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We woke up foggy-headed on Saturday morning with the seemingly over-encumbering task of choosing which select items would get to come with us on the sailboat trip to the Whitsundays. We were required to fit everything into zipper-less bags to prevent the spread of bed bugs on tour ships. After checking out of our apartment, we made our way down to the main strip and ate a delicious meal of lamb and margarita pizzas at Mr. Bones Pizza Bar before purchasing the remaining necessities for our sailing trip. For two accountable people who hate being late, we cut it close before embarking on the boat - we had to buy supplies, drop off our computer bag at the locker, pay for parking (it didn't help that the automated pay machine was on the fritz), and locate the marina, which was twice as far of a walk than we thought. We arrived at the marina, just in time, with sweat dripping down our faces…little did we know that instead of hauling our gear across town, we could've just parked right at the marina. Walking to our assigned water vessel - The Atlantic Clipper - we gawked at the multi-million dollar yachts and sailboats lining the pier. The Clipper can hold 53 guests and 7 crew members, so it had ample space in the saloon and sun deck, however our cozy private cabin was literally smaller than the (SPOILER ALERT!) master closet of the Agnes Water luxury apartment we just left. We opted for the twin room (to save $100) so Anne got the top bunk with her own personal port hole window. We didn't spend any more time in our cabin than we had to, especially because of how stuffy it was with the lack of A/C. As the Clipper cruised away from the harbor, we got a brief orientation and started meeting some new friends that we'd spend the next few days with. Their home countries littered the globe: Canada, England, Ireland, Luxemburg, Holland, Switzerland, Germany…among others. The crew made us a delicious meal of fish, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and rolls, which everyone devoured, knowing that food would be limited on the ship. As the sun set on the Whitsunday Islands, Anne and I began to question the Clipper's reputation as the most notorious party boat available. Our comrades from around the world sat in small social circles while Anne and I schemed a way to get the party started. We were briefly entertained by some hungry fish having a a feeding frenzy around the boat, but eventually, Anne decided that the only way to break the ice would be to start dancing around the top deck by herself. Not long after, the only other married couple came over and started dancing with us. One by one, our fellow boat-mates gained the courage to join us in the international dance-off. Anne proved that Sconnie can represent all the way around the world…not to mention that we were also representing the married couples who still like to get down (most people couldn't believe that we were married). Needless to say, we showed these kids how to do it. We also played a group game called "Eat the Box" that required flexible bodies…and even lead to a splits and squat competition between two of the guys. Throughout the next two days, Anne was the social hub of the entire ship - the most enthusiastic person at any activity, and gained the reputation as the dance party initiator. Geez, I feel pretty lucky that no matter where this trip takes us, the party's coming with me! We retreated to our cabins before midnight, bracing the 6am wake-up call the next morning.
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