First impressions of cruising:

1) Wow this is easy! The arrival was seamless.  The porters, parking, efficient check in, and quick customs were a great “Welcome Aboard!”  The airlines need to start learning from the cruise lines.

2) How many other people are on this ship?

(See the Majesty of the Seas left with a total of  2700 cruisers plus 800 crew)

3) Who is driving this monstrosity?

(I found him. Believe it or not this Captain lives in my neighborhood. I went all the way to the Caribbean and could have bumped into him in the supermarket!)

4) Uh, why haven’t I cruised before?

(Still baffles me that I have lived in one of the cruising capitols of the world for over 6 years without cruising until this summer.)

Tips for first time cruisers:

1) Get to the port early to enjoy and check out the ship before departure. There is always a restaurant and bar open. Getting the “lay of the land” is crucial to enjoying the rest of the time aboard.

2) Plan your land excursions early. Most of the popular activities sell out. For Caribbean cruises make sure to get your snorkel, SCUBA, and kayaking reserved prior to the departure week or as soon as you board.

3) Get your deck chairs for departure early.

4) Don’t miss the opportunity to walk the deck to see the stars and moon. For those of us living in the city or around too many lights, this is an epic display of what we miss nightly for the other conveniences of metropolitan life.

5) Even if you aren’t an early bird, do get up one morning for sunrise. Not much beats a sunrise at sea. You can always take a nap in your cabin or on a deck chair later.

You don’t have to be in Mexico to take a siesta.

What I will do next time:

1) Explore a longer cruise 3 days was not nearly long enough. You crave more.

2) Going with a larger group to celebrate a birthday, success, life, etc. It was amazing the amounts of bachelorette, milestone birthdays, and reunions that were going on. It appears to be the best way to make a group gathering easy, fun, and a crowd pleaser from the adventureros, spa goers, barflies, and shoppers.

3) Pack less.  You don’t have the restrictions like the airplanes, but if you want to walk in and out of your cabin, closet, bathroom, etc. I would suggest you pack lightly to assist in getting used to the not quite full size bed, not quite full size stand up shower, and the like.

If you have tips from your cruising experiences, please comment on this post. I’m looking forward to sharing more good times and good stories with you of my summer of being a mermaid.

You guessed it, I dived!

After nearly 13 years of hanging up my fins, mask, and regulator, I took a giant stride into the Atlantic off Fort Lauderdale beach last week.  Quite appropriately, I decided to rekindle this hobby of my past on a very important day, Look Up Day.  I thought there was no better way to Look UP than from 100 ft below the surface at my first ever wreck dive called the Mercedes.

As background information, my attraction to diving started when I lived in a non-diving type of environment, cold wintry Wisconsin. Despite the unfavorable conditions, nothing was going to stop me from pursuing adventure, not even the temperatures. (Here is a previous post of my cold, quarry dive story for PADI certification in Wisconsin.) So, after the brisk start to diving, I then advanced to Mexico, both on the Pacific coast in Zihautanejo and then to the world renowned walls of Cozumel.

Now in my sixth year living in South Florida, I thought it just plain wrong of me not to take advantage of the warm, clear waters as well as the close reefs and wrecks available (practically in my backyard).  Thus, I dove to the Mercedes which is at 100 ft. However, I didn’t stop there. I continued later in the week to another wreck, the Tracey, which was at 75 ft. Both were challenging dives for me coming out of a SCUBA cocoon, but now I have polished old skills and techniques, got rid of the little bit of nerves, acquired a couple scrapes and bruises, but I am ready for another reef dive later this week with the crew that helped me get my SCUBA chops back, ProDive.

To learn more about Fort Lauderdale diving options and to find other interested divers, check out ProDive’s Facebook page.

And remember Ms Traveling Pants’ motto,

“Every occasion in life can be categorized either as a good time or a good story.”

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @MsTravelingPant and add your own diving comments to this post!

The third post on visiting my roots comes upon the completion of a recent trip to my hometown in Wisconsin. YES, I did purchase a cheesehead hat and matching accessories as seen in the picture. However, as many last minute souvenir choices, it wouldn’t fit in my suitcase. So, my solution was like many that have purchased a sombrero in Mexico.   YOU BETCHA, I wore my cheesehead hat on the plane.  I might add that if you are looking to turn heads, wear a cheesehead hat. The only exception to this may be at Lambeau field for a Packer game where this is very common.

As promised, I did eat cheese curds with Wisconsin Salsa (aka ketchup) and I did share. As you can see from the picture, I expertly paired the melty, stringy cheese explosions with a local New Glarus concoction called appropriately Spotted Cow.

In typical Ms Traveling Pants style, I didn’t let the grass grow. I certainly crisscrossed the state. Fueled by cheese, brats, and beer, I witnessed truly epic vistas that made me understand why many people call this particular area, God’s country.

Click here to view my short picture montage showing Wisconsin’s beauty as seen through Ms Traveling Pants’ eyes.

With that said, I must admit I have a very abnormal affinity for something Wisconsin is famous for, CHEESE. Okay, maybe it would be better said that I have a minor cheese addiction. That’s right! I love cheese in all shapes, sizes, and flavors.

As a continuation from my last post on Gettting back to my roots, I wanted  to add a post on one of my favorite cheese snacks that are common in Wisconsin, but not so common to come across elsewhere….CHEESE CURDS.

My grandfather, a cheesemaker in Mindoro, Wisconsin, would be proud that I hold the cheese curd to such a high pedestal.  Many are not familiar with cheese curds, which are bite size morsels of cheese, typically yellow or orange like American cheddar.  They have been separated from the liquid whey, but have not been formed into the large rectangular blocks nor aged like what most associate with cheddar cheese. The flavor is mild, but they have a very squeaky, rubbery texture. I’m not sure if that would typically be a good texture for an edible item, but for cheese curds, it’s a sign of good curd.

Now, my favorite way to eat cheese curds is actually fried. Yes, you guessed it, frying just about anything makes it better and so it goes with cheese curds too.  The squeaky mild curds turn into a melty, stringy cheese explosion. One can eat cheese curds plain once fried, but the tried and true still dip them in Wisconsin salsa (aka ketchup). I’ll be visiting my dairy state roots and saluting to my genetic cheesemaker background by ordering a plate full of cheese curds with a bottle of ketchup.

I will share, but you better be fast. And, might I add that no plate of cheese curds would be complete without a chaser of local beer. My favorites come from Heileman’s, but that doesn’t’ rule out some of the others like Spotted Cow, Leinenkugels, etc.

Please share your cheese stories and other cheesehead fun facts with the Ms Traveling Pants’ (aka Miss Fish) audience with your comments.

**Photo of cheesehead hat courtesy of click here

**Photo of cheese curds from click here

With the vast majority of Wisconsinites either of German or Norwegian decent, there is seldom a special occasion, festival, or holiday that doesn’t honor delicacies from those mother cultures. Thus, my family took me on an adventure to the basement of a community church in our neighboring town, where the local Norwegian women were in charge of cooking and serving a lutefisk (looooooot-a-fisk) and lefse (lef-sa) dinner. (My accent comes back quickly.)

Lutefisk is a traditional Nordic fish dish made of dried stockfish then soaked in lye.  Yes, you read that correctly, fish soaked in lye, the same stuff that you use to make soap.  I can only rationalize that the process has been passed along since the time before modern day refrigerators or ice boxes existed. However, the traditional taste, texture (jelly-like), and smell of the dish have continued; be forewarned, lutefisk is somewhat notorious for its intense offensive odor. Uffda!

Lutefisk is usually served with, but not limited to potatoes, gravy, melted butter, meatballs, and of course lefse. Unlike lutefisk, lefse is really easy to understand. Basically, it is the Norwegian version of a flour or corn tortilla; however, it is made from potatoes.  It is most commonly served with butter, but many prefer lefse with a sprinkle of sugar. As an addition, lefse is easy to eat and has been a staple in special shipments from Wisconsin for years to wherever I hang my hat.

Now, little did I know that this adventure would be my first appearance in the press. Yes, the local newspaper caught me in the act. Young with a skeptical palate and the overly fishy smell wafting through the hall, I was caught with an ear to ear grin of enjoyment of my lumberjack’s plateful of mashed potatoes and gravy. (Even to this day, I cannot pass up a plate of good mashed potatoes.)

So, on this trip back to my roots, will I be diving into a lutefisk and lefse dinner? Uffda!

**Photo from Official Lutefisk Chef Site

1) Gather as much information as possible to make the best decision. Without information, you can’t make a good decision.

2)You know a lot about a man by his relationship with his mother. (I can hear her saying, “Meet the family sooner rather than later.”)

3) Trust your instincts. (I can hear her saying, “Trust your gut!”)

As a typical child, I have followed and not followed my mother’s advice. When I have strayed, so did my decision making abilities AND thus the consequences of said decisions.

The three points above are only a portion of what I have learned and will continue to learn from my mother. Thank you Mom! And, Happy Mother’s Day!

To all of my readers, please share some of the wisdom that you have learned from your Mom by commenting on this post.

The 27th of every month, Look Up Day, is to commemorate a special day & lesson that I would like to share with my friends, family, & others. It embodies the importance of life, health, & nature from an accident on 9/27/09 that changed my life.

The brainstorming for a name began
one month ago. People from around the world came out of the woodwork with OVER 50 possible names. The names range from song lyrics to translations to just plain silly.

Of all of the names and possibilities, WHY DID I CHOOSE LOOK UP DAY? Its double entendre.

To share, I have created a short video.

HERE’S TO LOOKING UP!

This Saturday the 27th marks SIX months since my accident. Because this has been a life altering experience and a SIX month stall on my life, I have decided to make the 27th of each month a special day. I want the day to signify something that will not only help in the current healing process, but something that I can cherish during  my 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and beyond.

Since the accident was unexpected, out of my home, and a severe trauma, I want to incorporate the themes of the importance of life, health, and nature (such as a tree) without calling it Ms Traveling Pants’ Day (or my birth name Heidi’s Day).

I have brainstormed and asked many friends, writers, family and colleagues.  I have come up with this video montage (seen below) for you to pick your favorite or even add an additional. Please remember I am now 33, but I want to use this for the rest of my fortunate life.

Below is a list of options that people have been giving over the past days, which you will see in the above video.  Please feel free to add as I think we can come up with something creative that I can use now and also later in life when a real bad day or hurdle comes my way and I shout or even toast amongst friends, “——– day!”

What’s your pick for the 27th?

One of the above or

another suggestion?

Examples: Look Up Day, Triumph Day, Knock Out Day, TIMBER Day, Rebirth Day , Ramus de Vigor Day (Latin),  Discovery Day, Madeira Day (Portuguese), Serendipity Day , Unbirthday, Resurrection Day, Carpe diem Day, Renaissance Day, Above Ground Day,Appreciation Day, Miracle Day, Tree of Life Day, Life and Limb Day, Vivere Day (Italian), Life Day, In the Game Day, Ma vie (French), Vida mia or Vidamia (Spanish), Cercare (Italian), Mind lift Day, Alba Day (Italian), Fortuna Day, Tree-umphant Day

Aye, it is true Ms Traveling Pants has learned to speak Pirate. All that was needed was a visit to the Bounty in Palm Beach, Florida this past weekend with a bunch of me mateys! Our crew of Captain Jack Sparrow (as you see below) as well as other pirates led me ever-curious landlubbers aboard the Bounty, which is probably best known for its usage in not only Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest, but also the classic Brando film, Mutiny on the Bounty.

So let’s cut to the chase. Let me mate, Cap’n Jack Sparrow, and I give you a lesson in how to talk like a pirate starting with a short list of commonly used terms….

Ahoy – a greeting; “Hello”

Arrr – a word that can mean many things, from “yes,” to “maybe,” to “I’ll think about it,” “I don’t know,” “That was good,” “That was bad,” or “That hurts”

Aye – Yes or okay.

Aye Aye – I’ll do that right away, or “Yes, I understand”

Booty – Loot, treasure, spices, jewels, or anything taken illegally.

Grog- generically any alcoholic drink, but most likely rum

Jolly Roger – a pirate flag usually showing white skull and crossbones on a black background.

Lad, lass, lassie – a way to address someone younger than you.

Landlubber- Land lover,  someone not used to life on a ship.

Lily-livered- faint o’ heart

Matey – a friend and/or shipmate

Me- my and/or mine

Mutiny – a revolt against authority

Plunder –  robbing or raiding.

Scallywag – a bad person; scoundrel.

Shiver Me Timbers- an exclamation of surprise, shock, and many times of fear

Sprogs – untrained recruits

Thar- the opposite of “here”

Walk the plank- no need to define this one… it’s bloody obvious.

Wench- a “lady” (typically a working girl a.k.a. a pirate’s barmaid or hooker)

Yo-ho-ho- pirate laughter

Watch out you scallywags! The Bounty has turned Ms Traveling Pants into a multi-lingual, grog drinking, sailor in search of treasure. Don’t mess with me or me mateys otherwise I will force you to walk the plank.

With or without the Pirate speak, you know I am always up for either a good time or to turn some NOT so good times into good stories.   So pass the grog or some rum, and let’s yo-ho-ho together on more of me and me mateys’ stories.

Although I did not spend as much time in Brazil as I have in other countries, I have been surrounded by the Brazilian culture for going on ten years. During that time, I have learned Portuguese (ok Portanol – the Portuguese version of Spanglish) as well as to sing many of Jobim’s Bossa Novas. However, I do have to be honest,  I have not yet mastered the Samba.

As Brazil’s culture and cuisine is very vast, I will only highlight my favorite dish that seems to be a crowd pleaser for potlucks as well as a great way to use left over chicken.  So check out this sweet, salty, refreshing Brazilian Chicken Salad called Salpicão de Galinha.

Ingredients:

½ lb of shredded chicken (typically it is seasoned with a garlic and salt paste called tempero which is easily prepared in a mortal and pestle)  **Hint you may use left over chicken or buy already roasted chicken.

1 apple diced (green apples work the best with a touch of orange juice to prevent browning)

1 can of sweet corn (drained)

1/3 cup of raisins (add more if you like the dish sweeter)

1/3 cup of sliced green olives (add more if you like the dish more salty)

1½ cup of shredded carrots (blanched)

Small can of shoestring potatoes

Small container of non-fat plain yogurt (if you like everything creamier or a heavier texture you may use mayo; however, if you like things zingy use Greek yogurt.)

Directions:

1) Season and cook the chicken with a heavy rub of the fresh garlic and salt paste (tempero).  Let the chicken cool.  After it is room temperature or comfortable to touch, pull the chicken with a fork or hands to create thin, shredded pieces.  Place the pulled chicken in a medium to large mixing bowl.

2) Boil water to blanch the carrots while you dice 1 green apple.  Cover the diced apple with a little orange juice or similar to prevent browning.  Then, place the apples in the bowl.

3) Drain and empty one can of sweet corn into the mixture.  Then, add the raisins and olives.

4) Once the water is boiling, add the carrots for 1-2 minutes.  They will become livelier in color.  Remove the carrots from the heat.  Drain them and run cold water over the top to stop the cooking process.  Once cooled, add the carrots to the mixture.  At this point all ingredients have been added except the yogurt and shoestring potatoes.

5) Add a tablespoon of yogurt at a time to the mixture while stirring until the entire salad has a light coating of the yogurt.  After mixing in the yogurt, chill the salad for at least an hour, but it’s even better after a couple hours or overnight.

6) When ready to serve, take the salad out of the refrigerator and top with the shoestring potatoes (the amount is up to your discretion).

**Alterations:  You may add diced ham to this mixture and even green peas to make it more colorful, but the important combination is the play on the salty and sweet flavors.  There needs to be that concoction for the salad to be interesting.  With that said, eyeball the raisins and olives and add more if you like it more one way or the other.

Remember:

Long after the travels are over, the recipes still remain.

They are some of the best lembranças (souvenirs)!!!