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My wind up, or wind down, for 2023: I moved across the pond. I'm going to try to make a go of it. I've been thinking about it for a long time. I spent about 4 years in Europe between ages 4 and 13, so it's familiar turf. It had become exhausting weighing the pros and cons of where to consider living in the States. Southern Europe checks more of the boxes for me. I was dragging my feet in getting my act together (more so with administrative stuff than the packing) and restocked frequent flyer tickets I'd use to move with ... twice. About a month or two before, I called Cunard and the lady I spoke with said to put my name on the waiting list because it didn't cost anything to do so. Right around Thanksgiving, I was notified I cleared the waiting list for the upcoming transatlantic crossing of Queen Mary 2, which I've wanted to travel on for a long while. I guess it was meant to be and people I knew told me the crossing would be a good way to de-stress for 7 days. This was the last eastbound crossing of the year of the QM2 - New York (US) to Southampton (UK) in early December. The price was to my liking for an inside cabin and it being "low season." Also, I'd be spending my b-day on the ship. For it being December, the crossing was benign as the North Atlantic was unusually calm. It can be agitated in the winter months and this ship was built as an ocean liner, as opposed to a cruise ship, to handle that. - - - - - Embarkation will occur after check in at the ship terminal in New York, but it's great to take a deep breath and survey this grandiose ocean liner Sailing away, with Governor's Island standing in front of Lower Manhattan ... those of us who could brave the windy evening and wanted to take in the views were either here (Deck 11) or at the very top (Deck 13) The front of the ship, with its bow pointed toward the Verrazano Bridge, meaning letting off the harbor pilot and the transition from New York's harbor into the Atlantic Ocean This was the basic view of the route, with the screen rotating displays of various maps and factual information This is the Grand Lobby at midship, which will mean the purser's office reception area, which will apply to everyone, and some shops and bars you may or may not visit The library, which is excellent and nicely appointed, sits in the forward superstructure and you can look out over the bow toward the sea Sitting in one of the indoor "promenades" that skirt the sides of the 2 main theaters with a cup of tea watching the wake passing by the sides of the ship For it being mid-December on the North Atlantic, these were outstanding conditions This was the main dining room, meaning the bulk of the staterooms were assigned to it and, while anyone could nitpick, most of the meals here ranged from good to excellent, with a few items having fancy haute cuisine names I couldn't decipher and that I passed on There was a theme night or two (I only stuffed one regular dark suit into the luggage) but some people came prepared ... this is someone's get up ... "Mambo Kings?" ... not sure ... and this is up at the late night buffet where all the night owls and characters are to be found This is the indoor pool (one of 4 or 5 on the ship) and its two jacuzzis on Deck 12 just in front of the main funnel Check this out - this is the rearmost pool and some folks are hot tubbing in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean as winter is officially a week or so away This is at the very top of the ship, with a path that wraps around the front of the ship and above the bridge Somewhere between New York and Southampton, with some/most of the 5 pounds I packed on, standing behind the main funnel and in front of the kennels - I think about 20 dogs and 5 cats were along for the ride There was time to have breakfast and walk around Deck 7, which is the open promenade immediately under the lifeboats ... it looks like they're driving on the wrong side of the road, which means this is Southampton (UK) and it's time to disembark - - - - - I will be staying in Turin (yes, that Torino, home of FIAT and some other famous Italian automakers) before heading south toward the country's south - where the palm trees are - fairly early in the new year. It has been a weird year for me, many of us here, and other people I know. So, best wishes for 2024 to my friends on C&G.

Enjoying the week off...pretty quiet. Unusual late December weather for NE Ohio, was 60 on Christmas. Took the Mustang out for a spin on some of the nice back roads close by. Then soaked in the hot tub for a while. (Big meal was Christmas Eve, my sister and I went to a great local steakhouse for a big dinner, champagne, wine, etc).