Have I mentioned Alvin Toffler before? I think so, but quite a while ago, not during the cruise. I relied on Toffler's advice in my book tour days. In his best-selling book, Future Shock (1970) he said that the best way to keep your cool while you are travelling ("too much change in too little time") is to try to recreate as much as you can of your familiar routine. Then, as you encounter new situations, you still know who are are. (The question is, who are you?) So, according to that, I stick to my 6 a.m. swim, to my early tea and journalling, and more recently, a morning BLOG. That's the hard part, It's new to me, even after almost two years. I haven't settled on the right time for it yet, witness now, after a busy, tiring day, I am writing this, albeit reluctantly. So here I am at home, trying to pick up the pieces, also the laundry, the mail, groceries and wine (yes!), and go on as if I'd never left. But I did leave. And I came back. I've changed - the winter duvet for the summer duvet and the flannelette sheets for lightweight.

More than that. I have more thoughts. To come. If anyone chooses to stay with me, I will still be here.