Taking a cruise has always been on my bucket list. To be clear, I'm not suggesting that I need to take a cruise every year or anything. Rather, I've never been on one, have no idea what to expect really, but just want to do it at least once in my lifetime before I croak.
However, I also don't want to do it solo. Yes, I know that is a thing, and yeah, maybe some day, I just might do it as a solo, you know, just to finally check it off me bucket list. But it's really something I would like to do with someone. Hard to accomplish that though, when I've been single for so many years now.
Fast forward to perhaps a couple of weeks ago, when I reconnected with a friend I've known for a while... since 2010 I think! We've dated in the past, but things never really happened between us. There were a lot of reasons why, ranging from personal differences to my financial struggles to bad timings.
Anyways, she just went through knee surgery, and as far as I know, is in a lot of pain. Before the surgery though, I joked about how if she gets through the surgery and recovers by Valentine's Day, we should finally take that cruise that we've always been talking about.
I was half-serious, but also half-joking though. My dumb sense of humor aside, I wasn't being entirely serious because I also couldn't quite see us getting back together? We have not even talked for years, and even if we did, knowing the way we are, we would just as likely be at each other's throats as much as be in each other's arms.
I was also not expecting her to take the cruise idea seriously. However, she's really latched on to it. She's like, "Please don't joke and take this away from me, because I really need this to help me get through this surgery and have something to look forward to!" ... Guess I better start saving up for a cruise!
Then I started to get scared. I think I will need a budget of $5000. Yes, I know a cruise can be done for much less than that, but it's just the budget that I think I will need to pull this entire trip off comfortably.
As for the status between this lady friend and I, who in the world knows? As I said, there are reasons why we get along, but there are also reasons why we just simply do not. Plus, I have already resigned and even planned on living the rest of my life as a single person. The ability to retire early is mostly possible because I have only calculated expenses for one person....
Sorry, I'm rambling at this point. After all, it's only been two weeks of reconnecting, and I'm already over-analyzing. I probably should've kept my mouth shut, but now, I have to man up and prepare to set sail. Yaaar, mateys!
September 28th, 2025 at 08:33 pm 1759088036
You can be good friends who enjoy each other’s company, have some shared and some different interests, and spend time together without wondering where the relationship is going.
When we are young, if our goal is marriage, family, children long term compatibility matters.
But on the backside of life, having someone to explore, laugh, dance with can be enough.
Of course there have to be some matching values, especially in our fraught times, and agreement on who is contributing what - financially and otherwise.
A cruise offers lots to do. People traveling together don’t have to be together 24/7. Have honest discussions about how you each see the trip - where you want to visit, type of excursions, dress up or dress down, get up early or stay up and see the sunrise, meet other people or get to know each other better. Then find a cruise and make a plan that meets your individual needs.
Will the trip be a success if you can check off ‘took a cruise’, or do you have other goals? Be honest with yourself and each other.
September 29th, 2025 at 12:51 am 1759103496
I'm not sure that a cruise is the way I want to travel but I'll do it at least once to check it out.
September 29th, 2025 at 02:25 am 1759109121
Also, for the purposes of say a 3 day cruise, I think we can get through it just fine.
September 29th, 2025 at 01:03 pm 1759147387
September 29th, 2025 at 07:12 pm 1759169563
Maybe it's age but even friendships. As I get older I see that my friendships with parents of kids my kids were friends with wax and wane depending on the situation. Some become real friends and some were friends for a moment. Perhaps this is how it's meant to be.
September 29th, 2025 at 10:18 pm 1759180723
September 30th, 2025 at 01:02 am 1759190522
October 2nd, 2025 at 04:28 am 1759375703