There and Back Again by D.A.Webb

One of my early aspirations was to hike the Appalachian Trail.  As life progressed it remained a dream never realized.  Eventually age met reality and all hopes vanished. Sometime after 2000 and before YouTube, I stumbled across a young blogger sharing her Appalachian Trail adventures.  The regular posts were filled with stories and images of life on the trail.  It was amazing how they captured the experience and helped fulfill my former ambition.  I truly appreciated hiking along vicariously, but regret never directly expressing my appreciation.  Time to 'Pay it Forward.' So, why blog?  By existing, this blog says "Thank you former bloggers for 'Seizing the Day' and sharing your experiences."  It also encourages followers to be adventurous and perhaps one day join the ranks of content providers.  Thank you all for joining me vicariously on this truly once in a lifetime world cruise.

On October 20, 2021 we received an email announcing Royal Caribbean's Ultimate World Cruise .  After discussing feasibility, the next morning we booked a balcony stateroom. A few days later we received an email stating standby reservations were being accepted as all rooms were now booked. We felt fortunate.  COVID was on the decline and things were moving towards normalcy.  In two years we hoped to be sailing around the world enjoying retirement again.  Two short months later everything turned upside down when cancer entered our lives.  With the help of God, family, friends, prayers and an outstanding medical team things are looking much better.  Life, recovery and cruise planning slowly continues.

The Ultimate World Cruise leaves Miami, Florida Dec 10, 2023 and returns Sep 10, 2024.  During this period, expect frequent updates with additional details and images available ＠  Imagination .  Until then, expect weekly updates covering background information and planning milestones.

Welcome to my memoirs.  Written as a personal diary, this blog chronicles an epic 75,000+ mile voyage traversing a distance equaling three times around the equator in 275 days.  Yes, 275 days at sea in a small 179 square foot cabin aboard Serenade of the Seas. More importantly it is 275 days crossing 7 seas, exploring 7 continents, visiting 60+ countries and 150+ destinations.  It is about exploring the world, it's people, their cultures, customs and culinary delights all with a uniquely retro perspective.  My goal is to capture and share these moments, thoughts and experiences with nothing but old fashioned words and still images.  My hope is you enjoy following along as much as I do sharing.