The Vacation that Changed Me

Ever take a vacation that impacted you so much that it changed how you saw the world or how you viewed vacations?

Sometimes, the beauty and fun of a vacation offer a new world perspective.

That vacation for me was in 2017 when I went on my first cruise vacation with my husband, my twin sister, and our parents. I have never wanted or had a desire to travel via cruise. I mistakenly believed what is considered conventional wisdom-“cruises are too expensive; they are for the rich”. I also believed that it is impossible to have as much fun on a ship in the middle of the ocean as I would on a land vacation.

Where did I get these myths from? The stupid media. My vacation is a clear example as to why no one should ever believe what they hear. We should always experiences things for ourselves to make our own judgements. I am so glad I said “yes!” to my parents when they asked us if we wanted to go on a cruise.

My mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer in 2011. She thought she only had 6 months-5 years to live. So, she wanted to see the world and do things she never thought she’d do. One of the things on her bucket list was a cruise. Despite my reservations based on ill-advised media chatter, I said of course-if it meant spending quality time with my mom, I would absolutely put my fears (ship sinking!) and reservations aside.

So, after we all agreed to go on this vacation, we started researching the ship we would go on. My mom had a friend who was a travel agent, and we were booked as part of a group on a Royal Caribbean ship-Harmony of the Seas.

Wrapping Up with Key Insights

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