Andi's Blog

Most people choose a cruise for the destination, which makes sense. Along with that though, is the choice of ship and figuring out when the decision on which ship to sail on outweighs the choice in destination. This really depends on how many times you have cruised, how important the factors of your vacation are, and how unique the itinerary is. After cruising for a while, I have found a nice balance between these two things, but will always weigh more on the ship in most cases. I’m a ship girl! 

 

I have my bucket list itineraries that I'm not really willing to waiver on too much and I also have ships that I really want to sail on and I'm not as particular about the itinerary. For example, I just booked a Norway/Iceland itinerary. I had two choices, one had more ports (and some that are not often seen on more common itineraries) three more total trip days, but was on a much older and smaller ship. The second option was on a brand new ship, still went to quite a few key port stops, plus had two additional countries on the itinerary and had fewer total travel days. The bottom line for me was having quite a few sea days (would be the case on either sailing) and ensuring that my overall experience, considering my vacation preferences was what I wanted. The newer ship won, hands down. NCL Prima here I come!

 

When I travel, it's about the entire experience, not just the places I go. I lean towards an experience where food is a focus, relaxation is more of a priority than seeing all the sights, and variety is the spice of life. Don’t get me wrong, I love ports and seeing destinations, but I’m not a go, go, go, gotta see all the things type of vacationer. As that pertains to ships, I tend to lean towards a cruise that provides more options and caters to a truly service-focused, relaxing experience. So, let’s break it down by three key cruise experience elements: food, relaxation, and entertainment/variety.

 

Let’s start with the food. Cruise food is the greatest! Even when it’s not fantastic. The number of options, variety of flavors, and availability make any cruise experience a good one. Let’s also remember that we aren’t cooking or cleaning, and we’re basically being waited on hand and foot (in most cases) and being fed, whenever we want. There are definitely worse things! That being said, I’m a self-designated foodie and definitely like an elevated food/restaurant experience. I worked in restaurants for 28 years, 10 years as a consultant, and to say I have my standards on a restaurant experience is an understatement (my friends reading this are nodding their heads….Trevor). 

 

The food experience on a cruise is important to me. I always book a few nights of specialty dining, ask for a seat by the window (unless the view is blocked by lifeboats), and really take in the ceremonious nature of a high end dining experience (see ????- post on restaurants for my best dining experience – no comparison). The people watching is awesome, too. I love hearing more about certain menu items or specials, anticipating the presentation and flavors, how these will pair with the wine, and one of my favorite parts (besides eating all the yumminess), is when the server describes the dish as they place it in front of me.

 

I have had some great specialty dining experiences on cruise ships. 150 Central park on Allure of the Seas, and Murano, and Tuscan Grill on Celebrity Equinox are the top picks for fine dining (I have some upcoming cruises that may change this post – stay tuned). 150 Central Park is a beautiful, intimate setting overlooking the Central Park neighborhood and offers beautiful décor and an elegant yet simple menu. The food quality and presentation combined with top notch service makes this an experience to repeat on any Oasis Class ship. 

 

Celebrity also does a fantastic job with specialty dining. Enjoying a tableside presentation of lobster Thermador at Murano, or the most tender filet with traditional steakhouse sides at Tuscan Grille are both experiences worth spending the money on. A special noteworthy moment at Tuscan Grille; I celebrated my 50th birthday on board Celebrity Equinox and had my birthday dinner at Tuscan. Not only was the food phenomenal, but two crew members sang happy birthday to me in both English and Italian with stunning voices that billowed throughout the restaurant. It was a fantastic memory!

 

For those of you wanting a more private specialty dining experience, the Chef’s Table is a nice treat with food and wine pairings offered on most cruise lines. If you are lucky, many Chef’s Table experiences start with a tour of the Galley. I have always found it fascinating to see how the food operations run on a ship! Of note, typically a Chef’s Table experience runs around four hours. It’s a great to engage with other cruisers over a wonderful meal – just be prepared for the time involved.

 

Outside of specialty dinning, for me, it’s all about variety. While I am not a huge Carnival cruiser, I need to point out that they have the most included dining options of any other cruise line, including some specialty dining options on their newer ships (Cucina Del Capitano, Chi Bang) as well as a great variety of more casual options (Blue Iguana Cantina, Emeril’s Bistro, Guy’s Burger, Shaq’s Big Chicken, and Street Eats). While the variety on Carnival may be appealing to some, I tend to lean towards a more elevated cruising experience. I am looking forward to sailing on the newer NCL ships and trying their new dining options with Indulge Food Hall and Food Republic, and the great number of specialty dining and al fresco options.

 

Time to relax – regardless if you are someone who wants to spend a large amount of your vacation relaxing poolside or consistently on the go and seeing all the things with minimal down time, everyone wants some relaxation on vacation and cruise ships do a great job in this area. The obvious spot when one thinks of relaxing is the spa. Different cruise lines have different spa amenities and regardless of what ship you are on, there are numerous options from massages and facials, to steam, dry, and salt rooms, acupuncture and other similar treatments, and private thermal water features to enhance your experience. A note about acupuncture, which I feel is not a well-known treatment option amongst cruisers……it can be a game changer. While getting ready for my New England/Canada sailing on Celebrity Summit back in 2019, I developed a pretty nasty ear infection just before my trip. Keep in mind, I had to fly from California to Fort Lauderdale to embark and the ear infection would have made it close to impossible. After being on anti-biotics for a few days and taking a fair dose of Advil before getting on the plane, I made it to my sailing successfully and with minimal pain. About two days into my trip, the ear pain came back. I was at a loss and feeling quite desperate and not wanting to ruin my cruise, I gave acupuncture a try and quickly became a BELIEVER! After the first two sessions, my pain was completely gone. If you need pain relief while on ship, give acupuncture a try! 

 

Okay, back to relaxing – one of the draws for me on a cruise, because I am a lay by the pool kind of gal, are the solariums or adult pool/spa areas. I have to hand this to both Royal Caribbean with their beautiful solariums on the Oasis Class and The Sanctuary on Princess. Two very different experiences but both great options for a few hours or whole day of pool side bliss. Drinks and food brought to you, comfy lounger options, and pools and hot tubs overlooking the ocean. Princess does charge a small fee for the Sanctuary and reservations can only be made on the ship. So, plan for an early embarkation time and RUN to the Sanctuary once you get on board to claim your day. I have not been as impressed with the solariums on Celebrity, although I have yet to sail on the Edge Class and am guessing that experience will also top the list (stay tuned for an updated in 2024).

 

Another key element of relaxation is finding your own space. For me, it’s my stateroom balcony (once you sail with one, you won’t want to book anything else), while for others, it may be finding a quiet nook on the ship somewhere where you can curl up and read a book, watch the waves, or just unplug. There are plenty of spaces where you can find quiet time and my recommendation is when you are exploring the ship on your first day on board, keep an eye out to where you might want to return to relax or get away from it all.

 

Entertain Me!  Another big draw to cruising is the variety and level of entertainment you can enjoy while at sea. I have three different experiences I need to mention. First, the Aqua Theater shows on Royal’s Oasis Class ships are hands down, the best shows I have ever seen. Acrobats and aerialists galore! The choreography and technical difficulty is beyond complex and Royal has created a huge draw to these experiences. Best dancing though, my most recent sailing on Celebrity Equinox. The dancers were phenomenal, so much so that I changed my dinner time so that I could see both shows each night. They were that good! My experience on NCL (although it’s been a while) was also very good and I remember the comedians and Broadway shows to be exemplary.

 

There is more to entertainment than shows and comedians. There are many offerings throughout each day and evening to keep cruisers happy and engaged. My rule when I cruise, do ALL the things! Bingo, Deal or No Deal, trivia, towel animal folding classes, glass blowing, dance classes, destination talks, bumper cars, playing pool, foosball, larger than life chess, water slides, dry slides, silent discos, and the many different live music experiences you will find throughout your sailings, are just some of the entertainment options you will find. 

 

While there is always something to do, a draw for me in cruising is that there is also nothing to do. I get to choose! As a solo cruiser I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, however I want, and with whomever I want, or not. I quickly fell in love with cruising for a number of reasons, but the primary draw for me are what I’ve written about here. The phenomenal food and exemplary service, relaxation options galore, and entertainment that keeps me coming back again and again and the fact that I can enjoy all of these things how I want is the absolute best. I meet great people on board, engage a plenty, and recharge while at sea. It is my happy place and I feel so fortunate to have found this obsession that I can share with you. Ready to cruise? Hit me up!

There are actually quite a few, but here are a few teasers. 

 

Keep checking back, I’ll add more as I continue to cruise!

 

One of the things that drew me to cruising, aside from being at sea and able to go to many destinations on one trip, is the variety of options that comes with being on a ship. The bigger the ship, the more variety! So naturally, I tend to be drawn to bigger ships. This may surprise some people who know me as not being a big fan of crowds. One of the great things about the larger ships, is while, yes, there are more people, for the most part the layout of the ships lends itself to people being spread out enough that it’s not an issue. 

 

The question I get most often is “what’s your favorite cruise line?” Or, “what’s your favorite ship?” Cruise line is a bit easier to answer, although it’s impossible to narrow it down to just one. So, you get two. I would have to go with Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. Celebrity for the service, food and the little touches (think iced towels as you get back on the ship after being in port on a super hot and humid day), and Royal for the variety of activities and entertainment. I really like the layout of the Oasis Class ships and sometimes it’s great to have the option to go down a water slide! 

 

Is there one perfect ship? No. Each ship is different and depending on your preferences or the goals of a specific vacation, the ship you choose may vary. Personally, I lean towards prioritizing the ship over the itinerary in most cases and I like ships for different reasons. Here is just a sampling of some of my picks and why (in no particular order).

 

Celebrity Summit

I know, I know, it’s a smaller, older ship. And, I loved her! This was my first experience sailing with Celebrity and it was a game changer and helped me realize the fancy of cruising. She holds a little over 2000 passengers and doesn’t have the bells and whistles of what Royal Caribbean offers, or the amount of kids on board which was a plus (nothing against kids, just an observation). So, I’m not sure if it was the overall cruise experience that won me over or the people I met. The itinerary was great (New England/Canada) but the people I met on the ship definitely made the trip. 

Fun story: I met an elderly couple at the bar (they were 83) on the second night of the cruise (it was a 10 night sailing) and during our conversation, the woman noticed me bobbing my head to the live music playing in the atrium and asked me if I liked to dance. After saying yes, her husband looked at me excitedly and asked if I would dance with him. “Of course!” I exclaimed. We danced for two songs and the entire time his wife was beaming at us, tapping her hand on the bar and swaying her head to the music. When we returned to our bar spots after our dances, they both looked elated and she explained to me that she had not been able to dance with her husband since she developed hip issues years ago. They asked me if I would dance with him every night thereafter, so we did! It was a great thing to look forward to every evening, and it reminded me of dancing with my dad.

 

Aside from the “dance partner for a week” experience, the ship lends itself to a classic cruising experience with a top notch food experience and outstanding service. I have also sailed on Celebrity Equinox and had a good experience (not stellar) and look forward to trying out the Edge Class next year. 

 

Discovery Princess

The newest ship in the Princess fleet (as of 2023), Discovery offers a traditional cruising experience that Princess cruisers have come to appreciate and offers the beauty and shine of being a new ship. The one thing that stood out on this ship is how clean it is and how gracious the crew is. I have never been on a ship where the crew was not incredibly helpful and nice, but on Discovery they seemed even more guest oriented and always there to make sure I was taken care of. 

Highlights: The Sanctuary - adults only area with full views of the ocean, padded loungers, reserved seating, and food and drink service. You can book for half or full day and those of you who are pool lovers and hate the lounge chair hogs, The Sanctuary on Princess is the perfect spot for you! Another great space is Take 5, the jazz club. Very cool atmosphere with great drinks and music.  

 

Royal Caribbean - Odyssey of the Seas 

Launched in 2020, the second Quantum Ultra Class ship holds 4,100 passengers and has great options for guests who want a good amount of variety on a bit of a smaller vessel than the Oasis Class options. There are a lot of things to do on this ship. From bumper cars, to the surf simulator, to the North Star which is a large glass globe that takes you 300 feet above the ship and rotates so you have full views of wherever the ship is. There is something for everyone.

Highlights: Great food options! The ahi nachos at Playmakers are amazing, the main dining room was consistent both in terms of food and service, and the Solarium was a great place to spend a day hanging by the pool.  

 

Royal Caribbean - Wonder of the Seas 

The newest and largest ship in the world (until Icon debuts) with a huge amount of offerings. I was really attracted to this ship because of some of the newer food venues (The Mason Jar, Hooked, and Wonderland) and, well, the slides. I’m a kid at heart, I can’t help it! I’m also a sucker for the Promenade on the Oasis Class ships.

Highlights: It’s brand new and has all the bells and whistles. While I don’t eat many meals in the buffet typically, the buffet layout on Wonder is fantastic. It’s HUGE and makes navigating the different stations very easy, and it's pretty! This ship is great, but because of the size and number of things to do, you almost need to do a back to back on her to get the full experience. As with all Royal ships, Wonder is great for families as there are a lot of activities and their youth programming is some of the best at sea.

 

Norwegian Prima

Clearly, I’m attracted to newer ships and I have always thought that NCL offers a great product. So, when the new Prima Class was introduced I jumped at the chance to sail on her. The Prima is a beautiful ship, the food quality and variety are second to none, and the talent and entertainment options on the ship are stellar. One thing to note, she is a very modern looking ship and not at all like her predecessors in terms of design. 

​

….and yes, you must do Alaska

 

My Alaska adventure was the best trip I’ve ever taken, period. While I wasn’t ready to commit to doing a full cruise tour (it’s on the list, stay tuned), I didn’t want to wait to have my first Alaska experience, so I decided to go for it. I booked a one way southbound embarking in Vancouver and disembarking in Seattle. I decided to extend the trip a little bit, fly into Seattle and incorporate a train trip from there  to Vancouver before getting on the ship. I had a few friends in the city and had not visited in quite some time, plus it’s home to Altura, a chef’s counter experience that I will never forget. More on that in a bit.

 

I spent a few days in Seattle and stayed within walking distance to Pike Place Market. I took in the Chihuly glass exhibit, the Space Needle and enjoyed great dinners out. My good friend and I ate at Place Pigalle, a quaint little French place above Pike’s Market. We had a phenomenal meal. The octopus was the best I’ve ever had and it was one of those experiences where you arrive for your reservation when the restaurant opens and your dinner ends when the place closes. It was magical. In addition to being able to see old friends, I really wanted to incorporate a train component to my trip and I had heard that the ride from Seattle to Vancouver is a worthwhile one. Indeed, it was! The Amtrak Cascades 4.5 hour trip was a great way to see more of the Pacific Northwest, and trains are cool! 

 

I got to Vancouver and ended up staying at the Pan Pacific Hotel right at the port. It wasn’t where I had originally planned to stay, but the other hotel had very loud construction and their restaurant was closed, so I switched. Pro tip - during non-peak travel times, sometimes you can get a great deal on a hotel room the day of your stay. I got a corner king for $200 - the room was huge and I was right on top of the port so the views were incredible. Also, let me address the hotel shift, some of you may have thought, it’s just one night, the construction won’t be going on at night and just go to another restaurant. Both good points! My travel experiences are sacred to me. I vacation as hard as I work (if not harder), and don’t want to settle if I don’t have to. I wanted a nice hotel experience where I could hang out, listen to some live music in the lounge, and have a great dinner. Well, I got that while overlooking the water. A quick hotel switch to get what you want is worth the initial frustration and brief delay it causes. Don’t sweat the small stuff when you travel.

 

I boarded the Norwegian Jewel and did my traditional embarkation day ritual. I had a later boarding time so was able to go straight to my cabin and drop my bags off before venturing out to explore the ship. Pro tip - when sailing to Alaska, get a balcony cabin. It’s worth the additional cost and if you rely on the ability to see all of nature's glory from public outdoor areas, you might be sad when you realize that you can get the same views and have the coziness of your cabin (with room service) to retreat to when the balcony gets too cold and you’ll still be able to see all the beauty up close.

 

The ship was older and smaller than my preference, but I knew that going to Alaska meant a smaller ship, and it was well worth it given all that I would see. The cruise took me through Ketchikan, Sawyer Glacier, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, Victoria, BC and disembarked in Seattle. Icy Strait Point was the best port I’ve ever been to - (see Seascape Spotlight for details - but think whales and bears galore). The White Pass Railroad excursion from Skagway was also quite memorable. A meal to not be missed in Alaska is at the Cape Fox Lodge in Ketchikan. You take a tram up the mountain to the lodge and can enjoy panoramic views from the dining room, while enjoying phenomenal seafood. Highly recommend! I would encourage anyone going to Alaska to embrace the experience and learn about the land and people by engaging in culture discussions, visiting totem displays, and seeing performances reflective of the rich history of the area. I look forward to going back for a cruise tour and exploring more parts of the state.

 

As usual, I stayed an extra night in my disembarkation port to enjoy one last night of vacation. I decided to end on a high note by partaking in the tasting menu at Altura in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy a number of exclusive experiences at certain restaurants either because I saved up for it, or have known someone or gotten connected to an opportunity through my restaurant background. My experience at Altura was my best dining experience ever, without a doubt. In short, 16 courses (the first course was 6 mini courses - so depending on how you look at it, it’s either 16 or 11 courses), delicious wine pairings, and the chance to watch renowned chef, Nathan Lockwood and his team prepare the amazing experience, literally five feet in front of you. 

 

The trip was fantastic and one I see doing many more times. From what I understand, Alaska is a place you can cruise back to again and again and never get tired of it. Not a bad habit to form and there are plenty of different itineraries, so you won’t get bored. I could write about this cruise for five more pages, but I want to leave surprises for you when you “do Alaska.”

December 2013 to do list: 

1. quit job 

2. say bye to family 

3. drive across America (solo)....

 

Yep, that's what I did. I had been working for eight years as a high school guidance counselor and decided I wanted to shift the trajectory of my career, but I needed a break. I had been in a Ph.D. program for 2 years and was starting to burn out. So, what did I do? Dropped everything and drove! 

 

I spent the next month planning my route, highlighting maps, booking hotels (I was going to be traveling over New Year's and didn't want to chance hotels being full), and wondering what in the world I was thinking. I literally was quitting my job, draining my savings, and venturing by myself to drive across the country.......WHAT?! Spoiler alert......it was RAD!

 

Now, something to keep in mind is that I had some money saved, vacation accrual I could cash out, and no significant other or pet, so these factors made the idea a little more realistic and the decision easier to make. Although it is possible to do a cross-country road trip on the cheap, and bring your significant other or pet with you, these factors should not be deal breakers in any cross-country adventure dreams you may have.  

 

Those who know me, know I am a bit of a safety squirrel (okay, a pretty big safety squirrel). I play it safe and tend to err on the side of caution. I am also incredibly directionally challenged. Needless to say, deciding to travel across the country by myself was a pretty big "out of the box" idea given these two things. DO NOT FEAR - GPS is here! And, being a safety squirrel is a good thing when traveling solo as long as you don't let the worry of "what could happen" creep in and ruin the adventure. 

 

I mapped out my route with anticipation that I should be flexible should the weather become a challenging factor. I was leaving on December 26 after all, and driving conditions could be unpredictable. My plan was to end up in Durham, NC and then figure it out. I picked Durham as it was at the center of the research triangle with a few well-known universities and endless connection to opportunities in higher ed. I thought, I'll just move to Durham and get a job at Duke or UNC. It didn’t end up working out that way.

 

I traveled the 40 and went through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. I saw snow in Arizona, tumbleweeds (big) on the freeway in Texas, Jesus outside of Oklahoma City (he really did save me), and saw the guitar drop in Nashville on New Year's Eve. The drive was definitely an adventure and there were a few times when I thought I had made the dumbest decision of my life, and a few other times when I got straight up scared. 

 

Scariest moment – almost running out of gas at night, in the snow, with no sense of how many miles of gas I had before getting to the next town (love the feature on newer cars that tells you this). As I began to realize my fate could soon turn bleak (yes, it was that dramatic in the moment), I come around the bend in the road to see a brightly lit billboard on the side of the highway (lit similarly to a vanity mirror from the 80’s with big bubs around the perimeter), with a picture of Jesus, arms wide spread and the words “I am here for you.” In huge white letters. Well, if that wasn’t reassurance that gas was right around the corner, I don’t know what was! Sure enough, a few miles away was a small little town with a hotel, gas station, and an Italian place. Think red and white checkered tablecloths, red wine served from jugs, and the best lasagna on the planet. Jesus was, indeed, there for me.

 

While there were a few other scary moments, there were many more unique experiences that were quite noteworthy. Let me tell you about toothless Deena in New Mexico and the search for Corn Nuts. For context, as I left for my trip, my mom gave me a snack box for the road and Corn Nuts was a main staple. I had eaten my last bag midway through Arizona and by the time I hit east New Mexico, I was craving more. I stopped at this little store a few blocks off the highway that carried the main necessities in life, including an abundance of snack options. As I perused the offerings, I didn’t see any Corn Nuts. From the back of the store, out came a woman hollering “hey there! What can I get for ya?” “Well,” I responded, I was hoping for some Corn Nuts.” OH! COME ON BACK HERE! WE GOT EM WE GOT EM! . As I follow her to the back of the store, she turns around as she’s walking excitedly and says “you don’t look like you’re from here (ya think?) what’s the hype with the nuts? It was then that I noticed her lack of teeth and her nametag that read DEENA. She had wiry grey hair, looked to be around 70 and seemed as though she had been running that little store for quite some time. As I told her the story of mom and the snack box and my big adventurous plans of starting a new life in the south east, she hastily moved between engaging with me and averted her attention to a number of boxes lining the back of the store. As she moved a few boxes and her eyes darted over the others, she started rummaging through one of them, she quickly exclaimed, “found em!” as she pulls out two fistfuls of the crunchy goodness. I took three bags and as I was paying, she made the comment that she loved salty snacks with pop (soda in my lingo) and I couldn’t help but wonder if this combination contributed to her lack of teeth. Thanks for the help, Deena!

 

When I got to Durham, I realized two things very quickly, movers don’t come when they say they will; wait, let me reword – movers come whenever they want (they came at 1am, and in the pouring rain, and didn’t give a rip about anything but getting out of there as soon as possible – so much so that they left the moving blankets taped to everything) and I was very far away from anything and everything I knew. As tough as the first week was, I started to get out and feel a bit more comfortable in my new spot. 

 

I had done quite a bit of research on restaurants in Durham and the surrounding areas, naturally, given my restaurant background and found there were quite a few good ones to try out. One of my first nights out, I went to Piedmont in downtown Durham. I walked into an open space with a large loft area, with cool wood fixtures on the walls, cozy lighting, and a vibe that made you want to come in and hang out. I sat at the bar, as I normally do, and after eating some of the best farm to table fare and experiencing phenomenal service, decided I wanted to work there. I went in the next morning and landed a job as a server. If you had told me six months prior that I would be asking folks in their post-church Sunday best if they wanted hash or grits with their eggs, I would’ve said you were crazy. But there I was and it was great. 

 

I met some really great people along the way, some not so great people, and further realized my absolute love for the south (and I have returned many times since to visit). I spent most of the year working at Piedmont, not getting jobs at well-known universities, wondering about things like Cicada season (those suckers are loud), tornados, and missing my family and all things west coast, terribly. I decided it was time to go back to California.

 

I left Durham and headed out on the 70. The Blue Ridge Mountains were so beautiful! Louisville, KY was my first stop of my second cross-country journey and it wasn’t too shabby! Waterfront city with some nice architecture and home of the Maker’s Mark Bourbon Lounge. I figured since I was in Kentucky, I should take part in the local tradition.

 

I woke up the next morning much earlier than planned (clearly, one whisky sour was not enough), 2:30 AM to be exact. Couldn’t go back to sleep so decided to start my 9 and a half hour drive to Kansas a bit earlier than originally planned. But first, gotta get gas. And this is where it got good. The shell station a block from my hotel was apparently open 24 hours and was surprisingly quite crowded. To the woman standing outside of the shell station…..at 3:00 AM; great job purchasing a multi-purpose outfit! Hmmm….should I wear this as a dress tonight, or should I saran wrap the fruit bowl in my fridge with it? My vote? Saran wrap over fruit. Apparently the shell gas station is not the only thing open at 3:00 AM in Louisville.

 

On to Topeka, KS. I traveled through Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas. First off. I have to give major props to whoever decided to start Travel America (TA). It’s a road tripper’s dream! You can get gas, pee in a clean toilet, get a variety of snacks, peruse the aisles of tacky trinkets and gifts and have an excellent people watching experience! And, after drinking a 32oz diet coke, I couldn’t wait to get to the next TA……..just so I could pee in another clean bathroom.

 

When I got to Topeka I found that it was not the heaven of Kansas as I anticipated. Ok, I didn’t really tie heaven and Kansas together, but you get the idea. I was starving and stopped in at Terry’s Bar and Grill. The interior reminded me a lot of the Nugget in Summerland, CA, minus the animal heads. Joe (a regular of numerous years and no younger than 75) hobbles in using a cane, takes a seat at the bar and without saying a word has a pitcher of bud light set in front of him with a frosty glass. He pulls out of his backpack a brown paper bag. He takes out a paper napkin that he lays out on the bar, a zip lock bag containing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on white bread (with more jelly than peanut butter given how much purple goo was dripping out of the sandwich) and a bag of chips. He dumps the chips on the napkin and proceeds to eat his homemade lunch and bar bought pitcher of beer. I was curious, so I asked the bartender about him. Joe has been eating the same lunch, with the same pitcher of beer on the same bar stool for five years. There’s something to be said for routine….. and a gooey PB&J sandwich.

 

I finished my long haul back home and as I crossed into California, felt an instant sense of relief. Looking back, the experience was logistically rather easy, it’s just planning really, and I’m VERY good at planning. The stress of not having a steady stream of income, and the emotional toll of being away from my family - and in a place very different from what I knew, was difficult.

 

Did I regret my decision to try something new? No. Did I wince at the amount of money I had saved up and now spent on my adventure and to live with only a server pay to stay afloat, no. The trip was beyond worth it. I learned about myself, truly experienced all things southern (good and bad) and have more stories across 15 states than I can count. 

 

If you ever have the chance to drop what you are doing (or take it with you) and travel, do it! We have a country filled with so much beauty and the experience will be once in a lifetime. For those who are wondering, I ultimately did get the job in higher education which gave me the flexibility to travel, to fall in love with cruising, and to start a business as a travel advisor (and, despite all of the corn nuts along the way, I still have all of my teeth.