Pre-Trip Comments

Carolina’s Notes (and Jimi)

On September 17th Jimi, Sarah, John, Zoe, John, Sue, and I will be headed from Philadelphia to Barcelona to embark on a seven day cruise that will take us to Monte Carlo, Florence, Rome, Naples, and Palma. This will be the second time we have all traveled together. The first time was a weekend in Detroit; if we could make it there, we can make it anywhere! My general observations are as follows:

-This will be my first time traveling with an infant. Although Zoe is the only child I actually like, it still scares me. I recommended dosing her with heavy sleeping pills. Apparently, this is inappropriate.

-I am very grateful that Greece has brought the Euro down substantially! It will be a pleasure only paying $3 for a Coke instead of $5!

-I have never been on a cruise so massive; I am accustomed to taking smaller liners. I look forward to assessing their differences good and bad (being carted around like cattle but enjoying 8 different restaurants; it’s a toss up).

-Every time I am in Italy I gain at least 5 pounds because it is my duty to eat their amazing food. I will attempt to not gain over 5 pounds. In conjunction with this topic, I plan on having a daily update on what the Skellys have spilled on their shirts. They have an absolute gift of somehow always getting food on their shirts.

So, our journey shortly begins. I have not flown coach class to Europe since high school because I have had the luck of either a- guilting my Dad into business class or b- using a combination of miles earned/points earned from credit cards. Jimi flew coach to England this past June and he made the experience sound worse than getting wisdom teeth pulled. I am very concerned that I may shrivel up and actually die sitting in a 2x2 seat for an inexplicably long period of time. My plan was to upgrade at the last minute with wedding money. Well, it is currently the last minute and to my dismay business and first class are full with very long accompanying wait lists; and even if they were not the wedding money has been swallowed up by a monster. So, it is to pass that I fly in coach and if you don’t hear from me in Barcelona on Saturday, assume that I could not withstand the agony and perished.

Sue’s Notes (and John)

My turn.

This trip was Carolina’s idea. It blossomed into more than she (or I) expected. Things have a way of doing that – it’s a good thing.

Gone with the staycations and day trips, we’re doing it up big this year. Why
not, what better time than the present. Little did we know when we booked this
trip it would actually turn out to be Jimi and Carolina’s honeymoon. Such luck –

We are looking forward to 1)the sightseeing
2)eating good food
3)laughing at each other
4)making a memory we will cherish forever and
5)dropping enough food on ourselves to give Carolina something to put in the blog. Oh – one more thing – providing Zoe an adventure she will never forget.

Can’t wait till we leave.

Sarah’s Notes

I am excited to go on this trip. I remember the last family cruise we went on and it was great. I got to spend time with my family and my best friend in Orlando. Carolina was not around back then; but I am glad she is now. She lights up Jimi’s life. The only mini-trip we have taken was to Michigan, when I ran a marathon 10 months after I gave birth to Zoe. We didn’t get a chance to spend too much time together then though. I am looking forward to getting to know her better and not just spending an hour at dinner here or there.

I am also excited that my daughter will be able to experience things I never experienced at her age. I think she is super excited to go. I cannot wait to see her face when she can finally see all of the things we have been talking about. With that being said, I need to go pack. Traveling with a toddler makes one crazy. At least she is partially potty trained and we won’t have to haul a whole box of Pampers with us like we did in Michigan.

John’s Notes

As a young boy my summers were nothing more than frolicking around my grandparent’s tobacco farm. I would adventure through the fields often imagining I was in a different world with different people and different thoughts.

Today I find myself a grown man, this is still suspect, with a family, a home, and all the stresses of life. But what I once would only imagine as a child I now have the chance to experience. I’m excited about the trip, there’s no doubt. I am grateful for the opportunity and look forward to the challenge it brings. I have studied numerous Youtube videos of jumping into water at extreme heights (this in reference to me being forced to jump overboard for certain reasons). I have been joking with co-workers that this could be a sequel to National Lampoons European Vacation.

My expectations for this trip are high. I can’t wait to touch, taste, and smell each of the ports we visit. I can’t wait to stare at landmarks in awe and wonder how normal people have the ability to do such special things. I also will embrace the opportunity to turn my phone off and not worry about work, perhaps sleep in a little, and laugh as much as I possibly can. I will compare myself to a dry sponge and hopefully I will come home sopping wet. I can’t wait to eat bad food, indulge in too much desert, and to form a tighter bond with my family.

Zoe’s Notes

Can’t write, but boy she can tell you about the entire trip and what there is to do on the boat…..but if she could write it may be something like this…

Dear Trip,

I can’t wait for you to come. I really can’t wait for you to get here so my mom and dad will stop saying “if you aren’t good you’re not going on the trip”. I can’t wait to hang in the Kids Café and swim in the pool. Trip, I’m really excited to meet you and your friend Italy. See you soon.

Zoe