Page 36 of Date and Switch

Easter Island! Holy crap it looks unbelievable when you see it up close. Lake Llanquihue, the water is so blue you almost think it’s a trick of your eyes. And of course, every mountainous national park you can think of. My blisters still have blisters. From Chile, we went to Peru and visited Machu Pichu. After nine days spent hiking and doing all kinds of movement my fluffy body was not prepared for, I was thrilled to spend most of the morning in an air-conditioned bus and have a tour guide take us nearly to the mouth of the park. Granted there was some hiking, but it was much better than some of the other trails Bryce has been dragging me through.

Quick stops in Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Baja, California (which isn’t in California at all in case you too thought we were back in America.) However, despite that embarrassing faux pas I got to see PUFFINS!! And that made everything better.

We are now docked for two full days in Los Angeles before heading off to Hawaii, New Zealand, and Australia. I’m so excited, I get to meet Bear and Raven in a few hours, and we’ll get tons of pictures up on the station’s social media pages!

Also I learned from our fellow table mates that not everyone does the full cruise. Some people are already leaving, and new travelers will join us tomorrow. The more you know!

Be sure to check my insta feeds for a full photo dump of the last 20 or so days!

xox

Sera

twenty-three

For every situation I could remember—state basketball championships, the S.A.Ts, final exams, huge million dollar business deals, negotiations going south—I was the level headed one. The one that breathed through adversity and kept the fog of an adrenaline rush at bay. Penn was the emotional one. The fuck up. In response to Penn’s less than stellar reputation with other’s people’s money, I’ve always made sure I was the polar opposite.

This deal freaked me out. Not just because the whole success of the European expansion depended on it, but if it went to shit it would be on my shoulders. Bryce, the responsible one. Not Penn, the fuck up. Sure, I could say something like I was too emotional over Sarah to be able to think straight. Or my emotions got in the way of feeling like I was on my game. But I didn’t want to have to make excuses. I didn’t want this deal to go south.

“Rye! This vacation is really treating you well. You look great.”

My brother had me in a hug before I’d completely made it off the elevator.

“I can’t get over how relaxed you look.” He continued, our steps falling into sync as we trekked across the street. “And look at you playing with patterns and shit. Who dressed you? You’re never this adventurous.”

“Thanks, Sera picked it out.”

“Bryce, you are a sight for sore eyes!” Esther shuffled toward me, arms extended and wrapped me in a hug. “I wanted to wish you the two of you luck though you won’t need it. Breakfast is on its way up. The Gilroys are about twenty minutes out. I know you two will knock their socks off.”

“Thanks Esther,” Penn poured himself a cup of coffee and leaned against the conference room table. “The research you put together for us was top notch.”

“All of the other arrangements you requested, Bryce, are in motion. The first arriving at one o’clock p.m.”

Penn looked at me over his coffee mug, questions playing across both of his eyebrows and the part of his mouth not hidden by the mug.

“Arrangements? What’s with all the cloak and dagger big brother?”

“Nothing of concern, little brother. How about instead of trying to ferret out stuff that is none of your business, you focus on your presentation.”

Esther arranged for the buyer from Nieman’s to present Sera with some options for the rest of the cruise. When we’d arrived on the ship it became glaringly obvious that she hadn’t prepared for all of the different events and clothing requirements we’d face. Given the shops on the ship were less than helpful, and we didn’t have enough time to spend shopping, I brought the shops to her. Though Penn would make a much bigger deal of that fact than needed to be.

“Oh, I just received word the Gilroys have arrived downstairs,” Esther informed us just as her cell phone dinged. “I’ll go collect them!”

“Well…” I took a deep breath and readjusted my tie before hugging my brother. “This is it!”

twenty-four

“Holy crap, I have been dying to meet you in person ever since Rye said you were joining him on this crazy jaunt around the world!”

Jessica Rabbit’s gothic sister bounced into the room, practically skipping in six-inch fuck me boots.

“Raven?”

“Raven, Tillie, I answer to both. My brother-in-law typically calls me Tillie and not Raven, but you do—whichever makes sense for you.”

I extended my hand to shake it, and she practically swatted it away before yanking me in for a fierce hug.

“She usually isn’t like this.” A tattooed man, who I could only assume was Bear, extended his hand in greeting.

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