WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Things were definitely changing aboard the Odyssey. We had a lot of itinerary changes for unexpected reasons during the last couple of months. But also some other things were becoming obvious. We  heard and read about the activities in the Middle East and specifically the issues in the Gulf of Hormuz. The price of our fuel had gone up unbelievably and it was affecting our travel/sailing plans. We were also told that the ship was having some other financial issues not based on the increased fuel price.

After my return from my June/July trip back to the States, I had some hard talks with myself and other close friends on the ship. Many of us had real concerns as to the viability of the 3.5 year sailing plan of the Odyssey. We were even concerned about the short-term financial stability. So in August I made the decision that it was time to find a different plan for the rest of my life. At a young 83 years old, I wanted to keep having fun and continue traveling. But it did not feel like Odyssey was going to be part of my future. It was certainly a difficult decision, both financially and emotionally. I made some fantastic friends, saw over 75 countries with even more visits to cities, islands, and anchorages within those countries. and explored parts of the world that I never dreamed I would see. I got to reconnect and visit friends that I had not seen in years and probably would not ever have seen again without my time on the Odyssey. And I got to live on a Cruise Ship for 22 months. How many people get to do that? These memories I will treasure for the rest of my life. And I have thousands of pictures to help me remember as I get even older.

The answer to the question - Where Now? - was an easy one. I was going back to the place I called home for 15 years, Beaufort, North Carolina.

But before that I had to figure out the How and When questions. That, my friends, was definitely a challenge. First it was the How.

1. Need a International Airport

2. Need to be at a Dock for unloading multiple suitcases

3. Need to be able to buy additional sturdy suitcases

4. Need to be able to find transportation from ship to airport.

Every night I would add to my list of things I needed/had to do before packing could begin. And I really didn't want to think about the packing decisions I would have to make.

I realized early on that my 5 suitcases would not be enough so we found a Grab (Uber in Ha Long) who took us to the Ha Long Market where the locals shop. I bought 2 suitcases and Eve bought 3. Then we stopped fo lunch Yummy .

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Once I made the decision to leave Odyssey and head home, things happened quickly. My friend, Eve, and I left the ship on September 9 in Ha Long, Viet Nam. I had 7 heavy suitcases, a backpack, and a carry-on. Eve had the same plus 3 Ukuleles. We hired a van to drive us the 3 hour trip into Hanoi, Viet Nam. We had decided that after the stress of packing & leaving our home and friends we needed a nice day of R&R so we treated ourselves to 2 nights in the beautiful Hanoi Intercontinental Hotel. We had a spectacular dinner in the 57th floor restaurant. My shrimp dinner flambeed on the grill was amazing.

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On September 11, we had 2 separate SUV's to drive us to the airport. Eve was heading to Bangkok, Thailand and I was flying to Abu Dhabi, UAE, then on to Charlotte, NC and New Bern. I'm sure it was really entertaining to watch the two of us each pushing 2 luggage carts piled high with our suitcases through the Hanoi airport. There is no such thing as Skycaps or helpers in the Hanoi airport. Eve was 4 hours early for her flight and mine was 3 hours later than hers but we wanted to be at the airport with plenty of time...just in case. Thankfully we had no issues so we headed to the restaurant for lunch and a well deserved cocktail. It was hard to say goodbye to Eve as we have known each other for about 10 years and, as we told our friends on the ship, Until next time.

I have to give a special Thank You to my friends Joyce & Barbara who met me at the New Bern airport (an hour from Beaufort) in their SUV's because, obviously, my stuff would not fit in one car or SUV. And then we had to go back to New Bern the next day to pick up my last 2 suitcases that didn't make the last leg of my trip with me (small airplane). It was wonderful to see their welcoming faces after my 28 hours of flying.

I have now been home for 5 weeks and it has been another whirlwind. Since I sold/gave away everything I owned when I left in 2024, I got to buy all new "Stuff". It has been fun. Thanks again to my friends who have welcomed me back and contributed to the "what does Dianne "need" collections. I have a beautiful new apartment and it is now mostly furnished. I have a nice new-to-me Honda CRV SUV. And I am busy catching up with folks, going to lunch and definitely having fun. Yes, there are times when I miss the Odyssey but I do not miss the stress and the uncertainty. Thank each of you who have followed along with me from Panama in 2024 to Hanoi in 2026, What a Ride it has been! Please stay in touch. And come see me sometime.

Diannes Odyssey is now closed.

New Address:

4000 Galantis Dr

Apt 107F

Morehead City, NC 28557

Phone is still the same: 713-402-8708

E-mail is still the same: Diannetet@cs.com