November 1999.
I could say, "because it's there."
But that's not the whole story. When I was a kid, I read" Green Mansions," a story that took place in the Amazon jungle. I wanted to go there. Then I read Richard Hallliburton's " The Complete Book of Marvels" and "New Worlds to Conquer," and I dreamed of seeing those "seven wonders of the world." But I thought I'd never have the chance.
Time passed. I had kids, worked on a career, played tennis, and generally had a very good life. As the year 2000 approached, I began to think of retiring an decided I'd really like to do something special to celebrate my birthday. By a quirk of fate, I learned of this Millennium Voyage--a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sail around the world at a special moment in history. Suddenly, it all fell into place.
In a few weeks I will board Ocean Explorer I, and my odyssey will begin.
"The Last Frontier" is billed as "a learning expedition," and I expect that will be so. Each day on board the ship I'll be taking classes, attending lectures, seeing documentary flicks, and sitting in on discussions in culture, the humanities, sciences, and natural wonders of the lands I'll be visiting. I'm also fitting in a computer class and taking conversational Spanish, along with walking the deck at all hours.
Without a doubt, there will be many moments when I miss my kids and my friends back home, and sometimes I'll wish I could hop the next freighter for home.
But, every day or so when we land in some exotic port, I'll remind myself that I'm skipping the hated Washington winter entirely, and I'll be happy to go...
snorkeling in the Seychelles... landing in a zodiac boat on some remote South Sea beach...
hiking to the nesting grounds of the albatross on the Falkland Islands or viewing giant icebergs in Antarctica...
I'll celebrate the millennium with son Steve and his friend Christina, high in the Andes at Chile's Torres del Paine--a national park of fjords, glaciers, forests and lakes--that I understand is one of the most beautiful natural wonders of the world.
Then I'm on my way to Easter and Pitcairn Islands, across the south Pacific and Indian Oceans,
and on...
So adios, and hasta la vista, baby. I won't see you for awhile.
Or maybe longer.
