Every Little Thing, By April Jeppson

Facebook is always reminding me of what I was doing last year or four years ago on this day. Well, a year ago this week I was touring Chichen Itza. I was climbing the temples of Altun Ha. I literally held on to a dolphin’s fin and had it swim me 20 yards. Hands down, one of the best vacations of my life.

I wasn’t sure how I would feel about taking a cruise. In a recent conversation with my brother in regards to cruising he said, “There are only two types of people in this world, people who love cruises, and people who can’t think of anything worse than being trapped on a floating death vessel of norovirus and the like.” This is my brother. We were raised by the same parents in the same household. So although his feelings are more extreme than mine, there is a smidgen of truth in his words.

My in-laws take cruises all the time: Mexico, Alaska, the Caribbean — they insisted we would love it. Since Brian’s folks were paying for everyone to go, we definitely weren’t going to say no. I was hesitant. I’ve heard the stories of people being trapped, losing power, sickness — we’ve all heard these stories. Bad news sells. No one reports about the thousands of cruises taken each year that go successfully without a hitch. I crossed my fingers and went for it.

Our trip was flawless. It was like watching a perfectly choreographed dance or listening to a beautifully executed symphony. The staff knew exactly what they needed to do, usually before we even realized we needed them. The food was delicious. The ship was spotless. Not once did the power go out and not once did I feel like I was trapped on a floating death vessel.

The customer service was something I had never experienced before. I work in customer service. I understand the importance of smiling, being kind and that the customer is always right. But cruise ship customer service is next level. I didn’t hear a single employee complain or act tired or unhappy. Our society would benefit greatly if cruise lines held customer relations courses. Heck, I’d even take a class. Seriously, if you’ve cruised, you know what I’m talking about.

My best friend is going on a cruise soon. She flies out this weekend actually. Every day for the last three weeks we’ve talked about it in one way or another. The preparation and packing and anticipation has got me equally excited for her. With as much as I’ve talked and thought about it, I kind of feel like I’m going on this cruise. Sadly, I’m not. And that realization is now sinking in.

I’m OK though. The pictures that keep popping up in my memories make me smile. I can close my eyes and still feel the warmth. I can look at the photos and remember how incredibly blue the water was. I can continue to put money away, and in a year or two I’ll get to feel the sand under my feet again. But for now I look forward to seeing my friends post all their awesome pictures online. I’ll get my sunshine fix through them.

Albert Lean April Jeppson is a wife, mom, coach and encourager of dreams.