On September 18th, I packed my bags and prepared for something I had never done before: my first cruise!
Was I excited? Absolutely.
Was I anxious? Also absolutely. 😂
I had planned the trip to Bermuda with my husband and a group of friends. As the ship pulled away from New York, there was officially no turning back. We were heading out into the Atlantic!
Once we started exploring the ship, I quickly realized that a cruise ship is basically a floating city where someone is constantly trying to feed or entertain you. And I was perfectly fine with that. 😂
Our group went to see the Prince show, and for a moment I forgot I was even on a ship. Between the music, dancing, costumes, and Prince songs, it felt like we had walked into a Broadway production.
And then there was the food.
So. Much. Food.
The buffet had so many choices that deciding what to eat practically became an activity of its own. We also had hibachi, where dinner came with entertainment. Apparently, simply sitting down and eating wasn’t exciting enough on this ship!
Then came the hot tub overlooking the ocean. 🌊
There is something wonderfully strange about sitting in bubbling hot water while staring at an enormous ocean. I danced around the pool with my husband, played games with my friends, and watched one of my friends actually win. My husband and I also visited the arcade, because apparently adulthood temporarily disappears once you get on a cruise ship.
And, of course, I had to try the water slide.
Because why calmly sail across the Atlantic when you can also launch yourself down a giant tube on top of it? 😂
But among all the music, food, games, and activities, there was one simple thing I had really wanted to do.
I wanted to find one of those comfortable beds on the deck, face the ocean, and read a book.
And I did it. 📖🌊
No show. No music. No games. Just me, my book, the breeze, and miles of water in front of me.
And Then There Was Bermuda 🏝️
When we reached Bermuda and I finally saw the water, I couldn’t believe how crystal clear it was.
I don’t think I had ever experienced water that felt so naturally clean, beautiful, and relaxing. I went into the ocean and simply let myself float.
And I loved it.
I didn’t need to do anything. I didn’t need to fight the water or control where every little movement took me. I floated, and the gentle waves moved me back and forth.
For someone whose mind can sometimes be busy thinking, planning, anticipating, and worrying, there was something beautiful about simply allowing the water to carry me.
For those moments, I wasn’t trying to get anywhere.
I was just there.
Floating.
Breathing.
Looking at that unbelievably clear water.
Feeling the waves move me.
I couldn’t help thinking about how something so beautiful could exist naturally.
It felt like experiencing one of the best of God’s creations. 🌊🙏
There are things human beings can build that are extraordinary. We can build enormous cruise ships, theaters, water slides, arcades, restaurants, and cities that float across the ocean.
But then you arrive in Bermuda, step into crystal-clear water, look around, and realize that nature didn’t need any decoration.
It was already breathtaking.
Then the Ocean Changed
On the last day, apparently the Atlantic had decided that I had experienced enough relaxation and it was time for the grand finale. 😂
The waves became rough.
The ship started rocking.
And when I say rocking, I don’t mean a cute little sway.
We were losing our balance.
Water was splashing against the windows, the ship was moving beneath our feet, and walking in a straight line suddenly became an unexpected cruise activity.
Yet something strange happened.
I felt calm.
I have been on airplanes where the turbulence outside seems to shake the turbulence inside of me. The plane moves, and suddenly my anxiety starts moving right along with it.
But the ocean was different.
The ship was rocking.
The waves were crashing.
Water was hitting the windows.
I could feel the shakiness.
Yet somehow…
the water outside was calming the fire inside.
Maybe Bermuda had already taught me something without me realizing it.
Just a day earlier, I had been floating in crystal-clear water, allowing the waves to move me instead of resisting them.
Now I was inside a ship doing essentially the same thing.
The ocean was moving us.
And I couldn’t control it.
But perhaps I didn’t need to.
The sea was restless, but somehow, I wasn’t.
Looking back, I thought my first cruise would simply be a vacation. I expected food, entertainment, laughter, dancing, beautiful scenery, and time with my husband and friends.
I got all of that.
But somewhere between floating peacefully in the clear waters of Bermuda and watching powerful Atlantic waves crash against the ship on our way home, the ocean gave me something else.
A reminder.
Not every wave has to be fought.
Sometimes you float.
Sometimes you move with it.
Sometimes you lose your balance.
And sometimes, even while everything around you is moving, you discover a little stillness inside yourself.
My first cruise took me to Bermuda.
But in a strange way, it also took me somewhere within myself.
And perhaps that is why I will remember it for much more than the destination.
The waves moved me, but they didn’t have to control me. The water outside was calming the fire inside.