29 July 2017: We did not have an internet connection that allowed for posting to Chasing Joy during the cruise.  So, over the next few days I’ll be posting pictures from our travels. I groused about the lack of internet and was quite grumpy about it.  The IT guy was generally unhelpful, promising something better each day which he failed to deliver.  Had internet been free, I would have had little reason to complain but internet packages are pricy and I had sprung for both internet and streaming.  Needless to say, we never streamed anything. Finally, on day five, I cancelled the service.

23 July 2017: After a day cruising up to Juneau via the Inside Passage.

Privilege. Privileged.

This morning I ordered room service for breakfast, wanting to avoid another pass at breakfast buffet madness.   Fruit plate, an orange, blueberry muffins, bagel with cream cheese. Coffee for me and a glass of lactose free milk for Julia.  Julia asked if she could really eat in bed.  I pulled up a comfy chair to sit in front of our balcony.  It is cold on the balcony and although we have blankets, I cannot get julia to enjoy the cold balcony.

I watch our arrival from sea to land closer to Juneau.  I snap picture after picture as the landscape outside changes. Our only landscape yesterday was water. Today, we have snow sprinkled mountains, low lying clouds, islands of pine trees and clouds punctuated with blue sky. I am eager to see land. Is that compulsion in our genes? After one day at sea, pine trees and beach look so good.  What was it like to come from some far place by boat and not see land for a week? A month?

How do I teach Julia that this experience, like so many others in our lives, are a rare privilege? I don’t know.

Privilege.  The word, the challenge of our time. Even in my insular existence, I see layer upon layer of explaining to do.  Understanding is elusive and clear.  I make sense of it for myself. At least, in part, and for the moment.

Then there is julia.  She has gotten crumbs in the bed and I know our steward will take care of the cleaning of it.

Time later.

Pulling into Juneau.  This is like a train!  Little by little the place is revealed. In the small alleyway between ship and the land, sea planes take off. They are close enough to see the turning propellers.

The ship turns before a bridge connecting two sides of river settlement.  This boat turns deliberately.  Slowly. With care. A slow pirouette. propellers.  There is another cruise ship docket and it looks she much bigger here than in Seattle.  We are a bigger percentage of humanity here.

This is summer. It is not warm. Cloudy and over cast although I spy some blue between the hills.  We are in long sleeve shirts, light sweaters, fleece and windbreakers with hoods. We have hats and gloves.  It was what we needed to stand out one deck as we approached Juneau. Now, closer and at a much slower speed, the sweater and fleece is sufficient to sit on our balcony.  What an incredible view, quiet and private, of the docketing. I am sure as we get closer there will be the hustle and bustle of a city but for now, Juneau looks peaceful and quiet with very few signs of active humanity.

And Julia wants to go up to the breakfast buffet to have more to eat.