We arrived on the 24th at the Sivertsen resort, our luxury suite awaiting us. We unpacked and took advantage of the (much needed) free laundry service, checked in on the cats, house and family and stressed about what to bring and not to bring on the cruise of a lifetime that was now looming on the horizon.

I managed to squeeze in some car repairs and an EU test on Cookie, but despite my best efforts the old girl would need to hang tight for a while before she could grace the roads of Stavanger once more. I did manage to swing by the Karate club and train with some familiar faces, which was nice. I had a feeling my fitness might suffer on the cruise so one last burst of proper training was a good reminder that the old adage of ‘use it or lose it’ was as true as always. I packed an extra training outfit to bolster my intentions and promised myself to use it.

The days whizzed by and finally the morning of our departure for Rome had arrived. After some stressful last minute wardrobe decisions (Kilt, Halloween costume, winter clothes for Seoul… etc, etc.) we were off and excited for the next chapter in our great adventure. The next time we would see Stavanger, family, friends… and cats would be Christmas time. It seemed like a long time but part of me knew that it would fly by all too quickly.