This time, after I got off the cruise ship, in my brief vacation period, I was going to take a real vacation.
I was a bit nervous.
I had never bought a vacation package before. I had never stepped on a plane for the exclusive purpose of going on vacation (as an adult, independently). All of my travel has been adventurous, work-based, or multi-purpose. My vacations have been road trips, backpacking stints or days off during intense touring of shows throughout the world. I travel independently, with an adventurous spirit. If I go somewhere, I'll just figure out what I want to do, bring a few good books, and wing it.
This time, I was buying an all-inclusive week aboard a yacht where diving is the sole focus. Amazing. But I was going by myself, and I was going to relax. I wouldn't know anyone (that doesn't bother me too much, but it might be awkward to sit alone at dinner. Well, that's what reading is for), and I wouldn't have a job or a purpose. No deadlines for walls to be built or paint to dry. No daily schedule of tasks to accomplish. Just me as a paying passenger. Imagine that.
Time to investigate how the other half lives.
So I flew to Belize and joined the Sun Dancer II. It's a 138-foot long, 4-deck yacht crewed by 7 people for 20 passengers. A little different than our 857-foot cruise ship crewed by 850 people for 2200 passengers.
The schedule was diving all day, every day. I figured this is ok, since 5 dives a day means 5 hours underwater, add a half hour to get ready to each dive, that's 7 and a half hours killed. I could struggle through meals with some sort of conversation, with my limited social skills (another 2.5 hours), and I could keep to myself for any remainder (hey, 13 hours of sleep sounds pretty good, I'm on vacation!). With that plan of social avoidance in the back of my mind, I felt confident about taking the vacation and making the best of it.
Starting from the airport the morning of joining the ship, my anticipated model of self-imposed exile was proved completely false.
I was cruising with a group of divers from Cleveland, on a trip organized through their local dive shop. Some of them had never met each other before, and many people were traveling on their own with the group. So I walked into a group of quirky, dive-obsessed people looking to have a good time and be social. Oh. Cool.
So this group immediately adopted me, and I became one of the crowd. I was not a solo traveler, but part of the Cleveland group (I think I've been to Cleveland... Well I've driven through and I have a memory of a layover in Cleveland airport as a kid... Close enough). The days flew past, and time was spent getting to know everyone, sunbathing, raging about dives, comparing past experiences and generally having a good time. Amazing.
So my first vacation, especially as a solo traveler, was a huge success. No longer do I hold the impression that vacations are for couples, friends or groups. Vacations are for me. Even if I'm an introvert and would claim to prefer the company of a good book (yes, I read three throughout the week).
So here's a sampling of the 26 dives throughout the week, including the famous Blue Hole which drew me to Belize:
I was a bit nervous.
I had never bought a vacation package before. I had never stepped on a plane for the exclusive purpose of going on vacation (as an adult, independently). All of my travel has been adventurous, work-based, or multi-purpose. My vacations have been road trips, backpacking stints or days off during intense touring of shows throughout the world. I travel independently, with an adventurous spirit. If I go somewhere, I'll just figure out what I want to do, bring a few good books, and wing it.
This time, I was buying an all-inclusive week aboard a yacht where diving is the sole focus. Amazing. But I was going by myself, and I was going to relax. I wouldn't know anyone (that doesn't bother me too much, but it might be awkward to sit alone at dinner. Well, that's what reading is for), and I wouldn't have a job or a purpose. No deadlines for walls to be built or paint to dry. No daily schedule of tasks to accomplish. Just me as a paying passenger. Imagine that.
Time to investigate how the other half lives.
So I flew to Belize and joined the Sun Dancer II. It's a 138-foot long, 4-deck yacht crewed by 7 people for 20 passengers. A little different than our 857-foot cruise ship crewed by 850 people for 2200 passengers.
The schedule was diving all day, every day. I figured this is ok, since 5 dives a day means 5 hours underwater, add a half hour to get ready to each dive, that's 7 and a half hours killed. I could struggle through meals with some sort of conversation, with my limited social skills (another 2.5 hours), and I could keep to myself for any remainder (hey, 13 hours of sleep sounds pretty good, I'm on vacation!). With that plan of social avoidance in the back of my mind, I felt confident about taking the vacation and making the best of it.
Starting from the airport the morning of joining the ship, my anticipated model of self-imposed exile was proved completely false.
I was cruising with a group of divers from Cleveland, on a trip organized through their local dive shop. Some of them had never met each other before, and many people were traveling on their own with the group. So I walked into a group of quirky, dive-obsessed people looking to have a good time and be social. Oh. Cool.
So this group immediately adopted me, and I became one of the crowd. I was not a solo traveler, but part of the Cleveland group (I think I've been to Cleveland... Well I've driven through and I have a memory of a layover in Cleveland airport as a kid... Close enough). The days flew past, and time was spent getting to know everyone, sunbathing, raging about dives, comparing past experiences and generally having a good time. Amazing.
So my first vacation, especially as a solo traveler, was a huge success. No longer do I hold the impression that vacations are for couples, friends or groups. Vacations are for me. Even if I'm an introvert and would claim to prefer the company of a good book (yes, I read three throughout the week).
So here's a sampling of the 26 dives throughout the week, including the famous Blue Hole which drew me to Belize:
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