As I was once again walking up the beautiful winding street leading up from the piers to the silghtly less than 150 steps up to the center of Sorrento, Italy, I overheard someone else say...

"We have one more cruise, after this, then we start the crossing..."

And I realized it is true. In less than a month I will say farewell to the ship and cast, I'll head home.

We have all discussed this, at some points, that we'll be sad to depart from everyone but not so sad that it will not be an overjoyous moment when we're finally free to see family, friends, and home again.

So many little things I need to do... go to a big ENGLISH LANGUAGE bookstore... eat at about fifty different restaurants... see movie upon movie...

Today Sorrento, then a few days mor this cruise hitting Kusadasi and Greece and whatnot again. We've only one new place left to see - Crete. That'll be something. Kusadasi is great.

Then a cruise - the "one more" - winding a week from Athens to Monte Carlo. Then about five days in the Med, a few stops in Africa, and we cross the Atlantic back to Ft. Lauderdale.

We don't leave the ship then - two days later in Key West.

I remember getting on the ship and looking to the old cast thinking "they all seem so very ready to leave, to get out of here... I hope we aren't that way."

You know, it has nothing to do with being happy or sad or bitter or content. It has everything to do with wanting to be home and with friends and family and familiar things. Travel is brilliant, lovely, and I hope to continue.

Everyone needs a break, though.

I bought my laptop, by the way. An amazing deal at Tiger Direct on a Gateway 7426GX.

It will await my return...