My suitcase is sitting outside my cabin. I've enjoyed an amazing dinner at Food Republic and had my last drinks of the night. And I've crawled in bed to unwind on this last night of the cruise. Not quite ready to sleep, this seems like the perfect time to spend a moment reflecting.
Most importantly, I really like myself and my company and I thrive traveling solo. I'm not afraid to sit at dinner by myself and actually prefer it at times. I book that tour on my own or wander that city on my own and feel empowered doing so. I don't need to wait for anyone to live life.
I gravitate towards people who both uplift others and live their own lives to their fullest and distance myself from people who don't have those qualities. And when I find those people, their joy just bubbles over into my own (and hopefully vice versa) and I find myself opening up and enjoying connecting with them.
This mindset that it is not worth paying much for food has to go to the wayside. There are plenty of times where I will prefer just grabbing something quick and cheap but I need to stop dismissing all the more quality food experiences. Tonight I paid an uncharge for dinner, something I have never done on a cruise before but it was such an amazing experience with great food, a different ambience, and a treat.
It's okay to do things differently. As someone who in the past would have walked every inch of the ship, I never did find the gingerbread house (and I'm sure many other things). I also missed almost every sail in and sail away, two things I never missed on previous cruises. This cruise wasn't normal for me in a lot of ways but it was exactly what I needed.
I'm happy in a way I never knew I could be and that is a beautiful thing.
At this is the point in the blog post, my eyes started closing so I closed my laptop and am picking up on this reflection the next morning as I sit in the District Brewhouse waiting for my tag to be called to disembark.
I need to keep leaning into my quirkiness that is so fun and unique to me. The evening I wore the sparkly black pants and red top, I had a few moments where I felt so out of place. This cruise line is among the most casual and so a large majority were in shorts and t-shirts. But I felt amazing wearing the outfit and I saw it bring smiles to other people's faces.
I also am getting more and more comfortable not worrying about what people think when they see me in a dress or swimsuit with unshaved legs and armpits. Even as someone who has always danced to the beat of her own drum, it still sometimes is hard to go against the grain.
I can actually talk to people! And I enjoy it! I met all kinds of people at the bars, the solo lounge, and even in the thermal suite. A young man even recognized me later in the cruise and commented to his friend "that's the cool girl from the solo lounge."
It really has been an amazing trip filled with so much fun, joy, peace, and even growth. I can't wait for the next. I've got a trip planned with my parents in January and I'm sure I'll do a few short weekend trips throughout next year. And then my next big solo trip will be next December - a few days in Puerto Rico before taking a cruise to the southern Caribbean.
No comments:
Post a Comment