Class is in Session.

My coworker Jeanne is a big cruiser. She's been on them lots of times, so she's been very helpful as Maggie and I take this vacation that neither of us ever anticipated. Yesterday Jeanne talked about the onboard activities that Carnival offers on its Fun Days at Sea. They always say it that way, with that capitalization. Fun Day at Sea. It strikes me as vaguely ominous.

Maggie and I planned to spend our Fun Day at Sea eating and sitting by the pool and preventing Jack from plunging overboard. But Jeanne says there are activities.

I don't really know about Maggie, but I'm not an activity person. I don't bond quickly with other people. Once, in high school, I went to a weekend conference for student leaders (I know. NEEERRRRRRD!) It was from Friday to Sunday, I believe. Not only did it involve activities, it involved coordinated, cultlike cheers. It was lame. But by Sunday night, when it was time to go, people everywhere were weeping and exchange addresses (real addresses, since email wasn't common yet). I was in the car, desperate to go home and scrub the forced cheerfulness away.

So I was all set to mock all the classes Jeanne told me about. Now, I love Jeanne (hi, Jeanne!), but Jeanne is an activity person; I am not. So when Jeanne told me she went to the towel-folding class to learn how to fold towels into various animal shapes (no, really. Really.) I made fun of her. To her face. Because I'm professional like that.

I mentioned the class to Maggie in an email. Rather than mocking Jeanne with me, Maggie informed me that she would be attending the towel-folding class. Because that's a skill that will last you a lifetime. So I told Jamie, our other sister, that Maggie would be attending the towel-folding class. Jamie didn't mock. Jamie wanted to know if Maggie would photocopy the instructions so that she could fold towels into animal shapes.

When I visit Jamie in Texas, all I know is that my towels better be folded into whimsical shapes.

What we leave behind.

Kristen's never been on a press trip, but that's nothing- I've never even been INVITED on a press trip. This is going to be awesome.

Here is a list I have been making of things that I encounter weekly in Baltimore at home or at work than I do not anticipate having to see on the cruise:

-Cockroaches the size of small cats
-Rats the size of large dogs
-Intoxicated homeless men trying to hit on and/or hit me (I work at a homeless shelter)
-Used condoms and syringes in my yard and driveway
-The intern at work who always un-alphabetizes the mail
-6 refugees, 4 renters, and 4 other volunteers (my housemates) using the kitchen/bathroom/TV ONLY the times I want to be using the kitchen/bathroom/TV

There are more, I'm sure. Don't get me wrong, I know that there are things I will have to deal with on the cruise, like open sores in my mouth from eating too much pineapple, and the inevitable 3rd degree sunburn... but I'm still pretty excited.

First Post.

I've never been able to accept a press trip. Either ethical guidelines prohibited it or it was some trip I'd never write about. Until now. I got a free press trip on the Carnival Pride--a 7-day Caribbean cruise. I'm taking my 23-year-old sister and my 10-month-old son.

Read about our adventures here.