Sweet Dreams Are Made of These

from Gemma:

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Well, finally all the business has been taken care of! It’s a shame I couldn’t just stay where I was in New York last week and disembark from there with everyone
else, but this decision was so last-minute that I needed to return to Chicago and get my affairs in order. My roommate will take care of my rabbit, and his godmother, my friend Tyromaven, will help out when Gaby can’t. I fear he’ll know them better than he knows me by the time I return, which is incredibly sad, but a seasick rabbit is just not the way to go. I’m unemployed, which makes scheduling easy—though I did have to give up a few freelance moneymaking opportunities to take this trip—and since we’ll have internet access on the ship, I may even sublet my room for a month or two. Assuming the guest doesn’t mind the mess. And I think I will bring my computer, and
do some of the writing I’ve been planning on, as well as continuing to update href="http://parsleycoveredtext.blogspot.com/">my regular blog.

I’m meeting everyone in Ft. Lauderdale tomorrow—I fly down tonight to pay a quick visit to my aunt and grandmother, and my Aunt Jan will drive me to Ft. Lauderdale tomorrow afternoon. Shame I can’t stay there longer, but hey, adventure calls.

I’ve been on a cruise once before, in Alaska et environs—it was my grandmother’s birthday present to my mother when I was in high school, the last time I can recall my grandmother leaving Miami. I loved Alaska, but I must admit that the boat part was a bit anticlimactic. But I have a goal of hitting at least six continents before I turn thirty, and this exciting, elaborate cruise will certainly bring me two continents closer to my goal—South America still being left out, but I have five more years. And traveling with a group of friends will certainly make for better
shipboard adventures.

Not to mention that I adore packing for black-tie. It will leave me with perhaps more baggage than necessary, since I’m packing some of my biggest, most outrageous and most elaborate outfits, but you only live once as far as I know. I want to maintain a sense of formality but still shock the shipboard denizens in some way. Because I’m a HUGE honking dork, I’m going to list a few of my favorite articles
of clothing that I’m bringing along, items I rarely have a chance to wear:

1) The ball gown I created for Tyromaven’s birthday (by “created,” I mean, altered”), a black velvet strapless gown with a huge full skirt that laces up the back in red. (I made it lace up the back, rather than zip.)
2) A short black vintage slipdress with elaborate black-and-silver beading.
3) The floor-length maroon velvet gown I got at a Brooklyn tag sale for a dollar.
4) The magenta dress my sister brought me from China.
5) The “widow dress,” my costume from a high school production of The Taming of the Shrew, set in 1950s Mafioso Italy (I hope it still fits!)

Plus several others, and countless hats, scarves, shoes, gloves, and other interesting outfits. Okay, not countless, but I don’t feel like counting. But I
can’t claim the thought of startling the stuffier QEII passengers isn’t somewhat exciting.

Other exciting things: I don’t doubt Tali and Bea are the youngest passengers on the cruise and the most primed for adventure, and I am very excited to be traveling with children. Sumara, whenever you and Noel want some alone time, I will be more than happy to hang out with your girls!

Off to finish packing and buy a few delicious treats for Nolan before I go, then. I really do wish I could take him with me!