get more out of it than you would a class at your local college. 

Here are some of the hoops you'll need to jump in order to obtain a Student Visa:

-Apply for the school of your choice. You need to be accepted into your program/class before you can apply for a Student Visa. 

-Once you're accepted, they will send you the documentation to apply for your Student Visa. {approximately 6 months before you travel}

-Get a Sponsor. A sponsor is someone takes full responsibility for the candidate {ie: you}. You can apply without a sponsor but you will need to show that you have enough funds in your bank account to sustain you. This amount is usually far greater than your stay will actually cost. You won't need to live with your sponsor, they are just your "guardian" in a sense. 

-Save, save save!! Save as much money as you can. While you are studying you'll also be travelling around the country. You'll need to make sure you have enough funds. My husband came to the USA in 2001 with $5,000. I'd say that's a steal! You'd need a lot more than that now. But, that was sufficient for him at the time. You probably won't be allowed to work with a student visa. If my husband would have been in a degree program he could have worked his 2nd yr for a few hrs per week. But, if you are planning on just a 6 month stint to learn the language or take a fun class you won't be allowed. Make sure you have the funds to sustain you. 

My husband said it was fairly easy to obtain but the sponsor was the hardest part. He is fluent in English now and his accent is diminishing with each year. He had a great time and learned a lot!!


LD did say that he knew people arriving on a Student Visa, and planned on staying in the USA. Do not do this. If you enter the country on a limited time Visa, make sure you abide by all the rules. If he had overstayed his Visa then, we would have trouble getting him a Visa today now that we're married. You don't want to miss any future opportunities to travel because you broke the law. 

---



That's it for this week in The Departure Lounge. Check in next week for another column of The Departure Lounge!


Are any of you planning on moving abroad? Have questions for Christy or Mary? Leave us a comment!

To do on Kos: Leave

There are a few ways to leave Kos. Airplanes and ferries are the most readily available means of transportation.

If you can swing it, I highly recommend leaving Kos the way I did: By sailboat.

The entire reason I picked Kos as a destination to begin with was that it was the joining place for the sailing tour I'd booked. Now, you can charter your own sailboat most anyplace in the Med and sail yourself around if you're an experienced sailor. If you aren't and still want to sail, you can either hire a boat with a skipper, or do what I did - join a G Adventures tour. (G Adventures in no way sponsored this post or this blog, wouldn't it be nice if they had?)

I have to say, sailing around the Greek Isles on a sailboat is THE way to see Greece. Think about it - Greece is a land of seafaring people, so what better way to see those ancient islands than from the sea?

G Adventures did NOT disappoint. I'm actually thinking of going on their sailing tours in the Maldives and in Indonesia... eventually, because seriously, this sailing tour was THE BEST thing I've ever done while traveling. EVER.


But more on that later.

Back to leaving Kos. The afternoon before leaving I met the skipper of my boat, Robin, and my two boat mates, Kerry and Melanie. We had dinner together, snagged some groceries for the boat and then spent one last night on the island.

This time I didn't sleep in an air conditioned room in a lush bed in a room overlooking the sea. This time, I slept in a teeny-tiny v-berth on a 50ft sailboat meant for two people (I had it all to myself because my charter, meant for ten people, only ended up with four- including skipper). No air conditioning, so it was BAKING hot. No screens on the hatches, so the swarms of mozzies on the island of Kos all feasted on me all night long. No hot water in the standing head (bathroom/shower) because the engine hadn't been run that evening.

And it was no big deal.

All night long, between mosquito bites, I lay in my v-berth, happy as a clam, being rocked to sleep by the sea.

And I felt as though, at long last, I'd come home.

Tour the boat with me, in pictures:

 One of the two bunk rooms...  (NOT where I slept... thankfully!)

 The parlor

 My own, private head. Yup. This little cupboard of convenience is both a toilet and shower... 

 My V-berth. Cozy!

 Melanie and Kerrie, settling in.

 Skipper Robin Kersten (Fantastic Skipper. He runs his own charter company out of the Azores called Similie Sailing. Look him up!)

Ekavi - my home away from home while sailing the Greek Isles

2012 Calendar Project: The Final Product

I just realized that although I took photos of the final, printed calendar, I never posted them! What was I thinking??

So, without further ado, the final calendar project, created by yours truly, with photos taken by moi: