Plan B.

It really is about the people.  

Each of us has the opportunity every day to connect with other people.  They may be strangers or kin, old or young, introvert or extrovert - makes no difference.  We're all more alike than we are dissimilar. If we look for it.  And if we look for the difference, we'll find that too.

That's the beauty of a vacation.  A respite.  A break.  The mind relaxes and it allows that tiny voice inside to be heard.  It isn't smothered by the noise alarm clocks, traffic and to-do lists.  What often bubbles up is the real stuff.  The things that light us up, make us euphorically happy and remind us why we're part of this great big, blue spinning planet.

People.

Connection.

You may be thinking I'm talking about connecting as a couple - away from the noise of work.  And yes, that happens too.  Quietly watching the ocean from the balcony, sharing gelato in Italy for the first time and listening to music after a wonderful day of seeing the sights.  Yes, that too.

Connecting to people you don't know is quite a different story.  It's the adventure.  And that's just what we did many times during this trip.

Here was our favorite daily spot.  We found it on our first full day at sea.  The one where we were supposed to be docked in Marseille, France.  But we didn't due to the national transportation strike there.  So this was our Plan B.  

It was windy on deck, no fun to be at the pool.  So we wandered in.  And a group of friends we found. They were wonderful and conversational .. and we hope to find them again when we sail on the Harmony of the Seas.  That would be a treat!  Yet we cannot hang hopes on tomorrow - we treasure our time with them - the stories and the laughter.

And successful Plan B.

Samuel (pouring), Hilton (front), Marcus (just his head), Bill and Basil.