March 11

This morning we were greeted into East London, South Africa with a pod of dolphins. Typically this means you’ll see 5-6 dolphins for about 5-6 minutes. We saw 50+ dolphins and got to watch them for about 45 minutes.

They were incredible.

And their greeting was the only thing we got to do in East London.

Because of poor weather conditions, we were unable to dock here. Had the conditions been good, our ship would’ve been the largest ship to ever dock here. However, this was not the case. But, getting to watch dolphins all morning really made my whole day.

But, while we were watching, everyone so smiley, pointy of the dolphins. Taking note of the ones with babies, the faster ones, the ones with high jumps… all the ooo’s and ahh’s… I wished in that moment that I could’ve been experiencing the moment with my mom.

I love when we’re doing some fun together and she whispers “wow. This is so cool” in total awe. Her zest for life, her intrigue of the world, is so inspiring to me. She gets excited over small things, which is what life is all about. For example, one time in Canada we got upgraded to the penthouse…. I will never forget this. Of course, she was excited about the view and the Christmas tree in the living room and the wrap around balcony. Anyone in their right mind would be excited about that cool upgraded! But she was also excited about the washer and dryer “IN THE ROOM” and “THE COMPLIMENTARY CHAPSTICK!!!”

Anyway, I love mornings like this one. I woke up without an alarm, went upstairs for some coffee, and had some lovely conversations on the outer deck with two guests. One is an old man traveling alone named Mike. We talked about the future and his family and the like.

The other conversation was with an older woman named Carol, who has been on many world cruises as the water color instructor on the ship, but she finally retired and is officially on the ship as a guest for the first time. Let me paint a picture: She was sitting in blue and fluorescent green sunglasses, Microsoft written on the side. Turns out on a previous world cruise there was a progressive class on using Microsoft and if you finished the course you got a free pair of sunglasses. She was bundled up into a “world cruise 2023” lightweight zip up to stay warm from the cold. Her silver hair blew in the wind, and she didn’t have a care in the world. We talked about whales, and as she sipped her coffee her funky pink lipstick left a stain on the cup. There was something so soothing about this conversation.

I think the cherry on top for this morning was truly getting to enjoy the morning. No distractions. I didn’t have my phone with me. So I wasn’t fumbling trying to get pictures of the dolphins, I just got to watch and enjoy them. Truly taking in the moment, the world, and all of her beauty. I got to watch and curiously inspect the pilot boat come to the side of the ship and eye the pilot jump back over after learning we were no longer docking. Maybe this seems small, unimportant, and boring… but

“You’ve gotta start romanticizing your life. You gotta believe that your morning commute is cute and fun, that every cup of coffee is the best you’ve ever had, that even the most mundane things are exciting and new. You have to, because that’s when you start truly living, that’s when you look forward to every day”

What’s the quote? Something about how you live each moment is how you live your life. Life isn’t just about the great feats and the big milestones. It’s about all the little seconds adding up to them as well.

Anyway, that’s enough philosophy for one post.

Cheers,

Tay