Last week, I did something that shocked even me: I booked another cruise.
Yes, I’m going back to San Pedro (boo!) and Mexico (yay!). This time on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Bliss. And I’m leaving on Sunday. Seems my inner adventurer woke up, stretched, sipped a little iced tea, and said, “Pack your bags again, boo!”
I’ll be spending a full week sailing down the so-called Mexican Riviera with stops in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and Cabo San Lucas. Sun, sea, seafood, and (hopefully) sleep. That’s the vibe.
If you had told me this time last year that I’d go on even one cruise this year, I would have laughed you all the way to the Lido Deck. But after the Halloween cruise with my friends—where I laughed, people-watched, ate and drank far too much, and actually felt my shoulders unclench for the first time in ages—I wondered aloud:
What would a longer cruise feel like…if it were just me?
A week of solo cruising isn’t about being antisocial. It’s about seeing what happens when I give myself the space to wander, rest, read, people-watch, and simply be without a fixed schedule or the pressure to be with or entertain anyone else. It’s a chance to reset before the holiday chaos, clear some mental cobwebs, and maybe even find some inspiration for new posts and projects.
When I ran across the deal—which I was absolutely hunting for after my last cruise—I couldn’t believe my eyes. Even on my relatively tight budget, I couldn’t resist. I knew I had to make it work.
This trip is my end-of-the-year gift to myself. My Christmas present will be filled with ocean breezes, sunrise buffets, and the permission to just…enjoy something because I want to.
After the year I’ve had—full of surprises, setbacks, and everything in between—a solo cruise felt like the perfect gift. Being on a floating city with unlimited views, unlimited food, and unlimited excuses to do absolutely nothing is exactly my kind of present.
I’m excited. Nervous-excited, but excited all the same.
Maybe this will become a new annual tradition. Maybe I’ll come back wanting even more. Or maybe I’ll return home swearing off cruises going forward. We shall see.
For now, I’m counting down the days and counting my lucky stars: Bliss, here I come.
Keep calm and cruise on!
Clint 🌈✌️
COLLIDE PRESS is a reader-supported publication.
Please consider becoming a Paid Subscriber or Patron.
ON THIS DAY = NOVEMBER 25
BIRTHDAYS
1835 = Andrew Carnegie = Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist
1837 = Elizabeth Cushier = American obstetrician and professor 🌈
1844 = Karl Benz = German engineer and Mercedes-Benz founder
1914 = Joe DiMaggio = American baseball player and coach
1920 = Ricardo Montalbán = Mexican-American actor, singer, and director
1940 = Percy Sledge = American singer
1942 = Rosa von Praunheim = German filmmaker and activist 🌈
1944 = Ben Stein = American actor, tv personality, lawyer, and author
1947 = John Larroquette = American actor
1953 = Mark Frost = American author, screenwriter, and producer
1955 = Bruno Tonioli = Italian dancer and choreographer 🌈
1960 = Amy Grant = American singer-songwriter
1960 = John F. Kennedy Jr. = American lawyer, journalist, and publisher
1963 = Kevin Chamberlin = American actor and director 🌈
1966 = Billy Burke = American actor
1971 = Christina Applegate = American actor
1979 = Jerry Ferrara = American actor
1979 = Joel Kinnaman = Swedish actor
1984 = Gaspard Ulliel = French actor
EVENTS
1783 = At the end of the American Revolutionary War, the last British troops leave New York City three months after the signing of the Treaty of Paris.
1947 = The “Hollywood Ten“ are blacklisted by Hollywood movie studios.
1952 = Agatha Christie‘s murder-mystery play The Mousetrap opens at the Ambassadors Theatre in London’s West End after a premiere in Nottingham, UK. It will become the longest continuously running play in history.
1984 = Thirty-six top musicians record Band Aid‘s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?“ in order to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia.
1987 = Planes, Trains and Automobiles is released in theaters.
1992 = The Bodyguard is released in theaters.
HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES
PORTRAIT + QUOTE OF THE DAY
“As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do.”
Andrew Carnegie
Thanks again Clint. Happy Sailing. 🎸🎸🎵🎵❤🧡💛💚💙💜🤍🤎🖤🎵🎵🎸🎸📸📷
Smooth sailing, you crazy, crazy guy!