The Journey Begins . . .

. . . at least for our luggage.

Luggage we're sending on ahead
Luggage we’re sending on ahead

The cruise line has contracted a firm that will take our luggage today and deliver it directly to the cruise ship. We’re told that it will be waiting for us in our stateroom when we board!

Packing for this six-month cruise has been an ordeal: what to wear for all the different environments we’ll be facing, the different outings. Mary has been fussing over what clothes to wear, I over what art supplies to bring along. We each had an allotment of two bags or boxes of standard size to send ahead, each to weigh no more than 50 lbs. Mary packed two pieces of luggage; I opted for a sturdy cardboard carton from wine.com for my art supplies (mostly the paper), topped with some cold-weather gear, and a large duffel.

We will meet up with it again on January 15, when we board the ship.