From Campfires to Cruises (Part 2): The World Opens
Both are connected by water, but they offer different kinds of wonder. A lake makes you feel still. The ocean makes you feel wide open.
Since that first cruise, I have taken about 20 cruises. these days, I solo cruise. That surprises some people, but solo cruising has given me freedom, confidence, and space to enjoy the world at my own pace. However, please take precautions to protect yourself from germs, wipe down everything. My last cruise 3 months ago, I came down with pneumonia. Buy insurance!!
On a cruise, I can wake up in a new place without repacking a suitcase every morning. I can meet people at dinner, attend a show, walk the deck, sit quietly with a cup of coffee, or simply watch the water.
There is comfort in the rhythm of a ship.
The sea has a way of making you feel both small and deeply alive. The horizon stretches out ahead, and for a while, everyday worries loosen their grip.
Travel by cruise also opened doors to countries, cultures, and experiences I might not have reached otherwise. I have traveled not only by ship, but also through tours, and each journey added something to my life.
The experience has been priceless.
Travel taught me to appreciate culture, history, and connection
The more I traveled, the more I wanted to understand the places I visited.
I was especially drawn to different cultures, archaeology, and old churches. I loved walking through places that carried history in their stones. I loved seeing how people worshiped, gathered, cooked, built, grieved, celebrated, and remembered.
Old churches especially moved me.
They are often quiet in a way that feels different from ordinary quiet. You step inside, and the air seems to ask you to slow down. The art, candles, carved wood, stone floors, and stained glass all speak without needing many words.
Archaeological sites gave me that same feeling. Standing near ancient walls or ruins made me think about all the lives that came before mine. People loved their children, prepared meals, worried about tomorrow, prayed, worked, rested, and dreamed. Their world was different, but their humanity was familiar.
Travel helped me see that people are both wonderfully different and deeply connected.
That is one reason I treasure meeting new friends on the road. Sometimes friendships begin with a conversation at dinner. Sometimes they start on a tour bus, in a meeting room, or while waiting to go ashore. Some last only for the trip. Others stay with you.
Each person adds something.
A story. A laugh. A reminder. A different way of seeing the world.
Recovery meetings around the world gave travel deeper meaning
One of the most meaningful parts of my travels has been attending recovery meetings around the world.
There is something powerful about walking into a room in another country and finding familiar honesty there. The accents may differ. The setting may be unfamiliar. The culture may be new to me. But the language of recovery carries a shared understanding.
Those meetings reminded me that healing is not limited by borders.
People everywhere are trying to grow, stay honest, make amends, live with courage, and support one another. Sitting in those rooms, I often felt the same kind of spiritual connection I feel near lakes and streams.
Nature gives me one doorway to my spiritual life. Recovery gives me another. Travel has allowed both to meet in unexpected places.
I have found grace beside quiet water, around campfires, in old churches, on cruise ships, and in recovery rooms far from home.
That has been one of the great gifts of my life.
Solo cruising became a new chapter of courage
After years of traveling with children, family, and friends, solo cruising became a new kind of adventure.
At first, doing things alone can feel strange. You notice the empty chair across from you. You wonder if people are watching. You think about whether you will feel lonely.
Then something shifts.
You realize you can choose your own schedule. You can rest when you need to rest. You can join others when you want company. You can sit quietly without apology.
Solo travel teaches you to trust yourself.
It also opens the door to new friendships. When I cruise alone, I often meet more people than I would if I traveled with someone else. A simple hello can turn into a shared meal, a shore excursion, or a memory.
I have learned that being alone does not have to mean being lonely.
Sometimes it means being open.
Open to conversation. Open to silence. Open to surprise. Open to the next chapter.
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