Finding Serenity after 7 days at Sea.

So the question of the day is how to find my serenity post an incredible 7 day cruise to Alaska?

First off let me just say that that being on a massive cruise ship can be intimidating if you let it or it can be a wonderful new way to peacefulness and serenity.  I choose the later.

From the moment I stepped foot onto Holland America's Amsterdam I felt joyful, adventurous, calm and filled with a peacefulness that I didn't have on land.  For 7 days I forgot about work, forgot about world issues, didn't look at email, or surf the Internet, only relaxed, slept, ate, danced, read, and enjoyed meeting lots of people.  I had the opportunity to stand on deck each day and watch humpback whales breaching, dolphins playing, I got up close to calving glaciers, watched harbor seals sunning themselves and took loads of photos.

I will admit that having a cabin steward who straightened up my stateroom multiple times a day along with folded towel sea creatures on my turned down bed and placed chocolates on the bed each night didn't hurt either.  It was also wonderful having fabulous meals each day and drinks in the bars each evening.

A trip to Alaska is not to be missed.  Each of the days in the inner passage brought a feeling of serenity with the nature that surrounded me.  Massive glaciers, loud cracking sounds when ice broke away, ferocious looking totem poles scattered throughout the forests, rocky shores filled with shells and stones, bald eagles and salmon that jump out of the water - this was truly awe inspiring and also sad that in the very near future these sights might disappear, due to rising temperatures and global warming.

As I traveled back to reality this week, I keep wondering if there is a way to preserve the feelings of peacefulness and serenity I found on the boat in my everyday life.  Perhaps each day I will take a walk outside or at the very least sit on my deck each evening at sunset and surround myself with nature.  I will make an effort to walk around a lake, visit the ocean, or meander by a creek (are you catching a theme here).  Our connections to water are life giving and the sounds of nature can truly be filled with serenity.

So take the time out of your day to give yourself a mini-vacation go outside and be apart of nature.

May you be filled with serenity!