Land ho!

Ashley Look, Steward

Land ho!

This is Ashley Look, steward here, sneaking a quick blog in on a day of excitement.  The ship is abuzz with all things Fiji. After endless weeks of nothing but heat, the horizon and some birds for distractions, we are now all mesmerized by the lush vegetation of island life.  And let's be for real. It took little more than a hot second for me to see the word "ice" written on a building in the distance.  Others were observing small boats in the bay, and looking through the binoculars at the houses and tress. But me? Nope. Just a one track mind (eye?) for ice!

It's been a hot trip. So hot that my days in the galley are sweat soaked from sunrise to sunset with hardly enough time for my work clothes to dry before putting them back on for another day.  Between, the equator crossings, the squalls, and the endless sanitizing of dishes, both Meredith (Assistant Steward) and I are relieved to have a break from our daily sweat routine. Shore life, however short our stay here may be, offers a change of pace. A brief pause to dry out, catch some rest and if we are lucky, a drink with cold ice.  To you land lubbers; you might insinuate that I'm referring to a cocktail but I am not. I'd be happy with a straight-up, ice water! Water on the rocks? Ooooohhh. Give me those icy rocks!

It's easy to take the little things for granted when I spend too much time on land. The boat reminds me that simple pleasures truly are simple and typically abundant when I take the time to notice. It's finding joy in the little things like showers or right now, the extravagance of clean, dry clothes. But on this day I'm looking forward to embracing the sweet simplicity of little cubes and the sheer delight I know they will bring.

So long for now! My ice quest begins!
Ashley

PS- Big shout-out to Randall.  I think of you constantly!
PSS- Bobby West, if you are reading this, I want you to know my dad is here! He's in all the charts and instruments and the compasses plotting our course. He's hiding in the radar, and lingering in the weather and of course, you'd most definitely find him on the radio. I know he'd want me to tell you hello! So Bula from Fiji!