Cruise Report

This last weekend, I went on a cruise with one of my best friends. I loved it! It was one of the best experiences of my life! I enjoyed it so much that Chad and I are planning to go on another cruise in a few years for our 15th anniversary, and my sister and I are hoping to book one once her kids are all grown (probably in about 10 years).

We rode on the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise. It was a nice ship. All of the crew members I came in contact with were very friendly. 

They had fun activities and great shows each day.

We mostly ate from the buffet. There was such a good variety of food. My favorite part was the cheeseburger bar. I also had soft serve ice cream after each lunch and dinner. They had pretty desserts other than the ice cream. I tried a few, but I'm not a big cake fan, so I didn't eat much of them. 

The view of the ocean was amazing from almost anywhere on the ship. Our favorite place to go was the deck at the back of the buffet, especially at sunset.

The best part of the trip by far was our stop in Nassau, Bahamas.  After the planned excursion was canceled due to a boat malfunction, we booked another excursion directly through the Sand Dollar Resort. Rather than just going snorkeling with the turtles and over the coral reef, we were able to go snorkeling over the coral reef, swim with the pigs, go turtle watching, and enjoy a wonderful lunch of barbeque chicken and rice with spices and beans for the same price. (We were refunded by the cruise line for the original excursion.)

What would I have changed? I would have packed as soon as we got back from the excursion and gone to the show the last night. I liked the shows and should have just gone alone since my friend was too tired to go. I would have also spent more time at the pool. We went one morning and didn't go back. I would have gladly not gone to some of the trivia events and gone to the pool. The last thing I would have done is go to the restaurant that was included in the price other than the buffet. I wanted to see what they had to offer with the hope of having something a bit different. I enjoyed the food we had, but it would have been nice to check out something else for one meal. 

Overall this cruise was a great experience, and I can't wait to do it again. Maybe I'll book a longer one when Chad and I go.

Trip Getting Closer

 I am going on a trip next week with my friend, Michelle. We started planning this trip late last year, and it seemed so far away. For a while, it felt like it wasn't even happening even though I knew I had already paid for it. I drug my feet on getting my passport for the longest time because the trip felt so far away. Now, my passport will be here Friday. I will be on a plane to Florida a week from tomorrow and on a cruise to the Bahamas the next day. 

I am nervous and excited about this trip. I feel guilty for leaving my internship for a week, but I have already discussed it with my supervisor. I just hope it doesn't cause problems with the school for me to miss the majority of my hours. I am a nervous flyer, and all of the plane crashes over the past year have made me even more nervous. I have never been on a flight that long, so I hope not to have a panic attack on the plan. I am excited to see things that I have never seen and thought I would never see in my lifetime. I am excited to get out of my comfort zone for a bit and spend time with my dear friend. I am excited to see the ocean and go on my first international trip. (I'm not counting my Niagra Falls trip barely in Canada when I was 12.) I am excited to just get away for a while. I have been so stressed and need to have this reset. 

What do I still need to do? I don't totally know. I know I still need to pay my friend back for the plane tickets and make sure I have the money available for the hotel room for Thursday night. I need to make sure to pack everything I need, but I'm not totally sure what all I will need. I will be meeting up with Michelle Saturday to make sure we each have a checklist to make sure we are ready to go. 

I hope this vacation is as amazing as I imagine it will be. I have been told it is a great place to go and a good first cruise. 

Temple with Michelle

 

Michelle, one of my best friends, and I have been going out to dinner or breakfast at least once a month since October of 2020 when my therapist at the time told me to find someone to do this with. These are months when we find reasons to go out more. This month being one of those months. We went to breakfast last weekend, she took me with her family to the Christmas train when her son-in-law couldn't go. Yesterday, we went to the temple together. It is such a wonderful way to wrap up the year!

Michelle and I have gone to the temple together before, but this was a special trip. Her birthday is next week. He late husband had a tradition of taking her to the temple on or as close as possible to her birthday. Two years ago, I took her for her first birthday without him. Last year, her so took her. This year, we went together for her birthday again. I would love to keep this beautiful tradition going for her as long as she'll let me. Being in the temple is one of my favorite things to do. Going with such a special friend makes it even better.