The End

            I am writing this post in my bedroom. My very own bedroom that I have all to myself. It seems so spacious and private after living in my bunk, dubbed the ‘Sarcophagus’ for so long. Being back in a house is so different and so luxurious when compared to White Seal. I’m really enjoying it.

            So as promised, here is a grand list summarizing the high points of the trip:

Top Five Big Cities:

1.) New York City

2.) Charleston, SC

3.) Washington, DC

4.)  Savannah, GA

5.)  Beaufort, SC

Top Five Lesser Known Wonders of the East Coast:

1.) Cumberland Island, GA

2.) Jekyll Island, GA

3.) All of the small towns on the Chesapeake Bay, such as Solomons, MD

4.) The Dismal Swamp, VA & NC

5.) The Alligator River and the Pungo River in NC

Top Eight Bahamian Towns (because I can’t narrow it down to five):

1.)  Rock Sound, Eleuthera

2.)  Black Point, Exuma

3.)  Orange Creek, Cat Island

4.)  Green Turtle, Abaco

5.)  Salt Pond, Long Island

6.)  Alice Town, Bimini

7.)  Spanish Wells

8.)  Hopetown, Abaco

Top Five Uninhabited Bahamian Islands:

1.)  Shroud Cay, Exuma

2.)  Cambridge Cay, Exuma

3.)  Warderick Wells, Exuma

4.)  Allan’s Cay, Exuma

5.)  Sandy Cay, Abaco (for it’s astounding reefs)

Top Five Most Memorable Cultural Events:

1.)  Junkanoo on New Year’s in Nassau

2.)  Attending a public high school in Rock Sound, Eleuthera

3.)  Going to a ‘jam fest’ in Black Point, Exuma at Lorraine’s Cafe

4.)  Seeing Priscilla on Broadway in New York

5.)  The giant ‘Cruiser’s Thanksgiving’ in St. Mary’s, Georgia

Five Things I’ll Miss:

1.)  Seeing beautiful new places every day

2.)  Being separate from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the world

3.)  Meeting really interesting people

4.)  Not really having to stick to s schedule

5.)  The peaceful simplicity of it all

Five Things I won’t Miss:

1.)  Yup, you guessed it: the lack of showers

2.)  The crusty feeling of a salty pair of cut-offs that haven’t been washed recently

3.)  The lack of a fridge and the tasty food that comes with it

4.)  The daily concussion I gave myself every morning when I sat up in my bunk and smashed by skull against the ceiling.

5.)  The constant state of being in one another’s way

Some Unusual Stats For Those Of You That Like Numbers:

Number of days gone: 267 (let's hope my quick calculation is correct...)

Number of pictures taken: 7, 985

Lowest temperature: 27 degrees Fahrenheit. (In Florida...)

Number of states visited: 10

Number of consecutive days I went without a real shower in the Bahamas: 56 (I am so embarrassed.)

Highest wind: 67 mph (Bimini, the day after Christmas)

Number of sand dollars collected: 13

Number of sand dollars that are still intact: 6

Number of jars of peanut butter we bought before going to the Bahamas: 24

Number of pairs of jeans that survived the trip without getting hopelessly corroded zippers: 0

     I’d like to think that I have grown as a person on this trip. I mean it’s probably inevitable when you experience so much and travel to new places. Cruising was a wonderful experience and I’d recommend that all of you consider what I’ve done and try to incorporate travel into your lives. (Sorry, I really do hate to sound preachy…) Even if it’s not by boat, get out there and explore the world around you. It’s pretty big. It’s got something for everyone.

     Mark Twain really hit the nail on the head when he said, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by those that you did.” Maybe my past nine months was a crazy, irresponsible trip. It sure wasn’t the financially responsible thing to do. But hey- it’s been one heck of a fun time, and I’ll cherish the memories from my time on White Seal forever and ever.

     Well folks, that’s about all I’ve got for you. It’s back to an un-blog-worthy life for me. This blog has been very fun to write and I hope that everyone enjoyed it. I appreciate everyone that wrote in with comments and suggestions; they were all great.

-Mary

P.S. By the way, I’m very sorry about the title of this blog, it was major false advertising on my part. ‘Mary’s Year of Sailing’ is actually only a meager nine months, but it was just easier to call it a year. I hope no one feels too cheated.

The 'rents anxiously awaiting the opening of Lock 12, the last of the locks.

That's the Champlain Bridge in the background!

:)

THE END.