A year ago today I was sitting on a ship in Barcelona, getting ready to depart on one of the biggest adventures of my life. Today, I’m sitting in my office, preparing for my farewell luncheon and embarking on an even bigger adventure. So how did I get here…

The story starts in December 2010. C was about to deploy and we were already dreaming about how to celebrate his return in June. Plus, his overseas assignment would come to a close shortly there after.  It didn’t take long to decide that we wanted to tour Europe one last time. It took even less time to decide to do it via cruise ship. Two weeks and many hours of research later we had tickets to sail on the Carnival Magic on July 3, 2011 for seven nights.

Somehow we made it through the deployment. Then we counted down the time till I left the states, till we flew to Barcelona, and till we heard the ships horn blast.

The port was quite industrial, but near the beaches and a short cab ride from the city center.

The Magic was only the second Carnival ship to offer Cove Balconies. The room was very private and offered great views.

Over the next few days I’ll recap our trip, give tips to making the most of independent shore excursions in Italy, and share some favorite photos. Plus… I’ll be moving! My next adventure is professional, so the next few days will be filled with trip pics and professional mover stories. No doubt I’ll be ready for a vacation when it is over!

Ok, it’s time to finish packing the office…

Billy Joel’s “I’m Moving Out” is playing on iTunes

*I am in no way sponsored by Carinval or any other agency/brand mentioned in this blog. My views and photos are all my own. My only motivation is procrastination.*