Here I Go Again...

Hey there, hi there, ho there (what chu call me?)!  Rehearsals, rehearsals, rehearsals have been in full effect onboard the ms Nieuw Amsterdam since my embarkation on July 6th.  We are just now in the process of putting up our final show, "Garage Band," which we will open tomorrow, the 26th.  It has been a lengthy installation process, but it has been relatively stress-free.  (I throw my hands up in the air, shake them wildly and shout, "Hallelujah!)

We have been given opportunities to get off in a few of the ports that we've visited thus far, including:  Venice, Dubrovnik (Croatia), Istanbul, and Mykonos (Greece).  It has been wonderful to return to these places and to rediscover them with new friends.  It's funny because I still remember all my previous visits to these ports and the people that I shared those times with as clear as yesterday.  Life is truly amazing in that respect.  In a nutshell, I feel incredibly blessed.

As with my previous travels, I will do my best to keep this here blog updated to the best of my ability.  It may become a series of longer entries in which I touch on a variety of subjects, including ports, fun stories, and general "how-am-I's."  I do hope that your schedules permit such lengthy yarns.

Overall, I am in good spirits and in good health.  The installation process has, as I said, been long and oftentimes tiring, but the light is quickly approaching the end of the tunnel.  Focusing solely on the shows and my new responsibilities as the Company Manager for the cast has left me little time to think much of anything else, so now that it's winding down, I find my head to be quite full; like too many goldfish attempting to swim freely in a mason jar.  So please allow me a few weeks to sort through them and I will provide a more in-depth account of my what has been on my heart and in my mind.

The ups and downs of life do not magically stop upon boarding a ship, but I am fortunate to have a comrade floating with me on the high seas that has become my one-stop shop for all things pertaining to the human condition.  The rewards and benisons of this friendship are innumerable and its therapeutic properties invaluable.

Please feel free to write me and provide me with updates on your own lives as often as you wish.  You can provide links to your blogs in the comments below, or send me an e-mail at:  j_kuba@yahoo.com .

But for now, until then, be blessed, beauties!

- Joey -