I think I have never really approached this topic. I think now is a good time to blog about it.
Back in 2012 was when the relationship with my ex started getting rocky; we were clearly very different from each other, and all those differences started deteriorating our union.
A Miserable Trip …
I had some time off from work, as did Mom, so we decided to go to Sanibel Island, Florida, for a few days. My ex decided to come with us at the last minute, I am not entirely sure why, since he hated the beach. Either way I had always been a supporter of his traveling with me so I was eager to have him with us.
We had a nice budget hotel booked and had made plans to go to the beach and several restaurants. The trip was tense; my ex refused to have any kind of fun and rarely left the hotel room. Mom and I tried to make the best of it, but it was difficult at times. Once you have some sort of negativity in the environment it tends to override all other emotions.
A Change of Heart
One day of the trip, Mom and I were on a beautiful beach, it was very long with smooth sand and the sun was shining on us. We were definitely having an amazing time; my ex had stayed in the room watching TV and we were just relaxing by the water. It was then that I turned to my mom and told her “We are going on a cruise!” You have to understand that this was a big statement coming from me. For years I had said, “I will never go on a cruise.” The main reason for that was a fear of sea sickness and the idea of being “stuck” in the middle of the ocean. As a matter of fact, a good friend of mine had been asking me for years to go with him, I had declined every offer he had made to me.
What Made Me Change?
To this day I am not entirely sure why I did it. My best guess is that being there at that beach made me realize that I belong in the water. I have always said that I will try everything at least once and then make a decision on whether I like it. The other main cause, I think, was to have a great vacation without the interference of my ex. That trip was very stressful, and I needed something that would isolate me from him. As sad as it sounds, I am afraid it is the truth: I was in a bad relationship and with a total fear to get out of it. Fear of what? Not sure, maybe loneliness, or the fact that I was actually engaged to him … It is hard to dissolve things that you have worked so hard for, and invested so much of yourself in.
Please don’t get me wrong, he is by no means a bad person. If anything he is the total opposite, but we simply did not click at all. You simply cannot have a relationship when you have two people pulling in opposite directions.
A Light at the End of the Tunnel
Once we got back home, I started looking for a short cruise to the Bahamas. I thought it was my best chance at avoiding any problems if I was going to get ill aboard the vessel. We ended up booking a short Norwegian Sky cruise, which was the origin of my cruising addiction.
All Things Happen for a Reason
I now realize that it all happened when it had to happen. I was at a low point of my life; my first cruise was just what I needed. I had always been a world traveler, but with the recent problems with my ex, I had completely stopped traveling. Cruising opened my eyes to traveling again, and this time in a way that he could not affect it for me. Or could he?
I have always been frank with my readers, and this is the story of why I began cruising. I am aware that this is not the ideal scenario, and I wish it was a much happier one. But it is none-the-less the truth, and it goes to show you that bad beginnings can sometimes have happy endings as well.
