Introducing the Cruisers

I thought it might be helpful to introduce you to the people about whom you'll be reading over the next few weeks.  You know, add a little spice, give you some perspective on the peeps, as it were... So here goes.

We'll start with my niece Jennifer (being the eldest niece, she gets to go first). As you can see, Jenn is a stunning girl, and upon our departure she will be 16.58 years of age. (Jenn is particularly fond of her birthday, and since I'm not quite sure when she starts the countdown to December 7th, I figured I should be as exact as possible.) When she was young, I used to be asked to give her advice and counsel on her hair and clothes. But alas, time has flown, and now the tables are reversed. I'm quite sure that I will be the one asking Jenn for help, especially if it's humid and my hair gets all out of control. Jenn is quite good in school, loves volleyball and music, has oodles of friends (187 on Facebook at last count), and is, at present, fighting with her mother about how much she can pack into one suitcase for this trip. (I'm rooting for ya Jenn.)

Next there's Marjorie - I won't list all her nicknames or

she won't speak to me ever again - suffice it to say that most of us call her Marjie. She just turned 14, and I really wish I had a recent picture of her to post here. (This one is of her and Hazel's daughter Kayla, taken last summer.) Oh well, you'll see them as the trip progresses. This one in particular is a bit old, and she has changed quite dramatically since then! Also a stunner, Marjie is a big hit at school, a synchronized swimming star, and a shop-a-holic I think. (Yay! Shopping is an important socio-economic contributer to the well-being of our nation.) Marjie is already a world traveller, having lived in the UK and travelled to Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, and many places in Europe already. I think that for her packing is just routine at this point, so perhaps she can give Jenn and me some pointers later on!

OK, now to my peeps. Cheryl, or Cher, is one of my BFF's. I will not disclose her age, other than to say she's younger than I am! She is camera-shy, and I have no picture of her that I can post right now - I tried to steal from Facebook, but they were too fuzzy, a fact which I'm sure will make her happy. But I will catch pictures of her on this trip if it kills me! She is a true Maritimer, having grown up in Prince Edward Island, and still returns there once a year for some nurturing of her roots (and watering them with screech perhaps). On this trip I think Cher will play the role of social coordinator - she will know every activity, every game, every show, and every opportunity for fun on the ship at all times. (She will also know the location for every meal, but that's neither here nor there.) Cher is a ball of energy, and everyone will have an amazing time just being near her. It's impossible not to. You just can't fight osmosis.

Cher's daughter Alexis (or Alex, Lexi, or Lex) is about 2 months from her 16th birthday, and Ontario's Ministry of Transportation is already preparing for her to become one of the province's latest drivers. No worries there, Mr. Minister, Lexi is one of the most athletic and coordinated teens I know, and I am quite sure that coordination will serve her well on the roads! Lexi loves music (Loves, with a capital L) and entertainment in general. She is a star on the guitar (ew - didn't mean to rhyme that), dances way better than her Mum, and has a killer sense of humour. I am quite sure that she is NOT fighting with her mother about what to pack, because she's never been about clothes as a label. She just wants to be with her family and her friends and have a good time. And with her around to entertain us, we will all have a great time with her! (Oh, and I had pictures of her from her grade 8 grad, but I lost them all when my MacBook died. Not that Macs crash or anything... Grrr...)

Cher's parents are coming along for the ride too. I don't have pictures of Leo and Betty yet, but I'm sure you'll see them in future posts. I have met them a few times though, and I can tell you that Leo has a mischievous twinkle in his eye, and is a killer card player (must be that maritime influence). And Betty is an oasis of calm - a warm and caring nurse, Betty is just someone you naturally migrate to for good conversation and a big hug. 

Now we have one of my other BFF's, Hazel-Ann Simone. Or Haze. Or Hazy. Or Hazel-Ann if I'm trying to make a point. Which is often. Haze and I have travelled together quite a bit - our first big trip was 3 years ago when we didn't go to Italy. (Don't worry Haze, I won't mention it. Well, not much anyway.) We meant to go to Italy, but we wound up in the UK. Long story, but we had a great time in London, even though it was cold and wet. So the next year we opted for hot and dry, and spent a couple of weeks in Greece, and then last year we continued with the hot and sunny theme, and went on a Carnival cruise of the Med. 

Haze is very good at putting up with my tendency to over-plan (because it fits nicely with her tendency to not plan at all). She enjoys tagging along our pre-planned self-guided tours, and proclaims "Tick!" whenever we finish seeing something the guidebooks say are "must see" spots. In addition to being loads of fun and up for just about anything (she took a scuba lesson in Greece even though she's afraid of water), Haze is the one I rely on to shmooze the locals and find out all the best information. She can talk to anyone, and her smile and charm often got us some of the best inside information.

Hazel's daughter Kayla is a joy to have around. Kayla (or Miss K or Miss Kayla) is a stylin' girl, always in the latest clothes and the best labels. You can't fault her really, as she takes after her Mum. She also has an incredible joie de vive, boundless energy, and a killer laugh. A few days ago she picked up my travel book on Helsinki and was trying to pronounce all the "helpful phrases" at the back of the book - we were all rolling on the floor laughing! In addition to being fashion conscious, Kayla excels at school, tae kwon do and piano, and is really into the music scene. Her Dad is a jazz musician, and clearly she's inherited some of that talent as well.

Rounding out the group are Hazel's mum and cousin, and I'm sorry to say that I don't have pictures of them yet either. I haven't met Hazel's cousin, but I have met her mum, Joyce, several times and she too is one of those people that you gravitate to. I'm told that she packed for the trip several weeks ago - clearly she, at least, is also a planner (yay!), which I can appreciate. Warm, fun, and an AMAZING cook, Joyce is going to be an amazing addition to this motley crew.

And then there's me. As I said already, I'm the planner, and my travel mates are very good to put up with me. I like to read and research and know what to look for when I'm visiting a place, so I have a book on every city, and a pretty good idea of 

what to walk around and see once we get there. I will be the one watching and mentally recording the activities, delighting in the nonsense of my friends and family, going to bed before midnight, finding the best places for tea in each city, and marveling at every single church and museum. I love fashion but I'm not quite as good at it as my peeps, so I rely on them heavily (Cher is my packing assistant and has already made out my list of things to pack). I love music, ice cream, history, traveling, and my family. This trip will combine all those things, so I am delighted and excited.

I hope you enjoy traveling along with us... I will start the countdown on July 3rd with fairly regular posts, as long as technology allows!