superkat
Premium Member
I love cruises. I love the excitement from three months before I even arrive at the terminal. I love packing for the adventure...I love not knowing what each day will bring. I love that I am pampered, treated as though I was the most important person aboard that ship. I would like to correlate this to my life....
The Preparation:
I spend hours determining what I will need...even what others will need. I put everything into a pile and then start sorting. Two scents of deodorant, because i love baby powder, but also flowers. And I know that others prefer baby powder over flowers, and so..must have both. Toothpaste, hairbrush..one for dry hair, one for wet hair. Then I start pairing down the pile. And quite frankly, I will think of others before myself. If only one tube of toothpaste can be brought, I will bring what someone else loves. This is silly, right? Wrong. Because if I am to have a good time, I want to make sure that I am not detering from someone else having a good time because I thought only of myself. I do the same with my clothing. What I like, what others like, textures, colors...I want to be prepared. To be ready for all that comes my way...and to be pleasing to all around me. It's a very OCD quality...but when I am finished. I never have to revisit my suitcase again, because it has been prepared with great care.
The Departure:
You leave your home. The comfort of your surroundings...for something worthwhile. For something that you believe will bring you all you prepared for. Maybe you take a plane. And you buckle in and get ready for the thrill of take off...and you get a little buzz with the rising of the plane from the ground...and you look below and see your house, getting smaller, further away...and yet you are not afraid because you have faith in where you are about to go. And from the air? Everything gets a new perspective. You realize that your house, your neighborhood, your state...all part of a much bigger picture. One you can't really see while standing in your own yard. And you think...it really isn't just about me. Because there are no boundaries...the open air around all those houses is shared...and what goes into the wind...can sometimes reach around the world.
Arrival at Port:
You and your baggage are dropped in front of this huge ship, that doesn't even seem that it should float...and yet it does...with thousands of souls aboard. And you trust a stranger with your carefully packed bags and you step on to the ship with anticipation and wonder. You are greeted by others, who do not know you, with exceptional attitudes...which perhaps are only a guise since, truly, it is in their job description to be just that. But you don't care. You are so wrapped up in the presentation, the awe of being treated so well, that if they lost your possessions at this point, you would simply go to their store and buy new ones. The arrival at this magnificant facility takes your breath away. You are, captivated.
On Board:
You have a wonderful room...with an attentive steward who you want to adopt and take home with you because they are so kind. And you think...I want to be treated this way forever. It is a truly rare experience the first time. It's like being a king or queen. It's like falling in love, only better, because when it's over...you can always come back. You never have to worry about food, or sleep, or entertainment, or happiness, or anything. It's all provided for you. You don't have to work very hard at all. And everything is glorious. It's like a fairytale. It's beautiful and stunning...and you dress up, and you go out...and you dance...and you drink...and you always have someplace to come back to that is comfortable and inviting.
Shore Excursions:
My favorites include cave tubing, diving and spending time with dolphins...anything in the ocean or water. I could go to bed at night and have something to look forward to. Some bright spot in the following day to focus on. Some people need that. Some people do and will always look towards tomorrow with hope. It is how they function...especially if the day before you gave up that swim or the dancing because someone in your party was sick, or hurting because they weren't enjoying the excursion as much as you. And for people like me, I have and will, drop everything for another.
Disembarking:
Is hard. You spend so much time in the fairytale, that you forget that there is another world out there...maybe one you wanted to forget. Maybe one you aren't so anxious to return to...but you get a discount package when you leave...saying, "come back! will give you this or that..." or some other great deal. And you're in! You grab that, sign up for next year and the whole process starts all over again. Why? Because they treated you well. The provided you with something that made you come alive...every single day. Even when it was stormy, or the seas were rough. They gave you something to believe in.
Here's my correlation. All my life I've been packing, arranging things according to not only my needs, but the needs of others. I have a big heart that I share with any and all that want a part of it. It is how I am. Providing that to others is not depending on others...it is what makes me come alive. It could be as simple as knowing they like blue gatorade, or prefer the baby powder over the flowers...or that sometimes...they need to be quiet when I am so excited to be preparing. Preparing for the future is hard, because you never know what it will be. So you try your best to do your best for the best. And some days, you just can't win. And you think, where did I go wrong in this preparation. Which is wrong. Because no one is to blame. It just happens.
And then you depart. You leave everything you knew behind, because the adventure before you is worth the risk. And you embrace the unknown and vow to stay in the game until you know everything you need to know about where you are...and how you got there. And sometimes, you never get a straight answer. The important thing is to NOT GIVE UP. No matter what, you know you tried and even if you think you have failed, the truth is, there is no failure in life...there are only mistakes, bad choices...and failure would be only if we had never taken the chance to begin with.
On board, it's wonderful. You love and live and breath each day...you do what you can with what you have and enjoy every breath, every moment...even if they are bad. Because without the bad, you would never learn to appreciate the good. Sometimes you may run, slip, fall, because you couldn't control yourself, because you felt so deeply that you needed to be in every moment completely...and failed to recognize that sometimes..you need to be still, and wait....for the moment to come to you.
And the excursions are glorious! On board and off the ship.....a massage, a good meal, good conversation...long talks...walks...stars...simple things sometimes are so much greater than the "in your face" spectacular. How often do we take these for granted. We become so comfortable, we stop being just a little afraid, that we forget, the ship could sink...and it would all be over.
And you leave the ship behind. For the ship has sailed. And you hold on to every good and wonderful thing....and you breathe and maybe you cry, because it is so hard to step off. And for awhile...your legs are little wobbly...you balance a little off...because you need to find your sea legs....
But you are never the same after the ship has sailed. Because you found something wonderful. Something that made you come alive. And for that....you are changed forever.
It is important that you never take for granted anything in your life. Never.
Peace,
Kat
The Preparation:
I spend hours determining what I will need...even what others will need. I put everything into a pile and then start sorting. Two scents of deodorant, because i love baby powder, but also flowers. And I know that others prefer baby powder over flowers, and so..must have both. Toothpaste, hairbrush..one for dry hair, one for wet hair. Then I start pairing down the pile. And quite frankly, I will think of others before myself. If only one tube of toothpaste can be brought, I will bring what someone else loves. This is silly, right? Wrong. Because if I am to have a good time, I want to make sure that I am not detering from someone else having a good time because I thought only of myself. I do the same with my clothing. What I like, what others like, textures, colors...I want to be prepared. To be ready for all that comes my way...and to be pleasing to all around me. It's a very OCD quality...but when I am finished. I never have to revisit my suitcase again, because it has been prepared with great care.
The Departure:
You leave your home. The comfort of your surroundings...for something worthwhile. For something that you believe will bring you all you prepared for. Maybe you take a plane. And you buckle in and get ready for the thrill of take off...and you get a little buzz with the rising of the plane from the ground...and you look below and see your house, getting smaller, further away...and yet you are not afraid because you have faith in where you are about to go. And from the air? Everything gets a new perspective. You realize that your house, your neighborhood, your state...all part of a much bigger picture. One you can't really see while standing in your own yard. And you think...it really isn't just about me. Because there are no boundaries...the open air around all those houses is shared...and what goes into the wind...can sometimes reach around the world.
Arrival at Port:
You and your baggage are dropped in front of this huge ship, that doesn't even seem that it should float...and yet it does...with thousands of souls aboard. And you trust a stranger with your carefully packed bags and you step on to the ship with anticipation and wonder. You are greeted by others, who do not know you, with exceptional attitudes...which perhaps are only a guise since, truly, it is in their job description to be just that. But you don't care. You are so wrapped up in the presentation, the awe of being treated so well, that if they lost your possessions at this point, you would simply go to their store and buy new ones. The arrival at this magnificant facility takes your breath away. You are, captivated.
On Board:
You have a wonderful room...with an attentive steward who you want to adopt and take home with you because they are so kind. And you think...I want to be treated this way forever. It is a truly rare experience the first time. It's like being a king or queen. It's like falling in love, only better, because when it's over...you can always come back. You never have to worry about food, or sleep, or entertainment, or happiness, or anything. It's all provided for you. You don't have to work very hard at all. And everything is glorious. It's like a fairytale. It's beautiful and stunning...and you dress up, and you go out...and you dance...and you drink...and you always have someplace to come back to that is comfortable and inviting.
Shore Excursions:
My favorites include cave tubing, diving and spending time with dolphins...anything in the ocean or water. I could go to bed at night and have something to look forward to. Some bright spot in the following day to focus on. Some people need that. Some people do and will always look towards tomorrow with hope. It is how they function...especially if the day before you gave up that swim or the dancing because someone in your party was sick, or hurting because they weren't enjoying the excursion as much as you. And for people like me, I have and will, drop everything for another.
Disembarking:
Is hard. You spend so much time in the fairytale, that you forget that there is another world out there...maybe one you wanted to forget. Maybe one you aren't so anxious to return to...but you get a discount package when you leave...saying, "come back! will give you this or that..." or some other great deal. And you're in! You grab that, sign up for next year and the whole process starts all over again. Why? Because they treated you well. The provided you with something that made you come alive...every single day. Even when it was stormy, or the seas were rough. They gave you something to believe in.
Here's my correlation. All my life I've been packing, arranging things according to not only my needs, but the needs of others. I have a big heart that I share with any and all that want a part of it. It is how I am. Providing that to others is not depending on others...it is what makes me come alive. It could be as simple as knowing they like blue gatorade, or prefer the baby powder over the flowers...or that sometimes...they need to be quiet when I am so excited to be preparing. Preparing for the future is hard, because you never know what it will be. So you try your best to do your best for the best. And some days, you just can't win. And you think, where did I go wrong in this preparation. Which is wrong. Because no one is to blame. It just happens.
And then you depart. You leave everything you knew behind, because the adventure before you is worth the risk. And you embrace the unknown and vow to stay in the game until you know everything you need to know about where you are...and how you got there. And sometimes, you never get a straight answer. The important thing is to NOT GIVE UP. No matter what, you know you tried and even if you think you have failed, the truth is, there is no failure in life...there are only mistakes, bad choices...and failure would be only if we had never taken the chance to begin with.
On board, it's wonderful. You love and live and breath each day...you do what you can with what you have and enjoy every breath, every moment...even if they are bad. Because without the bad, you would never learn to appreciate the good. Sometimes you may run, slip, fall, because you couldn't control yourself, because you felt so deeply that you needed to be in every moment completely...and failed to recognize that sometimes..you need to be still, and wait....for the moment to come to you.
And the excursions are glorious! On board and off the ship.....a massage, a good meal, good conversation...long talks...walks...stars...simple things sometimes are so much greater than the "in your face" spectacular. How often do we take these for granted. We become so comfortable, we stop being just a little afraid, that we forget, the ship could sink...and it would all be over.
And you leave the ship behind. For the ship has sailed. And you hold on to every good and wonderful thing....and you breathe and maybe you cry, because it is so hard to step off. And for awhile...your legs are little wobbly...you balance a little off...because you need to find your sea legs....
But you are never the same after the ship has sailed. Because you found something wonderful. Something that made you come alive. And for that....you are changed forever.
It is important that you never take for granted anything in your life. Never.
Peace,
Kat
