May 20, 2024
My To Do List! Time is ticking!
I am slightly prepared, due to all I already did in anticipation of sailing with Life at Sea, last November. I repacked & shipped 3 small bags via UPS filled with my dry goods, creature comforts, sports equipment, games, some shoes and weather gear to a shipping container, in Florida, that VVR is provided and is transporting to Belfast for us, back in March. I bought my airline ticket to London Heathrow and have since rebooked to Dublin, Ireland, where I will first spend time visiting family in County Mayo and Cork, before heading up to Belfast to meet the rest of the passengers.
I sold my car, closed my ez-pass account and parking, and cancel my auto insurance. I've been to the dentist and eye doctors, had my yearly mammogram and colon test, seen both my primary and endocrinologist doctors, got my latest Covid booster, vaccines and immunizations for yellow fever, typhoid, Hep A & B, influenza, pneumonia, Tdap, RSV, Shingrix and an update tetanus. I also got several prescriptions filled for sea sickness, anti malaria pills and other remedies for common ailments that may come up during 3 plus years of travel.
I have also reviewed my Will and POA and made sure my financial assets are all accessible to my family, with all the necessary paperwork in place and automatic payments that I have set up. My Employer is in the loop, as are my Clients and Vendors, who are allowing me to continue to serve them and take their business on the trip with me. I will see if I can truly continue to make things work, whatever time zone I’m in.
One of the most time-consuming tasks has been getting my healthcare (primary and secondary levels) in place. I’m currently on COBRA and then may go to marketplace for primary and I’ve secured a secondary policy for out of country. Biggest question is how will I get my prescription drugs (I’m a type 2 diabetic). I'm planning on taking a large supply with me and trying for mail service for balance, or friends couriering when they visit! The tricky part is the medication needs to be refrigerated, typically done with ice packs for 1 to 2 day post. The ships’ medical team Vikand is also stocking and helping to get certain medications and testing we have all requested. My doctors have been supportive and confident we can work out the details. Fingers crossed! I am also buying a travel emergency and interruption insurance policy.
Speaking of visitors, one of my favorite elements of this adventure is the VVR friends and family (F&F) policy. They don’t want us to get homesick so there are 35 FREE cabins for F&F to use on a first ask basis. F&F can visit for up to 2 weeks and only pay $33/day/person for their meals, alcohol and port fees. It’s a true bargain! And I am hoping many of my F&F take advantage of signing up. So far I have 3 approved and 3 more pending!
I have set my phone to the military time option and am trying to train myself to know the pm hours by heart, before boarding, as all communication is done in 24-hour time. I am still trying to squeeze in lots of time with friends and family, especially the young ones, who grow and change so quickly! All the while clearing out my refrigerator, freezer and pantry and packing my 3 checked bags and one carry on bag. Right now, my to do list is down to roughly 4 items, and everything seems to be falling into place.
Today, I braved the heat ( it's a blazing 84) to walk around a little bit and get the feel for life on Tioman Island, Malaysia . The Village of Tekek is where we tender to and this is where the Ferry , the Island's National Secondary School, Health Clinic and Airport (really just a strip) are located. The most notable feature is the Rainbow Bridge over the inlet.
Fun day in the waters of Tioman Island, Malaysia snorkeling with friends. Life is good! It was nothing fancy, a boat & captain, who spoke minimal English and barely interacted with us, for roughly 7 hours. We started the outing spotting a group of dolphins and was quickly at anchor drop 1 of 6. The distances between the 6 snorkel spots was minimal, which gave us lots of time in the water (at least 45 minutes, at each spot) with an added stop for a lunch break at local restaurants. Even the restaurants were fast and efficient, definitely used to catering to the boat crowd.
Wishing everyone a Happy 4th of July! Here on the Odyssey we celebrated in the SE Asia Sea on our way to Tioman Island, Malaysia . We have such a talented and dedicated group of residents here, they put together a fun hour of things to celebrate and embrace a lot of what we collectively love about the USA. Even our residents from other countries - Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany , etc. joined in the fun! ( I lent my flag below for decorations)