Music blaring over the loudspeaker. Complete disorientation. Where am I? What time is it? I'm in my cabin. It's 7:15 AM. Oh no, I forgot to set an alarm. I jump out of bed to throw back the curtains, on the morning of the last day on the World Odyssey. Have we already docked? Yes, we have. Darn (or perhaps some other profanity uttered at this moment). I missed being up on deck for our last port - San Diego, in the United States of America! How could that have happened? I awoke early for the ship coming into every other port on our trip - Piraeus, Greece; Civitavecchia, Italy; Livorno, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; Casablanca, Morocco; Dakar, Senegal; Salvador de Bahia, Brazil; Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago; Callou, Peru; Guayaquil, Ecuador; and Puntarenas, Costa Rica. That's right. 11 different ports in 10 countries. And, of course, I was often up on deck for our departures, too. It's so much fun watching all the activity, especially coming into a port just as the sun is rising, with the pilot jumping from the pilot boat to our ship and the movement of all the lines to get us secured on the dock. Yet, here in San Diego, it was raining. Perhaps no wonder I was sleeping. Tears from the sky, much like the tears in all our eyes for the ending of such an amazing voyage. Being in the tropics for many of our ports, the weather was often warm and sunny. Here it was cold and raining. Welcome back to the United States (I've learned not to say America since there are actually many countries within all the Americas - North, Central, and South - that it's a little bit imperious to say "America" as if the United States is the only American country that matters). Very befitting to miss us docking in the last port. Probably just as well. I didn't want to face the cold hard reality that the trip was over. I might have been an emotional wreck up on deck. Yes, in fact, I know I would have been an emotional wreck. Ever since my second open-heart surgery (another story for another day), I often get teary-eyed at the least possible thing (just like John Boehner). It can be from a sappy, romantic movie; watching two young lovers show their affection for each other; hearing some person's sad news about family; etc. It doesn't take much. Is it just that I'm more compassionate towards humanity these days? Perhaps. I don't know. After such a voyage, I know I am more compassionate about humanity. But the heart is a very strange muscle, and how it may have been affected by my surgery of almost ten years ago is a mystery. As it was, getting off the ship that day was very emotional anyway, and there were many times I just wanted to burst into tears. Just like the last few days before coming in to San Diego. Funny how it started raining a few days out. Just like the cloud of gloom hanging over everybody's emotions on the ship. I decided I might as well throw on some clothes and go for a walk around the ship. I missed breakfast since that was served from 5:30 - 7 AM. It was very early because of docking back in the United States and having to clear customs and all that. And, the crew had to prepare for the public healthcare inspection that would take place. Too bad I had decided to stay up late on our last night with a few other lifelong learners and a resident director in the Fritz Pub until almost 3 in the morning. No wonder I was in a deep sleep when the music came over the loudspeaker. "I wake up to the sound of music, Mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be..." Well, hello. Look. Here's somebody who came to greet the ship in our last port. Supposedly, there is no such bird as a sea gull. This was a new one to me. 56 years on this planet, living close to oceans on both coasts, I never knew that you shouldn't call them sea gulls, just gulls. This gull let me come within about two feet from him, allowing me to snap his photo. It reminded me of the wildlife in the Galapagos - how close we were able to get to sea lions, iguanas, birds (like the blue-footed booby - yes, indeed, one of my new favorite birds for how fun it is just to say the name), all kinds of marine life, etc. I guess this gull was used to cruise boats in the harbor. Perhaps the biggest "hard landing" coming back to the States was departing the ship, leaving behind so many good friendships that had developed over the last 100+ days. It was a bit of mayhem that day. Just waiting for the ship to clear. When word finally came over the loudspeaker, "the ship is now clear," everybody erupted into cheers. Many students had parents waiting at the end of the dock and they were anxious to see them and share all their stories. One of my friends, fellow lifelong learner John Shaw, had purchased "first off the ship" at Auction Night for $135. I was on the seventh deck by the forward stairwell, which had a view down to the fifth floor reception area where the gangway was located. Of course, nobody could get off the ship until John made his way off. An announcement then came over the loudspeaker, "John Shaw, please make your way to the fifth deck to disembark the ship." Crowds of people were huddled around the stairs, probably all the way up to the ninth deck, down to the fifth deck. Then, all of a sudden, a commotion arose with people applauding and cheering and saying John's name. He was slowly making his way down the stairs from above, passing us on the seventh deck, winding his way down to five. All the while, people kept cheering and chanting, "John Shaw, John Shaw, John Shaw." I never saw him again after I got off the ship. He told me later how this was all part of a plan - "make yourself memorable" - and sure enough, the memory of him descending the stairs, wearing a black fedora on his head, with people cheering and calling his name, will forever be seared in my memory. My flight wasn't until 5 PM and one of the other lifelong learners had invited me to have lunch with her at her hotel, where I could store my bags. I couldn't find her after we got of the ship. The process was surprisingly simple - the faculty, staff, and lifelong learners were part of the second group disembarking. Our bags had been sorted and stored in the big warehouse beside the World Odyssey. After I found my two bags, I made my way down to the end of the dock. I passed through security and saw various folks milling about, parents and friends greeting students with signs, and other adult passengers waiting for their rides. I was back on US soil, through customs and off the ship for good all before 11:30 in the morning! That was too fast. After all, I had only awakened 4 hours before. I decided I might as well just head to the airport and see if I could catch an earlier flight. After all, I was anxious to get home to see my loved ones, too. I made my final goodbyes with the few folks around and found a taxi that would take me with all my bags the short distance to the airport. I noticed the driver didn't put on the meter, but that didn't seem to bother me. He was chatting it up - in English! - the whole way to the airport. And when I got there, he helped me get my bags out. I asked him how much, and he said $20. I didn't complain. It had taken us extra time due to traffic, and he was nice. I handed him a $20 bill, figuring the tip was already included since I knew he was slightly overcharging me for the ride as it was. Besides, I didn't want to have to dig out any singles either. Much easier to hand him that one bill. All was good. I was in the country where traveling didn't present the same sort of challenges from the places I had been over the last 104 days. Since this was the "trip of a life-time," I decided early on to do it up right. After all, it was one of my dad's favorite sayings that, "it only costs a little more to travel first class." I found this to be true, booking a ticket about 6 months in advance, only from San Diego to San Francisco. Thus, I had my first-class ticket working for me. I walked up to the counter and talked with the agent about being on the 5 o'clock flight, but wondering if there was a possibility to get me out sooner. Perhaps the look in my eye told her how much I would love to be able to get home earlier. After all, it was December 22nd, and the holidays were upon us soon. She checked, with a lot of typing on the computer, and then told me she was able to get me on the 3:10 flight, and that she could get me on standby for the 1:25 flight, if I didn't mind not being in first class. Wouldn't that be great!?! That was fine by me, if I could get home several hours earlier. I checked my two heavy bags and proceeded through security. Everything seemed so much easier here in the States. After security, I found a sandwich shop, grabbed some lunch and walked out to gate 41 to see if I was lucky enough to have my name called for the 1:25 flight. There was a lot of commotion around the gate, with lots of people milling around. It appeared it would be a full flight. I didn't hold up too much hope. After all, I was already booked on an earlier flight at 3:10. This 1:25 flight was running a little late but then they started boarding everybody. After almost all the passengers had boarded, they made the announcement that all the overhead luggage was full and they would need to check any bags that didn't fit under the seat in front. This was probably just as well since I had a large back-pack. But, I was still waiting to hear if they called my name. I decided to pull my computer out and put it in a smaller bag I had with me, along with other stuff that I didn't want checked, in case I made this flight. As I was doing this, all of the sudden I heard my name called. Sure enough, they had gotten me on. I knew I wasn't going to be in first class but I just hoped I didn't have a middle seat - even though it's a short flight. I took my back-pack off for them to ticket it and then I checked in and proceeded to board the flight. At the end of the gangway were all the other bags that had been gate-checked, ready to be loaded on the plane. I left my bag with them and proceeded to get on the aircraft. As I looked at the rows, I realized I was in the first row behind first class on this A320 plane, which meant I had extra leg room plus there was still the ability to put my bag under the seat in front. And, I had the window seat! As soon as I settled in, I suddenly noticed that my leather wristband was missing. I was sad for a moment as I reflected on all the places this had been with me - starting at Burning Man in Black Rock City, Nevada. From there, it went to all those various countries around the world I had visited. I realized there was no way to get it back. I was on the plane and could not get off. Clearly it had fallen off my wrist when I had either taken my back-pack off, or put it on again... or when I took my back-pack off again. Some lucky soul would find this band on the floor, somewhere either near the gate or on the gangway. They would have no clue where it had been (such as piloting a boat off the island of Capri, as in this picture). It was a relic I had hoped to keep as a memory of my journey. Its absence was not a big deal in the overall scheme of things. Like my children would say, "first world problem." I actually chuckled a little and thought to myself, how appropriate. Welcome back to the States. The trip is now officially over! Except that it wasn't completely. The view out my window was amazing and I spent the whole plane ride looking out the window and reflecting on everything that had happened over the last 3 1/2 months. As we took off, we climbed above the clouds and eventually wound our way up the coast, getting ahead of the storm system that had caused all the rain the last few days. The channel islands were vivid off the coast. As was the basin of Monterey Bay. The Pacific Ocean seemed so calm and serene. I took a couple (more!) pictures. Despite not having my leather wrist-band, I knew nobody could take away all that I had experienced on this voyage. And what a joyous ending to see the coastline of my home state of California with the Pacific Ocean stretching off as far as the eye could see to the horizon.
1 Comment
Margarita Lenk
1/15/2017 09:23:07 am
What a beautiful posting, Conrad! Tears from the sky were like tears from my eyes that day we docked in San Diego, and yes, we missed you on the deck as we came into port! So sorry to hear about your bracelet, and glad to hear that you got home earlier!
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CONRAD B. HERRMANN
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