Cruising Along: Even When It’s Not What You Planned
by Dana Wineland O’Rourke, contributing writer
Every day is a gift, and milestones should be celebrated.
My husband, Tim, and I married September 30, 1978. We chose that as our wedding date because it’s a pretty time with pleasant weather in Western Pennsylvania.
No matter how hectic life is, we always pause to celebrate our anniversary, giving extra attention to the ones ending in 5 or 0.
Calendar pages seem to flip faster as time goes by, so this year, wedding anniversary forty- seven was going to be something special: a Seven-Night Bahamas Cruise.
The trip was booked six months in advance, and I began to fill my Minnie Mouse folder with printouts of excursions and travel details. I also joined a Facebook group for our cruise where I contributed memes for the countdown, gathered information, and signed up for ship events. Our sail date: September 25.
“Hello suitcases,” I whispered as I unzipped and placed them on our deck to air out after Tim rescued them from the attic. A few days later they were packed with Bahamas- friendly clothes, bathing suits, and hot weather essentials.
And then the e-mail came.
While September weather is beautiful in Western PA, it is the middle of hurricane season in the Atlantic. The last minute correspondence from the cruise company stated that due to two hurricanes in the south, our ship would be traveling north to Nova Scotia.
We had been down this road before. Our planned New England cruise to celebrate our 45th anniversary was rerouted south due to a hurricane, and we chose to cancel it using our travel insurance. Later, we rebooked and enjoyed the original bucket list itinerary.
“Well?” Tim asked as déjà vu swept over me.
All the plans in my head and papers in my folder meant nothing now. What to do this time?
Life is a journey and sometimes it’s nice to veer off our path and have a little adventure.
“We’re goin’ on a ‘venture’”, I smiled, repeating the words our son Timmy used as a two-year-old that became a catch phrase with us. The moment I spoke those words, my disappointment turned into excitement.
Tim was quick to agree. We each grabbed a pair of jeans and a light weight jacket, shoved them into our suitcases, and headed to Cape Liberty in New Jersey to begin our adventure… north.
The detailed itinerary I famously e-mail our kids prior to any trip became texts as plans changed. They had heard about “The Bahamas Trip” for months, and were a little surprised, yet happy, we were going to celebrate our anniversary, “somewhere.”
Every passenger boarding the ship with us that day opted to “Go for it!” Ironically, those words are on my Minnie Mouse folder.
We left the pier with the promise of a stop in Sydney, Nova Scotia, but Melissa ruined that. Hurricane Melissa, that is. Yes, not wanting hurricanes Humberto and Imelda to outdo her, Melissa decided to hijack our trip north and forced the captain to keep us way out in the ocean to maintain smooth sailing, for five straight days.
While there was much to see and do on the ship, the view from our balcony didn’t change until day six when we docked in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
“Land’ Tim announced, like a pirate ready to dig for buried treasure. When we got off the ship, we did a little dance on the pier, even though it wasn’t our Bahamas destination.
The anticipated stroll on the beach became a hike along the boardwalk. Conch fish salad for lunch was replaced by lobster rolls. There were no coconut drinks with umbrellas, but we enjoyed a flight of beverages at a local brewery.
New stories to share were made on our ‘venture.’ We had no idea where we were in the vast ocean when we raised our anniversary glasses on September 30th, but we celebrated. Always grateful.
Ours was not a thrill seeking adventure like sky-diving or bungee- jumping. We simply decided to live in the moment and embrace the unknown. It was wonderful.
Be sure to make time to celebrate milestones and take adventures. It doesn’t have to be extravagant to be special. The benefits are limitless. The memories are priceless.
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About the author: Freelance writer Dana Wineland O’Rourke retired after wearing the many hats required for her position as a school secretary for 30 years. A lifelong resident of Monongahela, Dana has been married to Tim for 47 years. Their two sons and daughters-in-law made the family an even dozen with six grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with family, traveling, gab & grubs with friends, biking, and fitness classes at the YMCA.
