At this time last week, I was floating on a cruise ship in the Caribbean.  Now I sit in my home in Indiana with freezing rain pelting the windows, but the spirit of relaxation still lingers around me.  It was a wonderful trip, and it was everything I needed to strip away the stress and restore some delight and peace to my life. 

We cruised out of Miami to the western Caribbean, spending the first day “at sea”, laying by the pool and reading books.  I enjoyed The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd and Sick Puppy by Carl Hiassen over the course of the week.  At home, it may take 2 months to get through a book, but it’s a thrill to read for long stretches of time and sink into a beautifully told story.  And then there was the food.  We enjoyed delicious meals of French and Asian food, and I loved pouring over the menus to see what was being offered.  Creme brulee, pot-stickers, coconut pudding, red snapper…I loved it all.  Thankfully, I did a lot of walking and swimming to compensate for all the eating.

In Grand Caymen, we took a boat excursion which included a trip to “stingray city”, a place on the reef where people can get out of the boat in the shallows of the reef and enjoy feeding and holding the stingrays.  They are absolutely graceful and soft.  They flutter up against you when they are feeding, and the legend is that you will have 7 years good luck for kissing one of them.   After the visit with the stingrays, we snorkeled in another reef area, and then enjoyed lunch on the beach.

The next day in Cozumel brought more snorkeling, and I think that this is one of the things I love most in all the world.  I love the ocean and the way it moves.  I love floating about the coral and watching it sway with the waves while the fish about it move in the same rhythms.  It’s beautiful and silent and restful like nothing else.  This was a lovely and relaxing day.

The cruise ended with another day at sea and another truckload of food.  It was overcast on that last day, but still relaxing.  I enjoyed the entertainment on the ship, as well as the never-ending supply of people to watch.  There were so many interesting people to observe!  I was sad to get off the ship, but also glad to be heading home to family and friends.  The vacation did want it was intended to do: create an opportunity to rest and relax and be refreshed.  Now, when’s the next one?