Musing after cruising ......

Well, we just made it back from our very first cruise, EVER.  What an experience!

The boat itself was awe inspiring ... so big and so many things to do.  Of course, there were the drinks, the food, the shows .... everything everyone raves about.  But once we arrived back on land and got our 'land legs' back, I had to ask myself what my favorite part of our vacation was.....  the only thing that stayed in my mind.  That floated before my closed eyes when I laid down at night were all the wonderful people we met throughout those 4 days. 

The ship's crew is made up of a conglomeration of men and women from all over the world.  The beautiful Ukrainian woman at the coffee bar;the Transylvanian maitre d; the Philipino waiter; the Japanese country singer; the British cruise director; and the Italian ship captain.  Each of their beautifully accented voices rang in your ears decorating your day at different times and for different reasons.  Now I crave their sing-songy voices welcoming me aboard and wishing me Good Morning. 

Then there were the lovely people we met in Mexico.  Attempting our best Spanish and sharing loads of laughs at our mistakes was just plain fun.  It sounds so obvious but realizing that there are other people that you do not know in the far reaches of the world is Amazing!  Knowing there are people waking up on an island somewhere going about their everyday business is somehow reassuring that life is not so bad.  I'm not sure how, but perhaps it is knowing that you are not alone in the world.  That there are others who may not share your language but who would understand your laughter or your pain.  Knowing that at any time you could up and leave and go somewhere else in the world and find good company. 

Our 'Cruise Family' that we shared dinner with every night are the ones I miss the most.  How strange it is to sit down in such an intimate setting as the dinner table and share your day with complete strangers.  And how quickly they cease to be strangers.  Sharing a meal with someone is perhaps the quickest way to get to know them.  You can learn so much about a person just by the things they eat, the way they eat, the way they interact with waitstaff.  A cruise is a people-watcher's Heaven to be sure! 

I have to say that this was more than just a vacation for me.  It was a life-altering experience.  I find that in my old age (haha!) each experience I have becomes more and more life-altering no matter how trivial.  What a blessing it is to be able to see the beauty of those places you visit.  And not just the aesthetic beauty, which in itself is breathtaking, but the beautiful even in the non-beautiful things! 

I now have the travel bug.  I don't just want to travel; I want to wander.  I don't just want to vacate my life; I want to occupy others' lives.  I want to know people and their cultures inside and out.  My new favorite word: wanderlust. :)