–My apologies for my absence and the lengthy delay in posts. I wouldn’t say I have been on an adventure, but it has been quite a wild ride.
Earlier this year, to celebrate almost 35 years, my husband and I decided to take our first “real” vacation. We wanted to check an item off his bucket list. Do something we have never done before. So, we decided to go on a cruise.
He has always wanted to go on a cruise, but my fear of water has made it a no-go for me. However, when someone you love is living with an unfavorable health diagnosis, you tend to re-evaluate what things you will and won’t do. Once I said yes, it took about 2 seconds for the planning to begin. My husband began checking out cruise lines, various destinations, and packages, every detail down to the very room assignment. He left no stone unturned.
Finally, the decision had been made. We were going on an Alaskan Cruise. This seemed fitting to be an easy introduction to the world of cruising.
Next, we needed to get our passports, which had to be processed with rush delivery, of course, cha-ching $$. Then pulling the trigger to reserve the cruise with a $500 non-refundable deposit. I never like to do anything that is “non-refundable”. You just never know what life will throw at you.
Fast forward from March to mid-August. We are excited and ready to hit the road. Going to head up to Washington a week before the cruise to see family. Then off to Seattle the night before embarkation. So EXCITED!!!
Arrive in town on a Sunday, one week before cruise departure. Spend Sunday and Monday with family. Tuesday night head out to visit with more extended family. Get a call the following Thursday letting us know that the person we saw Tuesday has tested positive for COVID and was sick. Urgh! Later that evening….both my husband and I started running high fevers and got extremely sick. We promptly took our home COVID tests, ARRGH… Positive!!! My husband lives with leukemia and is currently on a chemo regimen so off to Zoom Care for a re-test and antivirals.
What about our dream vacation? The enemy immediately starts whispering in our ears. You know if you don’t feel that bad, just go. Nobody needs to know you are positive. Just go. You can just distance yourself. Just go. It’s your vacation and you deserve it. Just go!
As that forked tongue SOB was whispering all of these things, we began to argue. It was almost too much, after months of planning and all the anticipation to feel the loss on top of feeling like crap was difficult. As we began to argue further, my husband made the bold move to stand on our principles and contacted the cruise line. Yep, you guessed it, we just lost our cruise 🙁. Our reward was being quarantined for 5 freaking days in an 18ft travel trailer!
We were both so angry and ready to just pack up the car and head home.
Somewhere in all of the mess, God reassured us that this is not a “never going to happen” but a “not right now” scenario. Don’t worry. With that reassurance, we decided that once quarantine was over, we would head to the Oregon Coast and spend a couple of days before heading back home. “Plans” were made.
Tuesday morning we woke up ready to leave that afternoon for the coast. Just kidding! Get up for a shower and coffee only to find out that both My Mom and Stepdad are sick!!! Can’t even get my Mom to the bathroom without assistance. Use home COVID tests, and you guessed it, both positive! Call Doctors for advice and due to my Mom’s heart condition and her severe trouble breathing, I needed to call 911 and have her taken to hospital. She would stay there for her 5-day quarantine. In the meantime, I am getting my stepdad to urgent care to get an antiviral. Again, best-laid plans. Seriously….another round of canceling reservations. By this time we are exhausted, still healing from our round of COVID and now caring for sick family. This was definitely not what we had on our agenda.
Back in November 2020, we lost my Mother-in-Law to COVID, and the following March 2021 my Father. Unpleasant flashbacks crowded our thoughts. We thank God everyone is recovering from this “vacation”. We can now joke about it. Lord, we prayed for a CRUISE, not COVID. I guess they both start with C. LOL.
This adventure ended on a positive note. We decided to take advantage of my husband’s remote position and detour our trip home to spend 8 days on the Oregon Coast. It was beautiful, restful, and the perfect ending to our “real” vacation.
Things we learned from this experience. First off, ALWAYS get travel insurance! We have never purchased it before, this was the first time. Thank you, GOD, for leading us in that direction. Second, always hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Third, we will never make “plans” again! They will forever be “tentative arrangements”. Lastly, God is good ALL the time, ALL the time God is good. We will forever stand on his promises.
God Bless –
Rho
