Cruising right along...4th day aboard ship...

I've started drinking coffee again after a six month hiatus.  Honesty, I don't know why I ever stopped drinking coffee.  I just did.

Now, as I sit overlooking the sea, the gentle sensation of the ship rolling my chair to and fro, my big mug filled to the brim with a slightly too strong brew, I am content. 

Tom reminds me, " We are not on vacation.  This is now our lives."

A smile planted on my face, I try to grasp this reality.  This is our lives.  Right now, until the end of January except for a short few days respite in Boca Raton Florida with friend Carol, we'll live at sea, 23 days aboard ship in January 2013.  We'll always remember this.

Or perhaps, we won't remember if over time this new life of ours has days blending into one another as we did in the past.  We remember tidbits.  We remember special occasions.  We remember sorrowful events. We remember laughing so hard we snorted and cried.  Do we remember all of the days in between? Not so much.

So, how do we ensure that these days, simple in their nature, stay alive and meaningful in years to come?  Live in the moment.  Document them here.

Yesterday, we anchored in Cabo San Lucas.  We didn't go ashore on the tiny tendered boats in choppy waters to be dropped off at a mile long stretch of one shop after another luring tourists, beaconing passengers to spend, spend, spend.  That's not us.  No trinkets, we agreed.  No jewelry to attract attention.  No home for which to bring baskets, artwork, handmade rugs and pottery. 

We stayed onboard when perhaps 70% of the passengers went ashore. The average cost of an excursion off the ship was $200 per couple at each port of call.  There were six such events on this cruise.  We did the math.  Our eight cruises with an average of six excursions would total $9600, not in our budget.  We'll wander if we so chose to the various ports-of-call on our own.

We are cruising as a means of transportation, to do exactly what appeals to us.  Today, we'll go to church at 10 am, have an assessment by a personal trainer/physical therapist at 11 am, have lunch at the fabulous buffet, attend a another class on the Panama Canal (coming up in our itinerary in a few days), spend one hour in the sun as we did yesterday building a base tan without burning.   

By then, it will be almost 4 PM.  We'll relax in our cabin, catching up on email and Facebook, shower and go to dinner whenever we're hungry.  We'll dine in the fancy included-in-our-fare dining room, once again trying new foods.

Last night, we watched the disappointing Minnesota Vikings game in our cabin with dinner on our laps.  On Friday night, Tom enjoyed two appetizers; Carpaccio and gluten free fried frogs legs.  He liked them.  He's trying new things.  Outside the box.  I'd already made these items at different times in our old lives, Tom always turning up his nose.  But, I didn't complain when he tried them on the ship enjoying each item.

Soon, we're getting off the ship to wander about Puerto Vallarta on our own.  We'll report back what we've discovered.

This is our lives.  No expectations.  Our only stress is moving from one means of travel to another...the bags, not so bad now, definitely to be reduced in the future.  We're OK for now.

This is our lives.