Is your summer turning out the way you planned? Mine isn’t and contrary to what that sounds like, it’s turned out to be really wonderful! Our plans were to spend a week in June on a houseboat on Lake Shasta. That plan fizzled out when the boat’s motor died and sent the boat to drydock for most of the summer. So, we pivoted… we thought, “Why not keep with the boat theme and check out one of our bucket list destinations, Alaska? Through the magic of the internet, in one morning we were able to book a Princess Cruise to Alaska’s Inside Passage leaving from San Francisco for the same dates as our original plans. For locals, traveling by ship to Alaska from San Francisco offers two bonuses: being able to carry on two huge suitcases per person and the amazing experience of sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge on a giant cruise-ship.
Alaska is something else indeed! All the sights of natural beauty are super- sized. We saw whale, eagles, waterfalls, spectacular glaciers and icebergs.
Once aboard the ship, I learned about “The Voice of the Ocean,” a singing contest mimicking the TV show of the same name. Even though I was on vacation to relax and see new places, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to audition for the show. With the help of my Lola character, I ended up being one of the six finalists. I didn’t win the competition, but I enjoyed the experience and being being treated as a mini celebrity aboard the ship. What was surprisingly the most challenging part of the experience wasn’t the bright lights, performing for hundreds of people nor the pressure of competition, it was balancing on heels at the front of the ship during a very choppy stretch of ocean during my actual performance!
