Double fisting at the dessert buffet
We spent the past 12 days crossing the Atlantic on a cruise ship in order to get to Europe. It is amazing how easy it has been to fall back into old habits. After over three months of adjusting to a backpacker lifestyle, I experienced a moderate degree of culture shock upon boarding.
At first I felt like the proverbial kid in a candy store. I enthusiastically commented on everything–the hot water that came out in an even stream with adequate pressure in a spotless shower, the fluffy bleached white towels that were changed twice daily, and of course the fabulously ridiculous excess of the buffet, among many other of the ship’s amenities. I am ashamed to say that a mere few days into the cruise, these luxuries quickly became expected. We joked about how “deprived” we had been, and I had to make a conscious effort to remind myself that no matter what our travel style or budget, we have not been and are no where near deprived, especially compared to people we have encountered during our travels-people who would justifiably take offense as being described as such, as many are just living simply and within their means.
Cruising is just a completely different reality. However, what made this cruise meaningful and worthwhile, was the fact that my parents were able to join us on the cruise and for a few days in Barcelona. They also brought us replenishment in the form of new toiletries, clothing, and other odds and ends that we had requested from home sweet home. So as embarrassing as it is to admit to doing “the cruise thing”, and as much as it diminishes our street cred as backpackers, it was more than worth it for me to be able to spend so much time with my mom and dad.
Now that the luxury portion of the trip is over, the next challenge for me is to make the conscious readjustment back to living like a traveler.
