The sights, sounds, the view, home again ...

As the fog burned off Miami the ship set out into the blue waters... the energy could be felt as folks found their way down long halls, to the pools and hot tubs. The ship was alive, the smells and wonder of 'where do we go next' could be seen on faces... the smells filled the senses! Where to venture to next, what to do, what to eat, drink, see... And boy was the views something to see!  

The first greeting was from the people in the dining areas mid-ship with their hand washing spray, their joyous and loud constant refrain of, "washy washy... happy happy, smiley smiley all day"! Each and every time a person approached and entered the massive restaurant that took you from one side of the ship to the next. Most of us would try to beat them to the saying as we extended our hands for sanitizing, most of us noted we didn't have time to get our hands dirty between passages!

The chant became heard from other passengers and on elevators, "washy washy, happy happy smiley smiley" throughout the cruise... It so happened that this cruise was also a Mountain Song Cruise where folks had come from all over the place with their instruments for bluegrass music... they seemed to hide once on board or take a part of the ship for making music as we only heard one set at the pool! We had great entertainment, great music, and skies that were splendid. Meeting folks from Canada, Indiana, Colorado, New Mexico, Wisconsin, and cold states that were so happy to be warm they could barely contain themselves!

 Everyone has a story to tell on land and on sea... the staff of Norwegian Cruise Lines represent so many countries I lost count, each working on 6 month contracts while there. Each working about 10 hour days, and oh do they work hard! I had one of the best massages of my life by a woman named Jannette from the Philippines, she was tiny in stature, but when she began a 75 minute massage I think she became a giant!  She was fabulous.  She asked if I would adopt her, but let me know she ate a lot, so that canceled that deal!

Of course on any cruise you get to see more than you bargain for, as you people watch, you hear more than you want to as folks typically have no idea how loud they talk... It becomes amazing at times what folks do, say, think, and the bathing suits they try on in stores with mirrors yet buy and wear anyway! Oh lest we forget the tattoos and their placements... Have to wonder about that at times, yet, they were as well amazing.

Note to self and others; be certain to take your eye vitamins before you cruise! They will help with some of the sights you see.

Look up, always look up... The darkest of skies in the lateness of night allows the stars to blanket the skies, all those holes for angels to watch over and look down just amazed me all over again. I found myself staying up much too late, staring up and talking to all the powerful angels that watch over me for the longest of times.

The sea, oh the sea, what a magical wonderful sea... 

  
 Ah, but there is nothing quite like absorbing the majesty of the waters, feeling the moments spent on the seas. The blues are every so blue, the turquoise remarkable, the chill upon entering the water and the refreshing feeling upon exhaling when coming up for air... It has an effect like none other upon my soul, my spirit, my resiliency. I am grateful ever so grateful to have shared this time and experience ... 

I will return there in my mind often, in the echoes of laughter, mine and that of others heard, in memories made, and yes, even in sights seen while aboard and in Mexico. I once again learned that tequila does not make your clothes fall off!  And that is a very good thing!

The sunset will remind us as Olivia once did as a wee one, "Look LOOK... God is taking the sun down, but it is OK, cos he'll bring it up again in the mornin"!

 Wishing each of you a most remarkable week, wherever you are and whatever you are doing...

Don't wait for success ... start now! As Granny used to be known for saying, "it's great to go places but it as greater to get home".  There's just no place like home! But it sure is wonderful to hit the high seas.

Walk in beauty,