I went on my first cruise last week. It was a quick trip down to Cozumel (from Galveston) and back. I was pretty anxious about it. Had convinced myself cruises weren’t for me. Ended up being wrong. I had a great time. Could be alone whenever I wanted to. Could (but didn’t) do The Cupid Shuffle almost whenever I wanted to…the Lido Deck is real, ya’ll.
What I really loved about the experience though, and what I definitely wasn’t expecting, was what a melting pot it was. People of every age, race, orientation, body type, etc., together and doing nothing but having fun. I’m a pretty tolerant guy in general, but this surprise gave me a new coping mechanism for those moments when my patience might get tried: imagine them on the boat!
About the only downside was the still-lingering head-to-toe bug I caught. Wasn’t COVID. Haven’t tested for anything else. And it’s fading. But it sure kicked my ass for a few days. Took a nap in the middle of the afternoon for the first time in years. Oh yeah, and I grossly overate one day while onboard. It hurt. Literally. It also made me feel silly. And between that and the bug, my guts still don’t feel right. But now I know, and I’ll both sanitize more regularly and eat more consistently next time. And there’ll definitely be a next time.
My debut novel, ‘Unreality’ will be released Mar. 23rd. I’m a little anxious about it, but mostly excited. Lots of it takes place on a ship in the tropics.
Please pick up or download a copy and let me know what you think. It’s 285 pages of fairly short sentences so it shouldn’t take long.
It’s available for Kindle pre-order now, with the paperback available 23.3.23.
Thank you and enjoy the ride.
Chris Smith, Author 