Found these gems written in my notebook this morning. This all feels so far away now. I hope you all find time to spend writing for yourself this holiday season. Even if it’s just a list of New Year goals, writing even short entries in a notebook is such a healthy way to privately acknowledge your thoughts as worthy of thinking. Here were some of mine that took place during my first ever cruise:

Journal Entry: 6/21/15 – 

The first day of a cruise is definitely a wondrous and exploratory experience. You’re dashing your way around, trying to follow the fingers of middle-aged women pointing towards the starboard side, the bow, movie night, or the adult-only exclusive pool area called “The Sanctuary.” And you find that a majority of other guests and employees on the boat don’t speak English and come from all over the world. You learn everyone’s reasons for being here, how many other places in the world the boat has taken them. You learn that it’s not appropriate to call the ship a boat.

All the while, you hold your palms against the wind current so that it takes you on quick dances up and down choppy invisible air waves, and you run them up the smoothness of the wooden railings, sneak away briefly to catch a remote corner of white steel wall for sunset. And you tell yourself, “This is home for the next 8 days.”

Journal Entry: 6/22/14 – 

At sea since we left.

In the middle of the Great Pacific, we realize that our boat is silent. The black waters fly by and roll endlessly into the skyline.

After a journey of hopping rope and dodging behind wind barriers as we chase sunset to the bow of the boat, we see our first wild Orcas. They announce their presence with 6-foot high spats of water from their blow holes. Then just as concern bubbles up that you maybe imagined the distant white fountains, one whale rolls and dives. I think they call that breaching.

Upon further exploring we found a basketball court and mini golf course. Playing H-O-R-S-E in our formal wear was the first time that we really started having a good time on this boat.

People here are old. We wonder how much money they have.