Just back from vacation - a Carnival cruise (Valor) to the Western Carribean

Looking down as we flew over Lake Houston getting ready to land, I couldn't believe I was already flying home. I closed my eyes and imagined I was back on the ship. How could I go back to the working world? At that moment, my life a week before seemed like a lifetime ago - almost as people describe as a 'past life'.

Alot came out of me on that cruise. Aside from the usual winding down one does on a vacation, I got a sense of how to be more like the one I want to be like - not shy, confident, independant, relaxed, directed, and more.

As the pilot announced our approach into the Houston area, I felt the pressure in my sinus cavity start to inflate - tears were forming, climbing and preparing to dive. "I didn't want to go back to Houston!" It was then I realized it had been a very long time since I had relaxed. I must have really needed that time in the blue with all of those nice people. I kept thoughts of the looming reality that waited for me at Intercontental Airport at a distance. I summoned images of blue water, live music, bad karoke, disarming people, the towel creatures who waited for me to return to my cabin every night, the Disneyland feel of a cruise ship, strong Carribean winds, my balcony, dinner with friends, three servings of warm melting chocolate cake with amazing vanilla ice cream, (and on and on and on), and ordered them to stay in between me and thoughts of my old friend 'work'. I had no desire for contact with anyone or anything that had to do with my job. I was still on vacation dammit.

I don't think I knew how much this cruise affected me until I was away from it, or rather, away from the people. People like Nelson Vergel, Tim Baker (aka 'TEEM") and the POZ cruise group were the heart of my vacation. Nelson and Tim looked out for me the entire time and made sure that their little brother was always getting the most out of my time on Carnival Valor and included in the POZ group activities. Most people don't know that I am horribly shy and that any extroverted personality traits I possess are purely learned - they don't come natural.

There is no doubt, 'cruising' is now an expected part of my vacation, and, of course, I am already planning the next one. But, the work for me now is to make sure that I can blend my work life and my newly-found vacation life together.