Ginger (Paulette) Akuna

I just spend the last two years having the time of my life, traveling and working my way around the world, visiting most of the places on my Top 10 List of places to see! It was a working holiday, since I was contracted as an Acupuncturist on Cruise Ships. I started out on weekly NCL cruises around the Hawaiian Islands, then once I got my "sea legs" decided to be a bit more adventurous and accepted a contract on the Golden Princess, cruising in Alaska and the Mexican Riviera. I came back to Hawaii to hook up with NCL's Pride of Hawaii to make the crossing the Pacific Ocean, through the Panama Canal, across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. After being rechristened the Norweigan Jade, we spent the next four months cruising the Mediterranean & Europe, with ports of call in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, England, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Belgium, and the Netherlands! I got to see the the Eiffel Tower & walk down the Champ de Elysee, contemplate the mysteries of the Pyramids and Stonehenge, steep in the history of the Greek Acropolis, the Roman Colleseum, and the Turkish ruins at Ephesus, and bask in the romance of Venice. I drank ouzo in Santorini, licked up gellato "to die for" in Rome, and choked on scones and English tea!

As if that wasn't enough, my next contract on Holland America's Volendam, circled the Pacific over a period of 8 months, starting Vancouver, BC cruising to Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, 4 months cruising 7 ports of call in New Zealand and 3 in Australia; ending the season sailing through the Great Barrier Reef, then up through Southeast Asia, stopping to see komodo dragons, Balinese arts & crafts, and the incredible Buddhist Temple at Borobudur, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Phillippines; turning north to Hongkong and mainland China, to stand upon the Great Wall, contrasted by the ongoing developement and modernization of the major cities, such as Shanghai and Beijing. After a day in S. Korea, it was on to 7 days of Japan, crossing the Bering Sea to Alaska, then back to Vancouver! Whew . . . what a trip!

Now, duty calls me back to the islands to help care for aging parents. I can't say that it's such a hardship, because my folks are still reasonably healthy and mobile. I'm taking a class on Long Term Health Care for the Aging, I've got a great parttime job working in a Wellness Center (Acupuncture, Chiropractics, & Massage), and I'm living in a loft with a private lanai overlooking Kaneohe Bay! Life doesn't get much better than this!