A Taste of Paradise in 2021

I’m still reeling from the adventures of the past week. I scroll through the photos in my phone - the bright blue skies, the deep blue waters of the open ocean, the smiles and drinks and delicious foods, the sands of the beach, and the sea life that we were able to encounter - as if to tell myself that ‘yes, this was real. This did happen’. What an incredible opportunity. I’d never left the country before, and have seen the ocean fewer times than I could count on a single hand if I were missing two fingers.

Cruises are so easy. Just hop on and they take you to where you need to go, where you can disembark for a day of fun only to hop back on and enjoy the endless amenities that an entertainment vessel of that size has to offer. I didn’t take a single second for granted. The best part was the Covid testing beforehand. Vaccine requirements and mandatory Covid tests at the port (and three days prior to departure) ensured that passengers were safe to be mask-free when venturing through the ship.

For a blissful week, there were moments where this Covid nurse had forgotten that Covid-19 ever existed at all. That, alone, was the break that I think myself, and many others onboard needed.

There is an interesting crowd on board these ships. You could tell who the ‘frequent cruisers’ were. I overheard two couples talking about their next cruise the following week, and another one that they were excited for a week after that one! ‘What a life…’ I remember thinking to myself as I stared down a seagull that threatened to liberate me of my breakfast as I ate on the upper deck. I would be lucky to take a cruise maybe every two to three years at most with very meticulous saving and frugality. I definitely didn’t fit in with these people - the cruise experts. Whatever you might call them. Rich, perhaps.

All of these thoughts of how I could possibly ever afford doing this again left my mind when I swam with sea lions. The most amusing part to me being that they have belly buttons. Of course! Why wouldn’t they? They’re mammals. Still, this tickled my fancy in a strange way. ‘r/TIL, sea lions have belly buttons’. Snorkeling was another new experience. Mouth-breathing through a tube is a strange concept, but the alternatives were holding my breath or drowning - so I figured it out pretty quickly. I was able to see some stunningly colorful fish and coral reefs, things I’d only ever seen in pictures swimming right before my eyes. I learned that the Piña Colada was invented in San Juan, Puerto Rico; so of course I had to try one for myself. They’re officially ruined for me now, everywhere else I go. The original is by far the tastiest. The sunsets in the virgin islands were to die for. We sailed around the island of St. Thomas with champagne in a small sailboat as my friends, significant other, and I watched the sunset. Last but not least, the Great Stirrup Cay. By far the most scenic place I’ve paddle boarded, yet. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to experience each and every one of these adventures.

The service on the ship was beyond belief - everyone so friendly and kind. You can tell that the staff enjoyed their jobs almost as much as the guests who were on vacation. Being waited on hand and foot is not something I ever expected to like, but I let myself enjoy it during the vacation. As I took the bus from the port back to the airport, I opened my grocery app with a huff. ‘Guess you need to meal-plan now. What the fuck do you want to eat this week?’ I chuckled to myself at the cynicism in my mental dialogue.

In the words of the great Marshall Bruce Mathers III.... ‘snap back to reality.’ Although I hope that my gravity continues to stay duly intact.

Last updated October 14, 2021