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I struggled for months to think of how to re-approach this blog, my blog, a summary of some of the best years of my life, in words. And finally, I am just going to start. Again. No grand entrance, no re-cap of the last 18 months other than to say that I worked, I played, I laughed, I cried, I fell in love and most relevant of all…realized that the more answers you learn, the more questions there are.

I am now an aunt 3 times over with the addition of a niece and nephew and so in awe that my family continues to grow and my love for them does the same. Just when I think it can’t get any better, any fuller, it does. So, I hope that all of you have found that the last 18 months have brought you the joy and insights of a full and well-lived life.

As always, just when I get to the point that I am itching for adventure, some opportunity presents itself. My friend and colleague Mike Zoll asked me the 2nd best question ever: “Would you sail with me, as my Assistant Executive Dean on the Summer 2009 voyage, the 99th voyage, of Semester at Sea?” Ummm….yeah! And here we are. We kicked it off in Nova Scotia and we will spend the entire summer sailing the Mediterranean. We will be in Europe and North Africa with 721 students, 67 staff, 17 lifelong learners and 3 teachers at sea, plus 22 kids of varied ages and sizes and crawling and climbing abilities. I cannot believe that after 9 years and 3 applications, I have not only had my dream come true with the first voyage in Spring 2007 (wherein the lucky narrator got to sail with Archbishop Desmond Tutu), but to be invited to sail again, less than 3 years later.

I am in my element in a way that I haven’t been in a while. I am growing and learning at a rate that surprises me daily. The blessing of being a young senior leader on a highly functioning team, is that I get to make a new mistake every day, and every day I also get the honor of bringing my expertise and insight to the community we’re building and the challenges that we face as we work toward getting all 838 of us around the Mediterranean safe and on time at about 17mph. 

And so with that. Check out our itinerary. Follow the Summer 2009 voyage on twitter (I am co-tweeting), follow me on twitter, or Facebook, and drop a comment with your name and address if you want me to send you a postcard from somewhere in North Africa or Europe!

Ciao Bellas! You have been missed.