Three years ago I traveled to Alaska on a cruise ship. This year I got to return. This time I got a picture of a whale (statue, but still pretty cool.)

Returning to a place after a gap of three years is an invitation to reflect. I stand on the pier in Juneau and remember who I was in comparison with who I am now. I can see how far we have come with our disability journeys, with Howard’s stamina, with my food challenges. I can clearly see the doubling of price on the alpaca sweaters I bought when I was last here. Things I was wrangling with now run smoothly. Howard and I now have language and strategies which I did not have previously. When I think back on that earlier trip, I remember the stress of it and how I found joy anyway. So far this trip has only had minor stresses and an abundance of joy. This is not because my life is stress free. One only has to read my Feelings Box post to see the abundance of reasons I might feel stressed. I do think the strain in my lower back that I’m currently managing is a direct result of that stress, but negotiating movement with my back muscles is not altering my happiness.

I am so happy to have arrived here. There were so many ways that life could have forced me to cancel these plans, instead I am here, sitting on a ship and looking at the shores of Alaska.

This is the Grand Finale cruise for Writing Excuses. Our team is taking a break from hosting conferences on cruise ships. (We’ve got plans for a land-based conference next year). I have no idea if I’ll ever get to board a cruise ship again. I may never set foot in Alaska again. Travel for leisure is not likely to be something we can afford in the near future and possibly not ever. I’m looking ahead to publishing the last Schlock Mercenary book next year and not being sure where our money will come from after that. Finances are not the only reason that my future feels uncertain. So I intend to claim every joy I can find during this trip. I’m going to snatch time to write blog posts and fiction. I’m going to do my best to ignore admin tasks and spend time staring at water. I’m going to see a glacier. Maybe I’ll get to spot a whale. I’ve already seen eagles and crows and seagulls. And I’ve danced with friends.

If something happens to interrupt any of those plans, that’s okay too. I’m here to have experiences. If some of them are unexpected that won’t change my joy in them, just the stories I get to tell later.

The adventure continues