Back home again and REFLECTIONS

The Legend of the Seas was my favorite cruise yet.  The ship was beautiful and the ports were better!  We met so many wonderful new people and learned so many new things.  I have a new appreciation for the world around me.  My quote on my profile that states "Don't travel thinking you'll change the places you go. Travel thinking that the places you go will change you." Was very true for me on this trip.  I have a new outlook on many things.

 

I’m not a negative person and I see the good in everything.  I’m a hopeless optimist and people who criticize everything and everyone around them are a real bummer to me.  I’m convinced that the ship trip air-conditioned motor coaches are full of these people.  I heard complaints about everything from the way the porters were dressed to the fact that there were too many people on the cruise that spoke Spanish (on a ship that left from a SPANISH speaking country… ?!?!?!?!?)  I even heard someone complain that they were tired of being “bothered” and “subjected” to sitting through announcements being repeated in Spanish all week (again, on a ship that left from a Spanish speaking country).

I guess I’ll never understand the life of a pessimist. I saw it as an opportunity to better my skills, and by the end of the week, I was giggling at the jokes told in Spanish before being translated in English.  Ah well, I guess I didn’t stick around for the whole side of their story so I can’t criticize their experiences too much, I just don’t understand people who can find negativity in everything when I’m the exact opposite.  Ah well. The world spins because of differences, not in spite of them, I guess.

 

This is the second trip where we had more than a few people come up to Dan and I and either comment that we are or ask if we are from Canada.  Of course, this isn’t an insult at all.  I didn’t think we had a northern accent, but maybe we do? J Maybe I just look like I play hockey HA HA! (which I did for a short time in college.

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I discovered that I LOVE ink pens that have things “floating” in them.  I bought a Legend of the Seas pen that has a little cruise ship pulling into port!  Cool.

 

I will continue to cruise, probably the rest of my life, because I love everything about it.  I love the people you meet and the places you go.  I was inspired by X_Drive and the adaptations of his famous travel quotes and came up with my own as I sat through hours of uploading photos:

"If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home." -- James Michener

"If you see people who reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might be on a cruise ship tour.” --" Phins’ variation of James Michener’s quote

Ha ha!

 

I’m 5 days off the ship and have yet to do a load of laundry or cook a meal.  Please don’t come visit me yet, my house is a disaster.

 

I hope my next cruise will be with my Uncle Bob and Aunt Roseanne.  We’ll probably take a familiar route on a larger ship, similar to my Mariner blog (which I re-read, and you can really tell I was a TB “newbie” when I wrote it! J)  Hopefully I’ve inspired some of you to take a cruise.  It really doesn’t have to be a “touristy” mess which most people think it is, it’s all what you make it. Matter of fact, come cruise with me and we’ll go find a local tour guide, an out-of-the-way waterfall or two, eat a local dish, drink some local rum, and maybe even stop into a pharmacy for some decongestant and mamajuana!  See you on board!