I’m As Surprised As You Will Be
I am flying to Stockholm on Monday morning.
India has served its purpose. This land of contrasts and colors and camels has sorted out my head as only it can do. It has led me to finally chart a course for my near future, ending the constant floating between dreams and temporary ideas.
And after so much time spent in India over the past 7 years, I am no longer surprised by much, and this includes the unexpected direction I shall now head. You see, my grand plans were merely an outline, a fantasy created to match the one I had experienced while working on board the cruise ships.
When I flew to India two months ago, I envisioned a course that included wild and dangerous adventures to wild and dangerous countries. But the situation unfolded differently. I found myself to be completely comfortable over here, at ease amid the constant madness, skilled in the game of survival that is constantly being played out. I needed to come here once again, to hear the music and devotion, to taste its flavor, to feel the thickness of its air upon my face. India is where my mind is free from defilement, it is where clearer decisions can be made.
I leave India with the understanding that my course, no matter how it proceeds, will remain my personal adventure. As long as I do not stray from the knowledge I have gained during my years of travel.
With that in mind, I fly to Sweden, a country I have yet to visit. I will visit a friend and spend some time in Europe. I plan to remain there until the end of June. And then what?
Well, at the start of July it appears that I will find myself in a place that I am all too familiar with, a place that I had said farewell to some four months ago. No, I am definitely not making a full return to ´ship life´. Instead, I will be spending a mere seven weeks back on board the Queen Mary 2 in order to help cover my old position during someone´s upcoming vacation. My ex-boss at Cunard Cruise Line asked me if I would do them this favor.
In addition, these two months in India have been an excellent jump start to my career as a writer. I have almost completed the book I have been working on and will soon need to start the search for a publisher. I have also begun receiving some serious interest in my travel articles, prompting the need to sit down and continue writing as much as possible.
And so, with all of these new developments, it seemed logical and worthwhile to pursue such opportunities over the next couple of months. But upon completion of my short contract on the cruise ship, I will re-examine, and possibly head to Africa or South America. All I know is that this re-calculated course feels necessary despite my initial eagerness to wander off and explore the remotest parts of Tibet (a visit to which has been made nearly impossible due to changes in China´s visa policy after the their Tibet crackdown two months ago).
I certainly intend to detail my upcoming return as Tour Manager on board the Queen Mary 2, where I will live and work among 1200 other crew members from around the world. This is not just some ordinary community that I will enter, as you will understand upon reading my ¨Farewell to Ship Life¨ article. I therefore invite you all to remain tuned in to my summer of posts, to my first-hand account of an underworld, the one I call ´ship life´, that you will never believe actually exists.
Tags: India
dbaron
Wow, Stockholm. I have to say I’m more jealous of that than of your time in India! Looking forward to hearing all about it.
And will the QM2 be in port in NY at all while you’re on it? We’d love to see you.
–Mara
Derek,
this new bend in your path sounds so remarkable, and so perfect – not knowing you it feels weird to write that but it does feel so apt to me.
I hope your time on the QE2 will be amazing and frenetic in all the right ways.
And I hope that your writing will continue to come. And if you hit port at Baltimore or Philly, let me know, and I’ll buy you a beer while we talk book projects.