I"M BACK and WE ARE OFF!!!

Hi everyone~

You thought I fell off the ship, huh? Well, no, it has just been a CRAZY 14 days since I last wrote..beginning with packing, last minute details, a trip to home to celebrate Sydney's 4th birthday, renting a car, loading ALL of my stuff and driving to San Diego, a week of day and night training with no email access and then sailing! PHEW!!! I am exhausted, but loving every minute of it so far! It was great to see the ISE staff again, especially a new one named Melissa Holland who was here for our send off-what a treat! And then to have Shaun Travers come help us out with the parent reception was an extra bonus! (both I sailed with in Fall 2000!)
We are on our second day of sailing and although my position is challenging and long hours so far, I can see that I am going to enjoy it alot!

I started my first Captain's meeting this morning, which was at 0830 with coffee and croissants! The day was again a set of meetings, the Dean's memo (a daily newsbrief of sorts that comes from our office), more meetings, meals thrown in there somewhere, starting with an early morning workout in the gym-YES, indeed, I have worked out ever since I got on the ship! Between walking and doing my aerobic workout, things should be looking mighty better after 100 days...Dru, I will have you know that I am averaging 8000 steps a day, without the pedometer always working!

Well, honestly, I just wanted to get a quick note out to let my friends know that I am alive and kicking it on the ship...I will put up pictures of us shoving off with the ISE staff waiving us farewell tomorrow morning as I forgot to bring my camera to the office tonight-plus 11pm and I am beat! Time to hit the pillow!

More tomorrow!
love, ro