One question that comes up quite often, as the conversation turns to our retirement and cruise, is "Where are you going?" Well, like most things we have a different philosophy. We have very general directions, no time frames, and absolutely no set schedule. Read on and I'll share all the plans we don't have.

     Janet and I have spent our entire adult life in the same manner as most people. We’ve gotten up each morning, raced through breakfast, struggled through traffic, and stressed to meet daily deadlines imposed by others for things that made little difference in our own lives. Our reward was getting home in time for a late dinner and a peck on the cheek before falling asleep from exhaustion. There has to be a better way.

     So, what have we learned? We have learned that we only get one shot at this thing called life and we want to call the shots ourselves. We will eat when we’re hungry, sleep when we’re tired, and have only one deadline each day. Our deadline is a personal one. We will never miss another sunset as long as we have the power to avoid it. There is something magical about watching the sun set over the horizon. Especially when it is setting over horizons that we hope to traverse in our own boat, ‘Charbonneau.’

     We’ve obviously made some other plans. We’re not complete idiots (well, you can decide for yourself). Those plans are very simplistic, however, with little detail attached to them. We are departing for our cruising life in June 2000. The first leg of our journey is to head north from North Carolina up the East Coast of the US. We hope to make it at least as far as Massachusetts, if not all the way to Maine, before it becomes cooler and forces us to head south again. Our first winter will be spent in either the Bahamas or along the gulf coast of Florida. We haven’t decided that detail yet.

     Our guiding principle will be to avoid areas of the world when seasonal hurricanes or cyclones are prevalent. We will also avoid cold weather and snow with a passion. And most of all, we may completely change our mind at any time. Perhaps Max & Bailey can pick some of our destinations. "Cat" Mandu seems to be their favorite.