Sailing

Got my crew handbook and instructions for joining the ship in Lisbon through today. Also lots of info on the ship, shipboard routine, and general info about the voyage.

'Sailing down the Portuguese coast we may anchor off the Algarve beaches or colourful Portuguese fishing villages and wide river mouths. The port of Cadiz juts out into the bay, and claims to be Europe's oldest city founded by the Phoenicians in 1100BC. Cadiz was Spain's first capital, and an important centre of world seapower for the Portuguese and sacked by Francis Drake in 1587... the sailing grounds off Portugal are rich in fish and sea life so a great place for spotting dolphins...'

Can't wait!

This tall ship thing

I might hate it (although I don't think so). But I might. So I'm trying (pretty unsuccessfully, I might add!) not to get too excited about going, even though it's waking me up in the middle of the night at the moment.

What I figure is this: even if I do hate it, I'll have done it. I'll know what it feels like. I'll have been out there, up in that rigging, whatever, another big experience to add to the sum of my life.

I'll probably love it. I love the sea, love being active and doing, I'm not fazed by getting wet or uncomfortable or knackered. I hope I love it. I want to love it.

This trip is for me. Not for mommy-me, or work-me, but for the essential bit-right-in-the-middle of me. The me that needs to have adventures and challenge myself, be a doer not a spectator. Love it or hate it, it's just what I need right now.

Does this sound like pretentious twaddle? If so, I apologize, but it really is how I feel about this.