Bon Voyage!!

Aaron and I just went on our first cruise. A few months ago,  Mike and Melanie invited us to join them and her parents on a cruise in the western Caribbean. They had found a screaming deal on a cruise that left out of New Orleans. We later realized the screaming deal was due to the fact that the cruise left Superbowl weekend and returned during Mardi Gras.

Aaron and I drove from here after my mom arrived to stay with our kids.

We were separated from the others as we boarded the ship and as we stepped onto the deck the staffer welcoming us must have seen the look on my face. She asked me,"Why are you so scared? We are going to have so much fun this week!"

We spent the afternoon exploring the ship and eating at the buffet. Later that night we embarked down the Mississippi River (it took us 8 hours to reach the Gulf of Mexico). 

We left the Superbowl party behind and headed out to sea. 

We spent the next day hanging out on the pool deck and reading. In fact, Aaron spent the entire cruise either reading, sleeping, or eating. By the end of the day, the sea sickness was really starting to get the best of me. We didn't take any medication to help with sea sickness because neither of us thought it was going to be an issue. Well, it was an issue. It was a huge issue. I waited to enter the dining room for  dinner that night and felt like I was going to pass out. I returned to our room and spent the evening laying on the couch. I realized I was facing a decision. There was only one way through this cruise and that was to make it through the next five days. I could do that one of two ways. I could do it laying down with my head between my legs or I could do it on my feet. I chose the later. I decided I would simply ignore the queasy feeling in my stomach and the rocking of the boat. I would keep moving and keep my mind occupied so I wouldn't and couldn't think about it.

I woke up the next morning with a new attitude and explored the boat. This is what I found.

We spent the next day in Cozumel, Mexico snorkeling. We had an underwater camera that made it even more fun.

We enjoyed being with Melanie's parents. They were so much fun to hang out with and great people.

It was nice to spend with Michael and Melanie. They were always patient and didn't care that we weren't  the party animals they had hoped we would be.

Spending time together was amazing. It is interesting when there is no Internet access and few interruptions in life. We enjoyed having this new experience together. You can see the police officer coming to yell at us for standing to close to the edge of the gang plank. Whoops.

We spent next day on the beach in the Grand Caymans. Aaron and I swam out in the ocean and while we didn't have snorkeling gear we had our swim goggles and saw some amazing things. I have overcome my fear of water but I have not over come my fear of sharks or my over active imagination.
It was my favorite stop. You can see why.

I giggle every time I think about us all crammed into this little van. There were only four actual seats but the driver kept finding places to fit another rider.

 We spent Bob Marley's birthday in Jamaica. It was fun but, it was not as great as I thought it would be. I think because we just did tourist things. I'm not a great tourist. I like to see what the island is really like.

The private beach we went to turned out to be a dud. It was ugly and there wasn't a good place to  swim. I was frustrated then I remembered what a dear friend told me about taking photos. "Sometimes you just have to slow down". That is just what I did and soon I started to notice things that were picture worthy after all.

I was "in training" for another half marathon while we were on the cruise. That means that I couldn't miss a workout even though I was on vacation. I love working out and although it sounds strange, I love working out while I'm on vacation.

I ran 8 miles one day around the track. I ran day on the treadmill. I felt very sick that day. My view was over the ocean and I spent the workout pitting my will against the ocean. I conquered and finished my workout. I had to run back to back 5k. The problem is my tread mill was measured in kilometers. It took me a minute to figure out how many kilometers are in a 5k. (Haha. I probably shouldn't admit some of these things publicly. I think it is important to be able to laugh at your self.)

I also needed to keep on a workout routine to counter balance all the food I was eating. The food was great and it was unlimited. We order 2-3 appetizers, entrees, and dessert every night. That does not include the all you can eat buffet and endless ice cram cones that were available.

Anyway, we had a great time with Mike, Mel, and her parents. It was an experience that I will never forget especially the "life lessons " that I learned. Who knew that this cruise would change our both our families lives forever.

The main thing I took away from this experience is learning that you can't always control your environment, but you can control the way you react to it. There is only one way through life and that is to get through it. You can do it laying down or you can do it while cruising on your feet.