Voyage Day!

Final countdown

Two days and six hours until we leave.

We managed to get almost everything in over the weekend that we wanted to do, including brunch with some of my old friends and checking out the new beer bar in TC, Seven Monks. It's a super cool place and got us thinking... but more on that much, much later. At any rate, the beer was fabulous, the service was wonderful and we had a really great time.

Now it's back to reality. Two more shifts at work. Two more full days. It feels like the to-do list is getting no shorter--I keep thinking of things to add to it before we leave. But it will all get done.

Starting to get really, really, really excited. It's real. It's happening.

Yeah, this

Seven days...

...and I am feeling strong, feeling calm, and getting excited.

And I have to start packing.

Yesterday a couple of things got taken care of; we got clothing donations done and dry cleaning dropped off. Once I get paid Friday, we're going to do some last-minute shopping (who knew that Sears carries FCUK? Not me, until last night) and then head up north. I'm so excited to see the autumn colors and my parents, and most especially, to go here. Mawby does traditional-method sparkling wines, and they do it incredibly well. We really enjoyed the atmosphere and the snacks last time we were there, and now that it's harvest season it should be even better. We're going to buy a bunch of wine to take with us on the trip, for thank-you presents and the like.

Also going to go here (conveniently located across the street from my mom's house) so I can bring gifts of goodwill to boyfriend's parents. Never a bad idea to suck up, right?

Five shifts to go. Seven days. And, as he pointed out last night, three vacations before we even get to where we're going: a day in New York, then the ship, and then a long weekend in London before we get to Yorkshire.

FAQ

So, how did this whole idea come to pass?

When my boyfriend and I first started dating (and I mean, within a couple of days; probably a day or so after we decided he would move in and yeah, we did move fast, but so?) I asked him how often he got home to see his family and friends in England. He said he usually went home over the holidays, and maybe we should plan for that this year.

I got excited. A trip to England over Christmas? That would be just... perfect.

Then how did you figure out October? And a boat?

That's a bit trickier. We were standing in the kitchen talking about costs and scheduling and the like, and suddenly he stopped and said, "Or we could just take the Queen Mary 2 in October?"

That night, we figured out that an eastbound passage was leaving New York on October 7. Conveniently, I'll be turning 30 on October 9. That sealed it. We were going.

But wait. Isn't that ridiculously, stupidly expensive?

Less than you'd think. In fact, round-trip airfare from Detroit to Manchester in December is even a little bit more than we're paying for passage--and we're avoiding jet lag in the process. And getting to dress up for five formal nights. And celebrating my birthday. And eating all the things.

Are you two getting married/getting engaged/moving to England?

No, is the short answer. We'll be back at the end of October, and though we're certainly talking about those first two things, they're not in the immediate (read: next year, at least) future.

How excited are you?

ALL THE EXCITEMENT IS ME.

Not the FAQ yet

Because! When I got home, the restaurant we picked for Saturday night's dinner had risen from #3 to #2 on TripAdvisor's London rankings, coming in second only to Petrus, Gordon Ramsay's two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Knightsbridge. And, well, if we'd already made dinner plans for the second-best restaurant in London, why not the top one as well?

So we're going to Petrus for lunch on the day we arrive in London, then heading to the theatre for a night of Shakespeare.

I am beside myself. How is this my life??

11 days

Lots done over the last 24 hours: camera purchased, London hotel booked, tickets for The Tempest purchased, dinner reservations made. I've decided to run in an 8k tomorrow (clearly showing signs of strain, as this is pretty insane), so tonight will be a pretty quiet evening around the house; we probably enjoyed ourselves a little too much last night and I'm hurting today.

Two weeks from today we'll be on the ship. We'll have left New York behind us and will be doing Interesting Things--for instance, singing in a choir or listening to lectures from the Royal Astronomical Society or (ee!!) taking some drama classes from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Not at all excited about that, obviously.

Next week's going to be a hectic mess of work, packing, and heading up north for some early birthday celebrations with my family--then, once we're back in Lansing, it's going to be upon us.

The next entry: Voyage '11 FAQ.