Hard to believe but in just 2 short days, I will be hopping on a plane and heading halfway around the world and into the southern hemisphere where (finally) I'll be having a change in lattitude, change in attitude (instead of just singing the Buffett tune).

My thanks to all the people who have made this incredible opportunity possible. To my husband, Mike, who has always believed in me and thinks I can do anything. To my good friend Sandy who introduced me to most of the sailors I know, including Aaron and Lauren whom I have not yet met. To Patty who asked me to go along and helped dub me the "come along girl". To Shari who gave me a 3 month leave of absence and to Kim Z who is busy as we speak doing much of the work I would be doing if I was actually at work.

So, I'll be hopping on several planes over the next few days. Portland to Los Angeles. Los Angeles to Fiji. Fiji to Aukland (NZ) and finally on to Tongatapu (Tonga) to meet up with Aaron and Lauren, the captain and first mate of SV Wayward Wind.

We will arrive in Tongatopu on October 22. Get to know each other and the boat, then we're off to New Zealand by way of Minerva Reef. Should be a short stop and then the rest of the voyage to the Bay of Islands on the north island of New Zealand.

I'll be returning to Portland on November 19. Just in time to take our daughter Nichole to New York City for Thanksgiving. With any luck at all we'll be having Thanksgiving Dinner in the diner where they filmed Seinfeld.

Thanks to the well wishers. Please pray for fair winds and following seas. I'll need all the help I can get.

Stay tuned for the next exciting episode...

Pat