I went on a cruise and it changed my life.
I got to go on a Caribbean cruise a year ago and if you have never been on a cruise, like I hadn’t, you will be in total awe. There is entertainment all day every day! Entertainment for all ages: clubs for teens and 18+ clubs, casinos, bingo, water-slides, illusionists, comedians, musicians. The people that work for the cruise absolutely talented and amazing from the maids who fold fabulous designed towels to the cooks who prepare meals that never get old (at least for the week that you are on the ship), to the fun-loving activities director, the crew never ceases to amaze.
The people that you meet on the ship and off make your memories so cherished you will constantly be missing your week-long friends. I met people from all around the world, from different backgrounds and lifestyles. Every single person that I met is the reason that I am encouraging this journey. The family that I went on the cruise with was an extremely social group to have gone with. We made it a point to talk to new people every day. Even if we got to know somebody for a brief moment, that connectivity created such a peaceful atmosphere on the ship.
When I started the trip, I was freshly heartbroken. I felt like nothing could cheer me up, but I was wrong. I met people who lit a fight in my soul. I forgot all of my worries that were thousands of miles away and I just became one with who I am. I had no idea who I was and I found myself. I do not mean it in the boring one liner way that everyone who read it rolls their eyes at. I mean I truly found what made me, me. I thought I had myself figured out, to this day I am still figuring out new things about myself, but the cruise is what lead to my ability to realize that I was not happy with who I was and I needed to change that to become the best version of myself. The friends I made, we thought we would be friends forever. We do not keep in contact as much as we all would have liked to, but that is the magic of the adventure. You meet these amazing people that you know exist around the world with the same memories as you. You all have a shared bond that nobody outside of the group could understand.
This adventure was my first time leaving the country. Now I have the travel bug. I can’t wait for my next adventure. My advice to anyone is to forget about a boring old trip to the beach a few states away from you. Take that money you would have spent there and save as much as you can and spend it on a big trip. It doesn’t have to be a cruise. It can be anything. Just get out of your comfort zone and meet people from all around the world. You get a broader idea of what people are like rather than assumptions made from the news and media that we consume daily. Get to know people and travel. I understand it is hard to save money for big trips, but if you are determined to have the time of your life, set aside $20 every two weeks, set aside money that hasn’t gone to your savings/emergency fund and bills, and that money will add up quickly. Catch the travel bug like I did. It’s itchy, but so worth it.