“Oh, to be in England now that April’s there.” ~
Robert Browning
We’ve had our share of ups and downs learning Spanish while in South America, and while we know we can’t learn the language of every country we visit, we are going to make a valiant effort to learn the language of our next destination.
On Sunday, March 20 we are reboarding the M/S Expedition, an ice-breaker ship owned by Gap Adventures, to be their first passengers on a repositioning cruise from Ushuaia, Argentina to Svalbarg, Norway (though we are disembarking in Falmouth, England).
That gives us just 37 days to learn the Queen’s English so we can easily order a pint, partake in the afternoon tea, and tell the bonnet from the boot of a rental car.
Why in the heck are we doing this?
One thing we like about long-term travel is that getting there is half the adventure. We’ve traveled in the back of pickup trucks, on rickety buses in the mountains, on hard benches in the back of a ranchero on dusty roads, in moto-taxis on busy city streets, and in shared taxis with 22 people stuffed in a minivan. We’ve biked it and hiked it and even once hitchhiked it.
Traveling by ship seems like a nice addition to our list of travel experiences, and we are curious about what we’ll learn along the way as the only passengers hanging out with the crew.
How did this happen?
I’ve learned to be careful what I ask for. While we were on the cruise to Antarctica I jokingly mentioned how nice it would be to travel like this for a while instead of by bus. As usual, Warren was paying attention.
He asked Alessandra, the “hotel manager” of the ship, what the ship does in the Antarctic winter. She told him they went up to Norway for the Arctic summer season and would be heading that way after one more trip to the Antarctic.
Side Note: You have to know by now that Warren is king of “the ask.” He is fearless in his requests and truthfully states that it never hurts to ask. We could all learn a lot about negotiation from him.
Warren then point-blank asked if we could go with them to Norway. Instead of laughing it off, she said they had never done anything like that, but she’d check into it.
We put our odds at about 1% and went about our business.
As we went through the final days of the tour, we also reached out to our friend Erin at Gap, whom we met last year when planning the Seattle Meet, Plan, Go event. She was gung-ho about the idea, and between her, Alessandra, and several people at Gap Base Camp, they tried to see if they could make it work.
We found out the day after we left that all systems were go. Not only are we getting a ride on the boat to Falmouth, England, but we get full access to the crew to learn about the workings of the ship, what it takes to get a job on board, and maybe – just maybe – get to drive the boat for a while. (Okay, I made that last part up, but I’m learning it doesn’t hurt to put things out there.)
What’s in it for you?
We will be writing about our adventures on the boat and giving you an insight into a few themes:
- Behind-the-scenes stories of the crew and why they chose this lifestyle
- The inner workings of a polar cruise ship
- 37 days of basic nautical knowledge – as we learn it, so will you
We do have stops in Montivideo, Uruguay and the Cape Verde Islands before we reach England, so we’ll have a bit of exploring to do as well.
In the interests of full disclosure, you should know that Gap has offered to cover almost all of our expenses for this adventure, excluding our bar bill (smart move, Gap).
You can follow along here, on our Facebook page, or on Twitter (Betsy and Warren).
What about South America?
We hate leaving South America early because we still have much to see and friends we want to meet up with on the road. But part of the adventure of long-term travel is being open to new experiences, and we knew something like this would not likely come along again soon. Our friend Julie has a theme for the year of “just say yes” and we’ve adopted it for our travels, too.
So we’ll be back, South America, don’t you worry. Who says we only get to circle the globe once? 
About Betsy
Awesome! I’m certain the journey alone is going to be amazing.
As someone who has England in her heart (I lived there for two years), I am especially interested in your experiences and thoughts while there.
And hey – the time on the ship will give you some time to finish your book for book club…!
Cheers!
~
I’m already done with the book (the series, actually), and can’t wait to have our first “book club at sea.” We’ve spent time in London but not really explored the rest of the country, so we are excited about it.
First thing when we get off the boat I’m getting fish ‘n’ chips and a beer!
Please send some of your luck my way! It seems you might have too much right now. Have fun.
Matt, I have shaken a little excess off, stuffed it in an envelope, and it is headed your way right now. Just remember, we can’t be responsible for what happens next…
Sounds like a fascinating opportunity…hopefully you’ll have internet along the voyage and we can follow along! BTW, I asked someone who did done long-term ship travel (6weeks) and she said it helps to take up a hobby (she did embroidery) to pass the time..of course, those were the days before internet. Have fun!
Hey, Joanna. We are going to have internet the whole way (you think we could survive for 37 days without it?!), and we are both planning to pursue a little personal hobby on board. If I can find the yarn and needle here in Ushuaia I’m going to teach myself to crochet, and Warren has a specific photography project he is working on. And we’re both working on our fitness at the ship gym since we’ll be walking some of the National Trails once we land (one is 186 miles!).
It will be a great time to pursue things we don’t always give ourselves space and time to do.
Enjoy England, just watch your words. As you stated they may be English, but they are the Queens’ s english, for example:
Cars windscreen, is our windshield,
Car boot – trunk
pants are underwear – call them trousers, this one has caused me to have a red face many times Tshirts are vests………sweaters are jumpers…
money is different, coins are pence or P, for example 10 cents is 10p, bills are different sizes, all with the queens face., several do not fit in a mans wallet properly- too tall.
highways are referred to as parking lots due to traveling so slow…Too many cars for numbers of highways, driving on the other side of the road can be frightening at times……
We have been enjoying several trips to England a year, for over 12 years, grandchildren there, and have always loved it, you will too!
Enjoy!!
We’ve been told we will finally become tea converts after we learn the proper way to make/drink it, so we’ll see how that works out. Thanks for all the tips – I have a feeling we’ll make a few blunders, but that’s all part of the fun, isn’t it?
That sounds very exciting! It is wonderful having the freedom and time to take advantage of these opportunities when they come along. I wish I had Warren’s negotiation skills. We know in theory that if you don’t ask you don’t get, but we are rubbish at doing it. We are British after all =)
Fantastic! If you make your way over to London, I’d love to meet you guys for a pint! (Longtime reader, first time commenter).
We’d love to meet you in London for a pint, Becky! We love it there (actually tried to live there once), and you are now officially on our itinerary.
Oh – me too, me too!! Another long time reader, first time commenter living in London
It would be awesome to meet you!
Nic, we would love to get together. We should coordinate a day when we can all get together in London for a pint or 2. Drop us an email at wtalbot@marriedwithluggage.com so we can start thinking and planning.
Betsy and Warren this is incredibly COOL! (Cooler than even camping in the Antarctic! I know: bad, bad joke.)
And you’ve now shared yet another metaphor for life as well. Most of us just don’t see how we can get what we want (even if we knew what it was) so we don’t bother to ASK for it!
Also, often we’re so rigid on how we *think* things “should” be, or so focused on following “our plan” that we’re blind or closed to better opportunities that may come up. (Just maybe The Universe has greater plans for you and your plans are too restricted by your limited thinking; or maybe there’s a short-cut to getting where you want.)
Personally, looking back on the last few years of my life: I had this Vision of what I wanted my life to be like . . . but frankly had no idea how to really make it happen! So I just kept my focus on the Vision and remained totally open to see what popped up in my life. (Always taking action and being in movement though; you can’t steer a parked car.)
Bottom Line: There is NO WAY I could have planned things the way they worked out — frankly the circumstances and how they played out were just too crazy — nobody would make plans like that! (They’d stick you in a padded cell if you tried.) But looking back I can see how every step (and misstep) led me to my fulfillment of my Vision. Of course life is the proverbial Journey so the Vision has continued to grow and transform, but I am now living that initial concept that I had in mind.
Once again you two are an inspiration! Thanks for being living examples of The Possible.
As always,
Be Present. Expect Success. Live with Passion!
T
You always have the best lines, Tranque. My new favorite is “you can’t steer a parked car.” In fact, we may need to start a new category on the blog called “Tranquisms” to store some of these gems.
It is funny how life turns out, and even when it is nothing like you expected it to be, somehow it is right if you just pay attention to the things that matter most to you. For us, the key words are “freedom” and “curiosity” and the life we have is a perfect reflection of that. It may not be the right life for everyone, but that’s not the point, is it?
You also make a great point about planning. There are so many outside influences that you can’t really control your life anyway, but you can steer it in the direction that means the most to you, and the steps/missteps/detours along the way just make the journey more interesting.
Thanks for taking the time to write and for continuing to share your wisdom, especially when your adopted country is experiencing such upheaval after the earthquake and tsunami. Be safe, my friend.
Without a doubt, all that has been happening in Japan has only strengthened my resolve to live in the present! Here in Japan men often have nothing else in life but their work — not that they’re passionate about it … it is just expected of them to give their life to their employer. I wonder how many in the path of that tsunami were were swallowed up still waiting for that day when they could “finally retire and start living life”?
T
Tranque, you are so right. Most of us live in a holding pattern for the day we can “do our own thing,” constantly working to make more money. It wasn’t until we went on this trip that I realized true wealth is spending your time as you like, not having a ton of money in the bank (though the two together would be pretty sweet).
Do you think the aftermath of this will cause people to reconsider their loyalty to work above everything, or is too deeply ingrained?
The younger generation of Japanese — some anyway — are starting to question this a bit. But when you live in a society where getting fired can be a permanent even as it will follow you around like a dead-skunk strapped to your back … (or so I’m told), getting a job — just about any job that will pay decent — is really the focus; not doing something you may be Passionate about.
True entrepreneurs in Japan are rare because — as (once again) I am told — that the risks are too great. Show me an entrepreneur in America and I’ll show you a person who has been bankrupt at least once. Apparently bankruptcy in Japan is an event that could (should?) be accompanied with suicide as you’ve shamed your whole family, your neighbors, and your neighbor’s dog as well.
All that being said, Japanese are some of the most well-traveled people in the world.
We were right when we didn’t want to say good bye to each other….
I am glad that everything worked out perfectly.
We can’t wait to have you back here and share our ‘family moments’ with you.
See you soon!
Alessandra, our favorite hotel manager! Thank you again for getting the ball rolling on this fun adventure. Who knows what other kind of trouble the three of us can create in 37 days?! See you on Sunday…
why only to england? why not all the way to norway?
Hi, Ellen. We’re getting off in England because the ship is getting back to business after that. It is just easier for them and for us to get off in England, though we do plan to visit Norway in the summer.
We are sooooo excited for you guys and the opportunity that you have to do this. Isn’t it great to have the flexibility to be able to change plans on a dime, it makes life very exciting. We can’t wait to hear all about your adventures. Good luck with the crocheting and photo projects.
Thanks, Pete. We’re looking forward to finding some housesitting gigs once we get to Europe thanks to your handy primer. Flexibility/freedom might be the secret to true happiness. But you already knew that, didn’t you?
WOW…congrats to you two for truly stepping outside the box w/ this bit of the adventure. I must admit I was really surprised you were leaving South America after seeing so few countries…not I understand and you are right, South America will still be there awaiting your return but this may be a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Can’t wait to follow along and see how it goes!
Rhonda
That was our thinking, too, Rhonda. And who says we can only go around the world once? We’re starting to open up our thinking and ideas about this whole trip…who knows what will happen next?
Great to follow the flow! The best things about travel are when special things happen – like this. And with the $$ you save (assuming you don’t drink up all the savings!!), you might actually be able to afford Norway!
Hey, Chuck. We are preparing for sticker shock when we get to Europe and keeping in mind that we will eventually be in Asia. The goal is $100/day average, and we’ve been so used to staying under that number that we have to realize we are still far below budget in our “average” spending. So going over $100 for a while won’t crack our budget, though we are going to try very hard not to.
So, here’s to going with the flow and NOT breaking the bank!
I bet you can drive, unless there’s a union issue. And let me know if you need a translator. I’m good at English!
And can I boast about the site changes that Warren did, in case people don’t know about his mad skills???? http://margitcrane.com Site set up and structure by Warren Talbot
Aw, you’re so sweet, Margit. Warren loves working with you, and we are both amazed at what you do. Not only do you speak English, Hebrew and Spanish, you also speak “teenager” and I hear that is the hardest language to learn.
I’m sad we won’t meet up in Mendoza but excited for your opportunity. I will drink extra wine on your behalf!
Ayngelina, we are so sad to be missing out on the excellent Argentinian and Chilean wine in South America (though we’ve made quite a dent in the supply up til now). But we have French cheese and wine to look forward to, and Swiss chocolate, and German/Belgian/Irish beer, and English fish ‘n’ chips, and….. well, you get it. There’s always something to look forward to. Enjoy Mendoza, and I know we’ll see you somewhere around the globe soon.
How long can you stay in the UK, immigration/visa wise?
We can stay up to 6 months at any one time in the UK (excellent resource for UK visas/a>). We have no plan but given the costs there not sure we will be able to stay the entire 6 months. The real challenge will be the rest of the EU (at least most of it) and their stricter requirement of 90 days in any 180 day window.
Hi W& B, I’ve been following your trip since you were kind enough to pass along messages to my daughter Sara during the Antarctica cruise. Reading your calm descriptions of 30-ft. waves on the return voyage went a long way toward allaying any concerns I had, although Sara did a pretty good job of it with her own email. I was wondering whether the M/V Expedition went strictly “dead-head” on its transition cruise to Norway, and I have to say this makes the best use of a valuable resource. So kudos on your sense of opportunity and adventure. I also learned some additional geography by reading your ports of call for this voyage. I didn’t realize that the Cape Verde Islands were so close to the eastern extremity of the South American coast. Using my trusty ruler and a Google map, I put the distance between Paraibo, Brazil and Cape Verde at around 1,200 miles, so it does indeed make a lot of sense to cross the Atlantic there, and then make your way up the African coast past Gibraltar, Spain, Portugal and on to England. How exotic all that sounds! You must feel a little like Sir Francis Drake himself, on your way home. I’ll be checking in again, and thanks for all the interesting stories along the way.
Hi, Harry. One of the things we love about this trip is learning and teaching geography. In the US, this is very poorly taught, so it is fun to make it more interesting to people who didn’t quite get it in school (like us). The world is so much more interesting when you measure it with your two feet than learning it in a book, anyway.
As for Sir Francis Drake, we also learned he was quote an accomplished pirate! And having a 4-course meal every night with wine is probably a bit nicer than that crusty old pirate ever had it, you know?
Thanks for continuing to follow along. You must have really loved seeing all of Sara’s pictures from Antarctica.
How awesome! What an amazing opportunity for y’all! I am going to keep my fingers crossed that we’ll be able to meet up in Europe when we head there in July.
We’d love to meet up in Europe, Akila!
Well done! This is f’ing awesome!!!
I too am a big fan of ‘the ask!’ Totally agree….you never have anything to lose by asking.
I love this ‘new adventure’ you have carved out for yourselves.
Enjoy the non-cruise!
Lisa
We live for “f’ing awesome” moments (and know that you do, too!)
Wow, that sounds incredible What an amazing experience this is going to be for you two. I’ll be eagerly awaiting your updates! Congratulations! I guess I need to learn the art of “the ask.”
Maybe Warren will teach us all in a class or a series of blog posts. I sure would like to know!