Fully disembarked

We’ve been home for about four days now. This morning Rob finally proclaimed himself feeling human again. He’s out at his favorite burrito place getting lunch so that’s as official as it gets that he’s back to his normal routine.

I probably have a couple more days before I’m fully “back.” I keep getting sleepy at about 9:00pm, which is ridiculous for this diehard night owl.

I also brought home an unwanted souvenir. I’m on my second tube of hydrocortisone cream and my rash is finally doing much better. It started in Montevideo (about 3 days before the end of our cruise). At first I thought it was a heat rash, even though it really wasn’t hot or humid enough to warrant that diagnosis. I finally concluded that expired laundry detergent was the culprit. Yes, I have a history with out-of-date products.

I have to admit, I can’t actually remember when I bought the two travel packets of liquid Tide that I tucked in our suitcase. At least three...but more likely five...years ago if I’m willing to risk embarrassment.

Truth be told, it didn’t look quite as vibrantly blue when I was squeezing it into the washer tub in the ship’s laundry. Maybe a tinge of greenish brown to it?? Seven loads of hot water laundry later, I have hopefully removed all traces of the irritating, ancient Tide. I was also relieved to get home and have non-Tided clothes to choose from. So, lesson learned: if I must do laundry on vacation, treat myself to new detergent.

Rashes aside, as I reflect on our trip, I continue to be amazed that we went. When Rob and I first got married, he had absolutely no interest in international travel. Twenty-seven years and several continents later, he still gets a little twitchy when I start musing about across-oceans places I’d love to visit. But Rob also now tells me he appreciates me dragging him out of his domestic comfort zone now and then. I'm very grateful that he's willing to explore with me.

Cruising has been a huge discovery for us. It allows the comfort of an established, English-speaking home base that sails from unfamiliarity to unfamiliarity. And we’ve learned how to be true to our introverted selves while traveling with 3,000 sea buddies. Top tip: you can request a “table for two, no sharing” in the dining rooms. Score!

This particular cruise had a notably different vibe. The passengers were much more international than any other cruise I have been on, including the Mediterranean and the Holy Land. We met folks from Croatia, France, Holland, Canada, Australia, Wales, England… (we didn’t always request a table for two).

We didn’t meet anyone from the Pacific Northwest, although it was crazy how many people had a young relative who lives in Portland. I felt very hip. Oddly, the place we met the most passengers from was…Ohio. All I can figure is the South America Tourism Board targeted Cleveland, and it worked wonders.

This cruise was also the first time all ship-wide announcements were made in two languages (English and Spanish). I gotta say, after 32 hours of travel, having to sit through an insanely long bilingual safety drill that first day was almost unbearable. We eventually got used to tuning out the second version of any announcement, but it did make for some long PA chatter at times.

We also noticed that despite us both now being in our 50s, we were among the younger passengers. There was a gaggle of about a dozen teens that clung to each other, but otherwise most folks were in their 60s and 70s. I have never seen so many canes on a cruise before, and that only increased as the rough waters bumped folks around a bit.

A lot of passengers were very frequent cruisers, too. You can tell a Princess passenger’s status by the color of their cruise card and their name plate outside their cabin. There were more people in the most fancypants “I live to cruise” Elite category than I have ever seen. And very few (like less than 10 that I saw) “first time cruising with Princess” badges. Please note: I absolutely aspire to that “Live to Cruise” category, in large part for the perk of free laundry any old time you want. Presumably without rashes.

It will come as a surprise to nobody that fins-up, my most favorite part of the trip was seeing penguins. Oh my gosh, the sheer joy and delight of that afternoon in Bluff Cove will forever be a cherished memory. I wish I could bottle the emotions of that day; it was so full of life and enchantment and appreciation and wonder. It could not have been more perfect. That afternoon alone was worth everything it took to get there.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the weather. We really had fantastic weather the entire time. It was sunny and warm. It was howling and rough. It was cold and biting. I packed for all seasons and wore just about everything I brought. I loved that the seas were rough around Cape Horn. If it had been a placid crossing, both Rob and I would have been enormously disappointed.

I never did get used to it being summer down there. Although we have been in warm, sunny places in the winter before, the common references to kids being on summer break and families being on vacation made it clear that January there is our July. Santa Claus in shorts and a tank top just seems wrong.

And so we are back home, where trees are dormant, leaves are mulching, and sandals are ill-advised. We have no idea where our next cruise or “big trip” will take us. Lots of things are being dreamed about and discussed; something will eventually be planned. Because the world is big and awaits discovery, and free laundry won’t happen by itself.