TRAVEL: a time to decompress
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TRAVEL: a time to decompress
Vic MacDonald and his family are returning from a family cruise to Virginia. The cruise was the first in a while for the MacDonald family. The trip included two off-boardings and two sea-days back. The MacDonalds are looking forward to the next adventure in their lives, and returning to their home from adventure. The journey began on June 13, and ended on June 22, in Norfolk, Virginia. For more cruise news, visit CNN.com/soulmatestories and follow Vic on Twitter at @VicMacDonalds and @SylvaniaChronicle.
Posted Friday, July 4, 2025 1:00 am
Sunset Linger, for just a few minutes more, and watch the red emerge from beyond the sea-filled horizon. It was perfect.
I didn’t realized how compressed I was, until I started to decompress.
I sat on the porch of our cabin on the Carnival Sunshine and watched Norfolk, Virginia, receed in the distance. This was the first cruise we had been on in a while; and our friend Maria had organized a family cruise, which is a whirlwind of getting ready, and getting in the car, and having Maria driving all the way (and back!) and then getting on the ship.
And, now, whew!, we are pulling away from the dock. Ahead are two days of cruising to get to the first of three destination ports. Once there, we had off-boardings — one to a private beach that was, truly, a spur of the moment decision. Then, there are two sea-days back, and we are home Sunday afternoon. Jewel already had been brought home by Teal Creek Retrievers, and she was waiting for us in the house – all wiggly when we walked in. Maria and Mike unpacked right when they walked in the door – Pat, Jewel, and I pretty much passed out watching a movie. We all were home together, again.
But in the interim – between June 13 and June 22 – we were “out of the country” and everybody in our party of 15 could be together, or go our own way. The only consistency is dinner at 6 p.m., and watching the kids dance with the wait-staff at the evening show.
For me, it was sunrises and sunsets – pretty much all the sunrises but I missed a few sunsets because of going to shows and such. June 21, the longest day of the year, Pat and I enjoyed the most magnificent sunset of the cruise. I explained to Pat (almost like I’m a professional photographer) that you can’t just watch the sunset and go.
Linger, for just a few minutes more, and watch the red emerge from beyond the sea-filled horizon. It was perfect.
I had to confess to Pat that more than likely if we hadn’t met, I never would have had such adventures. Vacations, sure; but probably not adventure. With Pat – a veteran of many cruises from her days with church groups and school – and now in my 7th decade we look ahead to adventure, and returning to our home from adventure.
Contact Vic MacDonald at 864-833-1900 or news@clintonchronicle.net
TRAVEL: a time to decompress
Vic MacDonald and his family are returning from a family cruise to Virginia. The cruise was the first in a while for the MacDonald family. The trip included two off-boardings and two sea-days back. The MacDonalds are looking forward to the next adventure in their lives, and returning to their home from adventure. The journey began on June 13, and ended on June 22, in Norfolk, Virginia. For more cruise news, visit CNN.com/soulmatestories and follow Vic on Twitter at @VicMacDonalds and @SylvaniaChronicle.
Posted Friday, July 4, 2025 1:00 am
Sunset Linger, for just a few minutes more, and watch the red emerge from beyond the sea-filled horizon. It was perfect.
I didn’t realized how compressed I was, until I started to decompress.
I sat on the porch of our cabin on the Carnival Sunshine and watched Norfolk, Virginia, receed in the distance. This was the first cruise we had been on in a while; and our friend Maria had organized a family cruise, which is a whirlwind of getting ready, and getting in the car, and having Maria driving all the way (and back!) and then getting on the ship.
And, now, whew!, we are pulling away from the dock. Ahead are two days of cruising to get to the first of three destination ports. Once there, we had off-boardings — one to a private beach that was, truly, a spur of the moment decision. Then, there are two sea-days back, and we are home Sunday afternoon. Jewel already had been brought home by Teal Creek Retrievers, and she was waiting for us in the house – all wiggly when we walked in. Maria and Mike unpacked right when they walked in the door – Pat, Jewel, and I pretty much passed out watching a movie. We all were home together, again.
But in the interim – between June 13 and June 22 – we were “out of the country” and everybody in our party of 15 could be together, or go our own way. The only consistency is dinner at 6 p.m., and watching the kids dance with the wait-staff at the evening show.
For me, it was sunrises and sunsets – pretty much all the sunrises but I missed a few sunsets because of going to shows and such. June 21, the longest day of the year, Pat and I enjoyed the most magnificent sunset of the cruise. I explained to Pat (almost like I’m a professional photographer) that you can’t just watch the sunset and go.
Linger, for just a few minutes more, and watch the red emerge from beyond the sea-filled horizon. It was perfect.
I had to confess to Pat that more than likely if we hadn’t met, I never would have had such adventures. Vacations, sure; but probably not adventure. With Pat – a veteran of many cruises from her days with church groups and school – and now in my 7th decade we look ahead to adventure, and returning to our home from adventure.
Contact Vic MacDonald at 864-833-1900 or news@clintonchronicle.net
Source: https://myclintonnews.com/stories/travel-a-time-to-decompress,110877