We have advanced ship time by one hour on 6 of the last 7 nights. I had imagined that one benefit of traveling to Europe by boat would be avoiding the disruptive “jet lag” that accompanies the sudden change of jumping 6 time zones. I have found, however, that losing an hour of sleep virtually every night for the last week is the Chinese Water Torture equivalent of jet lag. Happily, we are now on Continental Europe time and thus in sync for our first landfall that occurs tomorrow on the island of Madeira.

Over the last week we have made the acquaintance of a number of ship’s staff, performers, and of course passengers. A section of the staterooms on our deck are the assigned responsibility of Augistino and Noni, who are both from Indonesia. They are exceptionally friendly, polite, engaging, and yet professional. They surprised me on the morning of my birthday with a cake, bottle of champagne, and a chocolate Easter Bunny. We have found their dedication to our comfort to be an attribute shared by virtually every staff person aboard. The friendliness is genuine and not cloying. Most are willing to share their personal stories when asked, although I sense that our interest may not be typical among passengers.

One evening we engaged one of the dining servers in conversation at the end of dinner. We were among the last of the patrons to leave, so there was the opportunity for a relaxed conversation. She is from the Philippines, married, and the mother of a 3 year old. She is sailing on the first of 3 intended contacts (a “contract” is a 6 month commitment). Talking of her family we quickly sensed the pain of her separation from them. She explained that she was doing this to fund her daughter’s education and that it was better done now when her daughter would not remember her mother’s absence. Her forethought and sacrifice are remarkable.

One of the performers, a very talented singer from New York, spoke briefly with us the day we boarded. He has recalled our names ever since, and expressed a personal interest in our “story”. Perhaps it is because we came to the ship with backpacks, certainly not typical. We exchanged information and he has done us the honor of reading these “Thoughts”. Conversely, I am fascinated to learn vicariously about the experience of cruising through the eyes of a young entertainer. I hope that there is an opportunity for the 3 of us to talk about life from both sides of the mirror.

Among the passengers we have developed a few friendships that beckon deeper exploration. They are folks we would imagine bonding with at home or on the road. People who have engaged life under similar circumstances, have faced similar challenges, and intuitively understand one another.

This is a vessel populated by folk who are seasoned both by travel and years. We are on the younger side of the spectrum, and compared to most we are cruising “newbies”. Our usual style of travel is likely foreign to most. Conversations often begin with the question about how many cruises has one traveled, how many were Viking, and to what destinations. Where one is from, and what one did/does are much farther down the list. Christine has noted with a relaxed smile that it is not necessary to hold one’s stomach in at poolside!

Last night Christine and I enjoyed drinks and the music of the chamber trio in the Atrium. It was day two of my 66th year. I had posted a picture of my toddler self the day before on Facebook and my “Thoughts”. I mused to Chris the question of whether I would recognize myself if I encountered that child in real life. Would we understand each other… like each other. Would I as that child recognize my 66 year old self?… would I like me, understand me… This was a protracted conversation that brooked the occasional distraction of an eavesdropper that I caught out of the corner of my eye. He sat on the other side of narrowly separated twin pillars. My peripheral vision made him out to be an older white haired gentleman. I tried to ignore him as Christine and I embraced our reflections on life. Finally, the man’s continued intrusion overcame my reluctance and I turned to him face on. We shared an immediate expression of shock as it dawned upon both of us that the slender gap between the pillars was a mirror. The rude passenger who would not quit staring at me, was me. We then smiled at each other and agreed, we like each other. I confess that I don’t always understand him.

Peace Everyone. Pete

PS. The Viking Mead Horn is my birthday present from Christine.

There are events in life, seemingly insignificant when they occur, that loom large when examined through the rear-view mirror of destiny. One such event in my life occurred in 1991 as our family prepared to travel by train from Paris to London.

It was our first trip to Europe that included our children. A whirlwind 2 weeks that took us to Italy, France, the Netherlands, and England. Our children ranged in age from 8 to 12 years old. As we waited for the train to depart Paris, a woman approximately our age with a young teenage girl in tow entered the train car. “Are there any English-speaking families aboard?” She had a perfect English accent and after a moment’s hesitation I caught Christine’s eye. Chris nodded her affirmation to my unspoken question. I raised my hand to the woman. “Oh, thank you! Would you mind terribly if my daughter accompanied you to London? Friends will be meeting her there at the station and I had hoped that she would not have to travel alone.” After brief introductions we made Bryony a temporary member of the family.

I recall her to have been 13 or 14, a year or two older than our son Peter. She and the children hit it off immediately. Our journey that day took us to the coast of France where we would board a ferry to cross the Channel. On the English side we were to board another train that would deposit us at Victoria Station in London. It was there that Bryony was to be met by family friends.

Over the course of the trip we learned that Bryony was fluent in 5 languages, a duel citizen of England and France, and had the ambition to be educated in law in both England and France. We were captured by her engaging personality and sense of humor. At the beginning of the journey a train attendant had identified her to be a native. Referencing our children, he had made a remark about the American habit of saying “Have a nice day!”. Later, as he passed through the car she addressed him with a perfectly imitated American accent saying, “Have a Nice Day!” to which our children joined in chorus.

When we arrived at Victoria Station Bryony’s friends were nowhere to be seen. It turned out that there had been a misunderstanding about the time of her arrival. We were not about to leave her there alone, so we enjoyed extending our visit until they came.

That chance encounter with Bryony set in motion a series of events that changed the course of life for our family. We marveled at the impact that even a brief intercultural exchange had on us and our children. Upon our return to the States we began exploring options for hosting an exchange student. That school year we hosted Andre’ from Germany and for each of the 5 years that followed we became “parents” of other children from Europe. Christine and I became representatives for AFS, the international student exchange program. Our children went on to each spend a year living abroad with families; Peter in Spain, Renee’ and Alexis each in France.

In 1993 we returned to Europe and were guests of Bryony’s family in Lille, France. Her parents and brother were every bit as warm and engaging as she was. We have maintained contact with Bryony now for nearly 30 years and we look forward to seeing her during our upcoming journey. It is a marvel how a one-day encounter with a child on a train in France has impacted our lives, the lives of our children, our exchange student children, and so many others, including you who are reading my “Thoughts”.

Peace Everyone! Pete