Choose a Better Life

I didn’t post last week because my husband, Chuck, and I were on vacation.  For the first time ever we committed to going on vacation without technology – no laptops, no social media, no blackberries.  (Okay, we took our phones to Miami, but turned them off as soon as we boarded the ship.)  And what a tremendous experience it was not to be tethered to technology!  I’ll share a little secret, after the first few hours, neither one of us missed it at all.

Neither of us had been on a cruise before so we decided that a short 5-day cruise to Cozumel, Mexico would be just the right length to “get our feet wet” and decide if cruising was for us.  Although we both decided we are more interested in destination vacationing (I’d rather spend the 5 days in Mexico than on a cruise to Mexico) we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Knowing we were going to be seated at the dinner table with three other couples, prior to boarding Chuck and I had come up with a discrete sign as a way of communicating to one another.  We had decided that instead of spending several hours with people with whom we didn’t clique, we’d signal the other, make a simple exit and head to the self-serve buffet.

However, shortly after dinner began I forgot to even check with Chuck for the signal.  Instead, I was focused on meeting our tablemates and learning a bit about them.  Over the next several days we shared our hearts, told stories, and laughed for hours.  During the last dinner we had together I shared the “signal story” with our new friends, told them how much Chuck and I enjoyed getting to know them, and thanked them for making our first cruise a wonderful experience.

In addition to making great new friends over dinner, we began chatting with the gentleman who gave our group the safety orientation during our first few hours on the ship.  As it turned out Eugene was one of the entertainers on the ship.   He played a wonderful mix of music throughout the cruise at various ship venues.  We so enjoyed spending time with Eugene that we joined him for drinks and invited him to join us for dinner on the nights he was available.

We also sought out and chatted with our steward, our waiters, and our dining room hostess … all wonderful people from around the world who made our trip that much more enjoyable.

Without a doubt it is the people who made this vacation so wonderful.  When Chuck and I boarded the ship we knew no one.  We had never been on a cruise before and weren’t even sure cruising was something we’d enjoy.  But by simply being open to new experiences and being willing to get to know new people we had a great vacation and made friendships that will last a lifetime.

Choose a Better Life ™ by being open to new experiences and new people.  Even when things seem uncomfortable at first stick around, start conversation, and see what develops.  There may be a kindred spirit just waiting for you to start a wonderful new friendship.