Wow, I cannot believe we're already halfway done with our Legacy Genealogy Cruise and this is the first time I've posted
here. Two explanations – we're having too much fun and the Internet speed on a cruise ship doesn't really exist. Below is a
compilation of my journal entries for the first week or so. Wish you were all with us, but we're having the time of our
lives.
September 25, 2013
Back home, by 9:15am each morning I have showered, finished breakfast, checked the headlines and a few emails, helped get
the kids ready for school, taken them to school, studied, and have planned my work day. At 9:15am today, as I lie in my bed
on the Celebrity Millennium on day 3 of our cruise, I started to feel guilty for sleeping in so long. That guilt did not
last long as I remembered my cruise slogan, “because I can.”
We have had a terrific start to our 10th annual Legacy Genealogy Cruise. I fear to check the scales as I’ve already eaten
enough for the entire week. Along with nearly 300 other friends and genealogists in our group, we’ve enjoyed getting to know
each other and learning from our speakers. Megan Smolenyak, Karen Clifford, Barbara Renick, Dave Berdan, and myself taught
day one’s classes. To accommodate our large group, the ship moved our classes to the lounge in the front of the ship, which
had a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean and a large skylight – a beautiful location for nearly any event. The skylight’s
sunshine proved too much, however, for the projector during my 11am class, “What’s New in Legacy 8” so I cancelled it and we
moved everyone into the conference rooms downstairs. After lunch we resumed and I got to show off the new features in Legacy
that we’ve worked on for so long. Lots of “ooos” “aahhhs” and “applause”! You will all get to see it in action before too
long.
Yesterday we enjoyed the day in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. My wife and I boarded a catamaran and toured the beautiful ocean
rocks, watched the sea life, and sipped cold pineapple juice. Rough life, eh? We then toured the peninsula and took lots of
pictures. On the way back I realized I left my cash and credit cards on the ship, which was probably a good thing, but I
really wanted to try some authentic Mexican tacos. I hope to get my chance today in Puerto Vallarta, where we will arrive in
a couple of hours.
September 26, 2013
We’re getting to that part of the cruise where it is difficult to identify the correct day of the week. Alas, it is Thursday
at 8:55am, and as I type this, I am sitting in my room’s balcony watching the waves of the Pacific rush past me – in the
middle of a torrential downpour. A bright flash of lightening just struck, the loud thunder followed about seven seconds
later. And it is beautiful. I’ve had quiet time this morning to ponder about the state of the world’s genealogy, and about
what I could do to help it progress. I look forward to the future!
Yesterday’s trip to Puerta Vallarta will be difficult to top. Shortly after our arrival we boarded a boat and crossed the
bay for a visit to a private beach getaway. Waterfalls, angelfish, and a delicious buffet welcomed our arrival. I had been
hoping for an authentic Mexican food experience and I got it, topped off with a glass of my now-favorite pineapple juice. We
were then taken on a guided snorkeling tour. I enjoy exploring the water underworld although this morning I wish I would
have remembered sunscreen for my back. We also toured the sub-tropical rain forest, learning about the vegetation and
shaking fingers with the monkeys. We also spent time in the hammocks, listening to soft music and enjoying the sounds of the
waves. Paradise – yes! Could I spend my life there? Probably. I’d have to check into Internet speeds first.
September 29, 2013
I’ve had too much fun these past couple of days to write until now. Thursday was a sea day which meant genealogy classes! I
had the pleasure of speaking in the morning, beginning with our small group and 1-on-1 sessions – I had a blast answering
Legacy questions, and even found a couple of dangling Legacy 8 bugs while doing so. Dave’s been in his room programming
every day, putting on the final touches before our release. After lunch Megan Smolenyak taught her two DNA classes, and we
learned about the story behind her Smolenyak2 name and got new ideas on DNA’s role in our genealogy. What a fascinating
topic and wonderful speaker!
Yesterday we visited the country of Guatamala – somewhere I never imagined I would visit. We decided to take our own tour
instead of booking through the cruise ship’s excursion, and next time we’ll probably stick with the excursion desk. We hoped
to see the old Mayan ruins which our tour guide promised. We did see them, but it was at a museum instead of the real thing.
Oh well – I did see things in Guatamala City that I’ve never seen before. The mountains and rolling hills were amazing, but
the poverty and living conditions were unlike anything I have imagined. The freeways were crowded with so much traffic that
street vendors walked between the lanes of cars selling cotton candy, iPhone chargers, and dried bananas. We stopped at a
park where I ate an authentic tamale and had some roasted corn. That was fun!
Today I’m looking forward to spending more time with our genealogy group as Karen Clifford, Randy Seaver, Steve Salisbury,
and Megan Smolenyak speak to us. I think I might break down today and purchase an hour’s worth of Internet use – I haven’t
read or composed even one email for over a week now. It’s kind of refreshing, but I’m also wondering what’s going on back
home.
October 1, 2013
Yesterday in Costa Rica now sits at the top of my cruise favorites. Firstly – what a beautiful country! Only the size of
Virginia, it is home to 4% of the world’s wildlife. And we saw lots of it, beginning with gigantic crocodiles which we
viewed from the safety of our little boat. The river which we navigated was home to 25 crocodiles per mile. Next, my wife
and I saddled up and went on a horseback ride through the jungle. Watching the monkeys in the trees was something I won’t
forget. Something I hope to forget is that my horse was the slowest, and no matter what I tried, he liked hanging out in the
far, far back. I don’t think he understood my English, and I didn’t speak enough Spanish. It was enjoyable nonetheless.
After a buffet of authentic Costa Rican food, we went zip-lining through the rain forest. I’ve been nervous about this
adventure for months as my fear of heights has not yet been conquered. Oh the compromises we make in a marriage. 🙂 It
turned out to be one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences. From the tops of the trees (must have been hundreds of feet
up) we could see everything – rivers, jungles, the ocean, monkeys, and even their beautiful macaws. The platforms upon which
we stood at the tops of the trees was the scariest part. They were narrow and without railings. The only thing keeping me
from falling was my safety rope which I hoped was really strong. My legs felt like they had heavy weights attached to them
as I tried to gain the confidence to move them one step at a time. Once I had jumped off the edge I truly enjoyed gliding
through the tall jungle.
And so this morning, I am happy to be alive and happy to have experienced what I did with my wife and fellow adventurers.
Today we are at sea for another full day of genealogy classes. We’ll begin with one-on-one and small group Q/A sessions, but
I’m thinking of starting out the session by sharing some new ideas about how Legacy can help solve brick walls. Tomorrow we
travel through the Panama Canal.
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