Studio Saturday At Sea

Solo Cruising On The Bliss

NORWEGIAN BLISS ANCHORED OFF CABO SAN LUCAS

It’s hard to believe today is my last full day aboard the Norwegian Bliss. Harder still to grasp how much this floating city has managed to shift, stretch, and soothe my weary, worried mind.

When I came aboard on Sunday, all I carried was a suitcase full of clothes and gadgets. Tomorrow, I’ll be disembarking with something far more valuable: a renewed sense of calm, clarity, connection, creativity, and curiosity.

Today, I’ll be offering my see-you-laters and wishing my new friends safe travels on their next adventures. Whether they’re heading home or off on another getaway, I hope they continue to float forward with purpose, prosperity, and the same sense of playfulness that brought us together out here at sea.

We’ve shared drinks, meals, early-morning laughs, late-night conversations, and moments that somehow feel bigger than the ship carrying us across the ocean. The bittersweetness of parting, I expected. The tenderness? That’s taken me by surprise.

I may be saying goodbye to the Norwegian Bliss for now, but not forever. Oh, I’ll be back. You don’t spend a week rediscovering parts of yourself you were convinced were lost and then just walk away. The Bliss helped me find those parts again, and I’m certain we’ll cross paths again soon.

The Bliss isn’t just a ship anymore. It’s a floating studio, a sanctuary, and a social experiment that worked. And I’m not done here. Not by a long shot.

CRUISING SOLO, BUT NOT ALONE

One of the biggest revelations this week? I was born to be a solo cruiser.

When I want solitude, I can glide around the ship like a friendly ghost with a cocktail in hand, appearing and disappearing at will. I’ve wandered through bars, restaurants, quiet nooks, and crowded pool decks.

I’ve found myself in the Observation Lounge—where I’m currently writing—more times than I can count. Without an agenda or expectations. Just me, my thoughts, and whatever creative gremlins are ready to come out and play.

When I crave connection, the Bliss delivers. I’ve had conversations that went deeper than some I’ve had with people I’ve known for years. I’ve laughed more than I expected, shared stories that surprised me, and met a handful of folks who might just make the leap from vacation companions to real-world friends.

Only time will tell, but the possibility and potential feel mighty real.

STUDIO SATURDAY

Today is my first Studio Saturday At Sea. So instead of racing to cram in last-minute activities or snapping obligatory “I was here” selfies, I have been doodling on ideas, noodling on plans, sketching new creative paths, and letting my imagination do laps around the deck.

There’s something magical about being surrounded by nothing but sea and sky. It loosens knots I didn’t know I was carrying. I didn’t realize how tightly wound I’d been until the ocean started unkinking me.

I’ve set goals this week I’m not sure I could have set at home. Stepping away from the noise—literal and metaphorical—lets truth float to the surface. And right now, that truth is clear: I’m excited to turn those goals into plans, and those plans into reality.

THE FUTURE’S SO BRIGHT…

I gotta wear shades. And sunscreen.

The brightness and lightness I feel aren’t about UV rays. They’re about possibility. They’re about giving myself permission to build, create, and play without waiting for approval or applause.

This cruise didn’t just give me a break.
It gave me back some momentum.
It reminded me that joy and bliss aren’t frivolous…they’re a compass.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Tonight, I’ll pack my bags. Tomorrow, I’ll take one last look out the balcony and step back onto land. But the Bliss has helped me find my own bliss. She’s sending me home with ideas, friendships, clarity, and more confidence than I arrived with.

Studio Saturday At Sea was exactly what I didn’t know I needed.

Keep calm and stay open to possibilities.
Clint 🌈✌️

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FYC = FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

• A Few Fun Things (PJ and Thomas)

• The Grief No One Prepared You For (Gino Cosme)

• Book Club: I Capture The Castle (Armistead Maupin + Christopher Turner)

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ON THIS DAY = DECEMBER 6

BIRTHDAYS

• 1792 = William II of the Netherlands = Dutch monarch 🌈

• 1864 = William S. Hart = American actor and filmmaker

• 1896 = Ira Gershwin = American songwriter

• 1898 = Alfred Eisenstaedt = German-American photographer and journalist

• 1900 = Agnes Moorehead = American actor

• 1920 = Dave Brubeck = American pianist and composer

• 1924 = Wally Cox = American actor 🌈

• 1940 = Richard Edlund = American visual effects designer and cinematographer

• 1941 = Bruce Nauman = American sculptor and illustrator

• 1948 = JoBeth Williams = American actor

• 1952 = Craig Newmark = American programmer and Craigslist founder

• 1953 = Tom Hulce = American actor and theater producer 🌈

• 1955 = Steven Wright = American actor, comedian, and screenwriter

• 1962 = Janine Turner = American actor

• 1967 = Judd Apatow = American filmmaker

• 1971 = Craig Brewer = American filmmaker

• 1971 = Ryan White = American activist

EVENTS

• 1897 = London becomes the world’s first city to host licensed taxicabs.

• 1964 = Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer premieres on NBC.

• 1995 = The United States Food and Drug Administration approves Saquinavir, the first protease inhibitor to treat HIV/AIDS. Within 2 years of its approval, annual deaths from AIDS in the United States fall from over 50,000 to approximately 18,000.

HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES

• National Microwave Oven Day

• National Pawnbrokers Day

• National Play Outside Day

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PORTRAIT + QUOTE OF THE DAY

IRA GERSHWIN

“One can be very happy without demanding that others agree with them.”
Ira Gershwin