The Inside Passage, Alaska: Lessons Learned

Who looks outside dreams, who looks within, awakes.” – Carl Jung

Dear Friends,

What’s on my mind today?  Well, I’m wondering if anyone is tired of learning life lessons?  I know I get a little weary when I go through a rough patch and lesson after lesson hurl themselves in front of me.  My sister Linda calls it the human condition. As long as we are in these human bodies, the lessons will continue to arrive, as sure as the sun rises tomorrow! Sometimes they trickle in, and other times it’s a flash flood!

I recently returned from a vacation I had planned for over 3 decades, and there were a few currents of lessons streaming in, some of them familial and others logistical. Nothing like a trip with family to bring up lessons to the surface from their submerged crevices! It was my dream to take an Alaskan cruise with hubby when we both retired. We talked about it many times but something shifted: hubby decided that he heard enough horror stories about cruises, so he opted to stay home.  So that was a lesson to allow hubby his decision, get over the disappointment and revise my dream.  Happily for me, my daughter agreed to go as did my sister Linda and her daughter so it turned into a mother-daughter trip!

We reserved the trip one year in advance and looked forward to seeing the gorgeous inside passage of the Alaskan Glacier National Park. It did not disappoint.  We cruised on calm, crystalline waters, and mesmerized into silence by the beauty, we could hear a pin drop.

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One lone little ice blue chunk from a glacier floats by peacefully.

Soon, a passenger on an adjacent balcony broke into what sounded like a Buddhist prayer song.  It didn’t detract from the experience; instead, it reverently added to the meditative and sacred moment.  It was exquisite and perfect.

The exterior beauty of the inside passage prompted me more than once to go within and consider the inside passage of my own inner journey, the one I’m faced with day to day – taking inventory of my gifts, talents, shortcomings and yes, those dreaded character defects.  The human condition, as my sister calls it. The journey within can be the greatest of explorations and there are hazards as well as great beauty and surprises. It’s the most important journey we will ever take – the one towards self knowledge. 

Mothers and daughters on a glacier hike

But back to the cruisers — it had been many years since the four of us had traveled together, so we each needed to find our sea legs and figure out how to navigate around our individual personalities and needs, and adjust accordingly. If a disagreement came up, forgiveness prevailed and principles were placed above personalities.   In the end, it was truly a family trip of a lifetime and love and unity won out.  Unity is is a hard-won victory, and practicing humility and keeping a mouth shut are key ingredients for success in that department, because… “Every time I try to tighten the noose of resentment around someone’s neck, I am really only choking myself. Today I will practice forgiveness instead.” Courage to Change, page 289

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Our daughters, 16 months apart, more like sisters than cousins. Unfortunately, they didn’t get a lot of sleep because their cabin mates snored up a storm!

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Sisters, 13 months apart, who love eagles and whales. Alaska provided both! Could these be the snoring bandits who robbed their offspring of peaceful sleep?

On the nuts and bolts side of the journey, if I had to do it over, here’s what I would change:

1. Get a balcony room. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, get an interior room with no window on an Alaskan Cruise. Spend the extra money. My daughter and I had a mid-ship interior room which was reputed to register low on the sea sickness chart. Sure we got to spend time on my sister’s balcony, but I regret terribly not having my own balcony where I could relax and view (in the comfort of my own space) all the spine tingling magnificence that Alaska offers. My daughter and I are not claustrophobic, but an interior, windowless room can get dark and stuffy and close in on you big time. BIG MISTAKE!

2.  If getting away from the rat race is important to you, do not go in early August when 3,000+ other people and active kids decide to join you too. You’ll have problems getting a dinner table, let alone space in a hot tub or an available treadmill. It may feel like a floating zoo. Perhaps consider going off season. I wish I had gone in September. May is an option, too, since the Alaskan cruises run May to September. I do have to say, for all the people on the boat, the cruise staff was incredibly conscientious and customer service focused.

3. If spending more time on land in a place as spectacular as Alaska is important to you, and you still want to take a cruise, think about taking a smaller boat out of a port as far north as possible, maybe Vancouver. We flew up to Seattle, and there was a good amount of time on water (not as much had we embarked in San Francisco so we didn’t make that mistake, thank God). The stops in Alaska are rather quick and you better be back on the ship in time for sailing!  What can I say, it was only a 7 day cruise so time was limited.

4.   IMHO, don’t aim to pack for fancy, formal cruise ship dinners (yes, daughter, you were right).  It’s okay to be as casual as you want; but if dressing fancy on a cruise is your thing, more power to you.  I brought 6 dresses (!) and only wore 2.  The rest of the evenings I wore comfortable black slacks. Even though the cruise ship had two formal nights, people wore what they wanted! I did not need those darn dresses – they simply took up room in my suitcase. The cruise line may try to steer men in the direction of renting formal wear; if this is not for you, don’t worry.  I did not see one man in black tie!

5. Even if the weather forecast for your destination spells out balmy temperatures, plan for cold and wind on the ship decks. Alaska was having temperatures in the 70s so I decided not to pack my North Face fleece or my super warm hat. I brought a lighter yoga jacket, a sweatshirt and a packable down jacket instead. I really missed my warm fleece that keeps me comfortable on the dank, cold, foggy Northern California coast. I could have used it on the ship’s deck where on cruising days, it was no way near a balmy 70 degrees.

6.  Don’t forget the binoculars so you can get closer to the Humpback whales. I completely forgot about binoculars (as did everyone else in my party). One can buy binoculars on the ship, but I had a budget and decided not to make that expenditure. This reminds me that there are lots of opportunity to exercise purchasing power on a ship where jewelry and photo buying ops spring up around every corner.  We ignored all of those to the best of our ability.

7.  Arrive at your city of departure at least a day early.  My sister and I arrived on the same day the cruise was scheduled to leave and had flights been canceled or delayed, we would have been in trouble. I was adhering to a budget and being stubborn.  Our daughters traveled the day before and got in some fun and sightseeing.  A friend who had taken an Alaskan Cruise counseled me after the fact:  when you do a trip like this, don’t go half measure. Who knows if you will ever do it again!

8. Don’t forget the rain parka. Ketchikan is the one of the rainiest places in North America. I brought a parka but forgot it when we stopped in that rainy salmon fishing capital. I did semi-okay with a light sweatshirt topped with a thin down vest and ear muff, but I got wet. I also left my tote umbrella back home and wished I had it in my backpack.  Do take time to visit the Totem Heritage Center in Ketchikan (so much cool history and very reasonable entrance fee, $5 for seniors!) and if you find kids in Ketchikan who are doing the following, I hope you’ll stop to say hi (as I did) and interrupt their trance! Ha ha.

They were so absorbed in their phones that they didn’t know a stranger was taking a photo of them…with her smart phone!  They told me they were playing games, and like the seasoned Grandmother I am, I politely told them they were missing out on all the Alaskan beauty surrounding them.

They missed this, thousands of salmon waiting to swim upstream and a hardy fisherman who caught one and released it!

Or a Bald Eagle hiding in a tree in the thick of the town:

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An ancient totem pole carved from western red cedar, the tree of life for the Native peoples:

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A cool sea plane that took off from a watery runway:

I love my phone too and I usually get my blogs started on it, but something is wrong when we are smack dab in the middle of some of the most beautiful scenery that God has created, and our faces are stuck in our phones. I recall a wise man musing out loud that he thinks we are losing our connection not only to Nature, but to our own intuition due to our smart phone addiction. For some, technology has become a god and our self soothing pacifier.  However, Nature offers such healing possibilities and miracles that can generate goosebumps and make us FEEL ALIVE because our senses and souls have been touched by splendor.  (Sorry, a smart phone can’t do that.)

In the past few years, I’ve met a Vietnam vet who visited the Grand Canyon and was so taken with it that he stayed to live and work there. In his words, he chose Nature instead of alcohol to glue back the pieces of his shattered spirit. I also met a man who lost his wife suddenly and took to hiking in the San Jacinto wilderness above Palm Springs (accessible by aerial tramway) every single summer weekday to absorb the healing medicine of that magical location. He lost a lot of weight and that was a welcome side benefit because his own health was shaky. The Park Ranger greeted him with “Hey there, Trail Ninja!”  Nature had changed this man, but he had opened his heart to the possibilities.  The Trail Ninja offered some nuggets of wisdom before he stepped off the Palm Springs tram:  life is too short; don’t hold grudges.

“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” – John Muir

If I find myself feeling a little low, I’ll remember these vistas that I inhaled in like a curative nectar, and I know a happy glow will be rekindled in my heart:

Lessons learned:  Don’t be a cheapskate; don’t stubbornly adhere to a budget if you have some flexibility.  I’ll reveal now that the cruise line made a mistake on my itinerary and reached out to me about a month ahead of time and offered a balcony room at half price and after some thought, I declined the offer.  I thought, a room is a room and how much time will I be spending in it?  Can anyone throttle me now? My daughter was a real champ about it and went with the flow, but we both suffered and longed for fresh air and a view.  On the philosophical side, I’ll take a cue from the Trail Ninja and try to live my life letting go of grudges and resentments; forgiving as I would want myself to be forgiven.  Would I take a cruise again?  Probably not, but never say never.  I’m glad I went and I gathered up some precious family memories, and now I get to check it off the list.  Done.  Next ?

I’d love to hear from readers about cruise experiences or anything else that comes up as a result of reading this August edition, and I’ll close with this…

May your inner passage be filled with more tranquility than rough seas!

Offered up with love and humility,

S.G.

 

 

39 thoughts on “The Inside Passage, Alaska: Lessons Learned

    • Dear Maria,

      I love your approach to lessons of life – we will be forever learning. I think that when we can accept that human condition and become a lifelong student, some of the pain of lessons can be softened. We are here to learn 😄

      I always love your wisdom so thank you for reading and commenting.

      Love
      S.G.

      Like

  1. Hi, Susan – This is a very timely post for me. My husband and I have never been on a cruise before and recently began discussing this topic. Your post was filled with great tips, especially for a (potential) newbie cruiser like me! 🙂
    Your photos are stunning, and time with your sister and both of your daughters…..you are truly blessed!
    Thank you for sharing this with us!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Donna,

      Thank you so much for reading and commenting and I’m so glad it was timely for you.

      You are a seasoned traveler and a great researcher so I’m sure whatever you decide will be awesome. A friend recently took a cruise in Greece and loved it but I don’t know the particulars.

      Just between you and me 😂, I think it was best that hubby stayed home and this turned out to be a girls’ trip! It’s funny how things work out that way 😄

      Love
      S.G.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Well, were getting ready to board our Alaska cruise right now and I’m just read this….we have no balcony (but will check on upgrades), its August so busy time, no binoculars, no raincoats, one dress (1scarf to make it different) David has one dress shirt…. oh well were gonna love it anyhow. Also (laura) used to travel without my ex husband all the time, and enjoyed it 100%, so glad you did too, a lesson of what you can control is still something I (again its laura) work on but getting there. Awesome post thanks!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Hello Laura,

        Oh thank you so much for reading and commenting. If you get a chance after the trip, stop back here and let me know how it went! You will do just fine but if you can get the balcony, go for it.

        I’m not sure how much is ever in our control; all we can do is try our best and try to be good planners. Then the rest is up to Heaven. It certainly makes life interesting and keeps us on our toes… and keeps us learning those darn lessons!

        Good luck and have fun!!

        Love
        S.G.

        Liked by 1 person

  2. My husband and I did a similar Alaskan cruise in 2017. Your tips are right-on! Fortunately, we sprang for a balcony. Yes it cost more, but it was nice to be able to spend time in our own little world watching the amazing scenery go by. Also, so true about “formal” nights. I remember when my mother and father went on a cruise and she bought and packed two formal gowns just for those nights. Of course, this was before the crazy luggage restrictions airlines have now, but, what a waste! I wore a nice pair of black slacks and a nice sweater and I was just fine. I think I wore the same thing both “formal” nights… I’m pretty sure no one noticed, especially since we sat at a different table both nights. What a fabulous trip to share with your daughter, sister, and niece! (And, yes, I would have called out those boys on the cell phones too.)

    Liked by 2 people

    • I love your comment and I don’t feel so all alone knowing that others understand. If I could just go back in time and have a re-do, ha ha. But it doesn’t work that way. I really like your approach to the trip – you did it right.

      What part of the year did you travel?

      BTW, I’m still kicking myself about passing up the balcony (I think I could have afforded it). Just today my daughter reiterated how suffocating our room was. Sometimes these unfortunate experiences become fodder for good stories for the rest of our lives hee hee and that is how I’ll approach it…. Hey, want to hear a funny story about how clueless someone can be? 😉

      Love,
      S.G.

      Liked by 2 people

      • We traveled in July… not our favorite month to travel, but it was kind of a last-minute thing (we were going to be in the Pacific Northwest anyway, so why not?). I’ve only been cruising twice (once to Mexico, once to Alaska). I’d like to take a Panama Canal cruise, and I’ll definitely get a balcony for that one!

        Liked by 1 person

    • P.S. I did try to upgrade our room when we were on the ship but I was told that the ship was sold out and no-go. But I can say that I did try to minimize my mistake and redeem myself! I would have paid whatever!!

      Like

  3. I really enjoyed your Swooning Grace! It was funny and honest. Yes, spend the money for a window room, get there a day ahead and sightsee, and don’t go on a crowded ship in August! Good advice!

    Your pictures were awesome. They just flooded my spirit with joy and freedom, peace and release! Loved the pictures of scenery and the salmons. God’s magic!

    I’m a snoring bandit too and have a technology addiction which has manifested in a painful neck and head. However it has led to my creating my own yoga program and that has helped me in so many ways!

    Thanks for that beautiful sharing, S.G.!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. (Hi Susan, I am having issues with commenting, so I am going through “Reader.” hopefully three times is a charm:) I have had issues, so I copy/paste from my notes app:)

    Hi Susan, I really like your opening paragraph, Susan. I get it. There have been times in my life when I am just not in the mood for any more lessons. Interesting how family can press buttons.

    I know I will mention this more than once. Your photos are spectacular!

    Thought-provoking phrase “the inside passage of my own inner journey…”

    We were back in the Yukon and Alaska a few years ago. My husband and I had met in the Yukon. I think there is a saying that ‘you can’t go back’ and you will likely be disappointed. Not true. It was even better and more beautiful than we remember from over 35 years ago. Your photos bring back some of these memories. In our more recent trip, we took a boat (similar to a ferry) from Skagway to Juneau and then explored around Juneau for a few days. We then returned to Skagway and camped for 3 weeks in the Yukon and Alaska. No words. Thankful we had the opportunity to go back.

    Another phrase I REALLY liked in your post is “senses and souls have been touched by splendor.”

    Regarding the room and the lessons, Susan, I will share a phrase a friend passed on to me years ago, “be as kind to yourself as you are to others.”

    All of life is a lesson…

    A beautiful, funny, poignant and insightful post. Thank you for sharing the stunning photos and thank you for sharing beautiful you. xo

    Liked by 2 people

    • Dear E/E,

      I think I recall you writing that you met your husband in The Yukon. That is so awesome, and yes you can go back, especially to a place as spectacular as Alaska. I admire the adventurous and hardy spirit of both you and your husband….camping for three weeks. What a blessing to once again share the magic of Alaska with your husband.

      Yes we are met with lessons daily and the most important it seems is to be kind to ourselves! Thank you for the reminder!

      Love
      S.G.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks for reading and commenting, Ryan. Yes there are SO many retirees and cruisers down here, this might be valuable information to some 😁

      Thanks for the vote of confidence!

      Love
      Mom

      Like

  5. Sorry I recommended the inside room. Not for everyone. It works for us but you obviously need more solitude with nature. Now you know but seems you still experienced the beauty of Alaska .

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Sharon,
      Thanks for reading and commenting. No one is to blame – my daughter gets sea sick so I thought this would work best for her. I was a big girl and made my own decision. Since I’d never been to Alaska, I really didn’t have a total clue regarding the absolutely heavenly, fabulous vistas (especially inside passage, glacier Bay) that could be enjoyed on the days we were spending entirely on water. Sure one can go to the ship’s deck, but there is something about having an option to enjoy from
      the quietude and solitude of one’s own balcony ….away from
      the maddening crowd! Someone had warned me not to go out of San Francisco so I was able to follow that advice.
      It just wasn’t the right boat or right time of year for my tastes BUT I tried it and I came away armed with some good knowledge and my own nuggets of wisdom! No regrets!

      Love
      S.G.

      Like

  6. Thank you for this beautiful recap of your
    family vacation, with all those honest tips! I LOVE those honest tips.
    I have never been on a cruise, but on a recent trip to NYC with my daughter, we each had brought a few things
    in case of rain. On the third day of our trip
    It rained and it came down in buckets. My daughter wasn’t feeling well, and so she stayed in the room with the view of Central Park, and I
    pooled all of our rain gear and braved the storm; It worked! The thought came to me ; “ One of the keys of life is not sitting around bemoaning what you don’t have, but getting out there with what you DO have!
    Breaking down barriers, yanking ourselves
    from our routines and taking a trip with family can have some “stretching moments”, but I
    believe in the saying; “ nothing ventured, nothing gained.” The memories you share
    with your sister, your daughter, and niece are
    priceless!
    Thanks for sharing so honestly and being
    so transparent even down to your regrets on your packing choices.
    I really enjoyed this blog. Thank you, Susan!
    Love,
    Gail

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Gail,
      What a great comment and I love hearing about the lessons you learned from your visit to NYC with daughter. You are a real trooper and I love your philosophy. It’s so important to concentrate on what we do have; for example in Alaska, it may have not always been ideal, but we did the best we could with our circumstances and it did not stop us from pursuing the adventures and memories that we wanted to carry with us forever.

      Our daughters did not sleep, and my own daughter was drenched in sweat every night in our stuffy room, but I bet they’re looking back and laughing now. It was so special to do a mother daughter trip and I’m hoping I can do another trip with them one day…. that is if my daughter is still speaking to me, ha ha ha. 😂

      Thanks for sharing your experience with me. I loved it!

      By the way, on the last cruise stop, my sister and I went to visit the Butchart gardens in Victoria BC, and our daughters went to an Irish pub! We each did what we wanted and everyone was happy!

      Love,
      S.G.

      Like

    • Dear Terri,

      Thank you for coming by here, reading and commenting.
      I hope you can get to Alaska – I know you would love it too, since adventure and since outdoors fun seem to be in your nature, you may choose to go about it in a wholly different way! I would love to see the photos you’d take in the 49th state. If one dives into even a bit of travel research, there are smaller boats or land based options that look tempting. I didn’t go that route because I was really curious about a major cruise line experience. So now I have it and got to write about it.

      So glad that the piece came off as inspiring – I tried my best to present my experience in the best light as possible.

      Thank you for the lovely supportive comment!

      Love
      S.G.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Hi Susan.!

    I found your August blog in my email this early Sunday morning. Ted had just left for the gym, and I had quiet time alone to read your eloquent and honest writing and to “awe” over the stunning photos of your Summer Alaskan cruise.

    When you expressed how Nature “can generate goosebumps and make us FEEL ALIVE because our senses and souls have been touched by splendor,” your words reminded me so much of how my travel experience last Winter to Patagonia opened up my senses. I felt so small in the grandiose of the nature unfolded before me. No other cruise vessels sharing the waterways, no structures built my humans, NO PEOPLE, NO KIDS … just the Ventus Australis on the open Magellan straits displaying beautiful, calm water, magnificent sunsets, majestic glaciers, and untouched land masses as far as the eye can see. When I need calming in my life, I go back to that place in my memory bank. How blessed we are to have had the opportunity to experience God’s magnificent gift of Nature.

    PS. Your writing is inspiring! What a gift you possess and thank you for sharing it with us.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Virginia,

      Thank you for your lovely, supportive comment. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading, and sharing your own experience. How you describe Patagonia is certainly hypnotic and enticing and can I go there tomorrow? 😄 Kind of reminds me of an experience I had at the Grand Canyon, minus the people of course, hee hee. Standing on the rim of the canyon I just felt my soul expand. That is why we need Nature – it is a part of us and we are part of it. I feel little or no separation during profound moments in Nature – such as I felt in the inside passage and you in Patagonia.

      You also inspire me – with your kind words, your friendship and support, your travel around the world and all the gorgeous photos that you post on the IG account.

      Thank you so much for reading on your Sunday morning !

      Love
      S.G.

      Like

  8. I felt as though this post was written just for me! Alaska is at the very top of my list as far as places I want to visit. Your cruise and the mother-daughter aspect sound fabulous! I am so glad to read that you went. I have always found that traveling with women is enlightening and just plain fun! Loved seeing the photos from your trip.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Laurie,

      Thank you so much for reading and commenting and I’m so happy that you feel as if the post was written for you! I must have struck a chord with folks and that gives me, as a writer, such great satisfaction. I know your writings always resonate with me.

      I tried to strike a balance here because I wanted to be completely honest and share both the positive and the negative. When a friend told me privately that she thought I was coming from a glass half empty perspective, I replied that life is sometimes half full and half empty. I’m not going to always sugar coat it and I try to always find the silver lining. Also, I felt I might be able to help others if faced with the same situation.

      I do have to say that I loved going on this mothers-daughters trip. It’s not always easy traveling with family and things are bound to come up, but we always rallied and put unity and love first. I’m ready to do it all over again! Ha ha!

      Thanks again for reading and your lovely comment.

      Love
      S.G.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Hi Susan, a comment you made on Erica’s blog resonated with me and I had to come over and check out your blog. This post is exactly what I needed today. My husband and I are planning an Alaska inside passage cruise for next June and your tips are very helpful, especially about which month to cruise. We have been told by several people that July/August is the most popular time but it gets very crowded. With regard to staterooms. We cruise a lot and have had inside staterooms, ocean view rooms and balcony rooms. It just depends on the type of cruise and the experience we want. We typically start by booking an inside cabin and then wait for a price drop so we can upgrade. Your pictures are beautiful and even though we are nine months away, I am already excited.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Suzanne,

      Welcome, Suzanne, to Swooning Grace, the place where I share my inner and external quest to nurture a peaceful, calm heart in spite of external drama and chaos! It’s not always easy and sometimes I fail miserably but I’m human and my hope is to share this humanity and vulnerability with others!

      Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to offer a wonderful comment. I learned a lot from what you wrote here and wish I could have had some pre-cruise advice myself, being such a naive novice. When my daughter and I discovered that the interior room would not work for us, I tried to upgrade the room right away but to no avail. The boat was sold out.

      I’m not sure if you’ve been to Alaska before, but you are definitely in for a treat. I had thought about an Alaskan cruise *for years*, and of course, I’m glad I did it in spite of missteps. I thought August would be better for my daughter since she has 3 school age children. I thought it would be easier on her husband vs us going during the school year where he would need to get homework done, lunches made, handling both drop-off and pick-up. What I didn’t say about the crowded, sold-out Princess Ruby cruise, is that after half a week the toilets started to back up. Yikes! It happened in our cabin and also in public lavatories around the boat. Double yikes!

      Some folks I’ve spoken to enjoyed the cruise boats that were smaller, in the range of 2000 people or so. I’m wishing you a wonderful cruise next June to the gorgeous state of Alaska, the last frontier. I hope to hear/read how it all goes!

      Warmest wishes,
      S.G.
      Susan Grace

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Hey Susie,
    Thank you for sharing your amazing photos and details of your beautiful trip to Alaska! A girls trip you will never forget!

    For those of you who never thought of taking a cruise ( like me ) this trip is well worth it. Just my 2 cents ;May was a perfect month for us ( not too cold ) and a Balcony room is a must!!

    Love ya,
    Linda

    PS I heard about your new addition in 2020; congrats to Kristi & Ryan (and ALL. ! )

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Linda,

      I sure wish I knew then what I know now! Ha ha. Isn’t that always the way?

      You’ve given folks some good advice and I for one appreciate it. It’s always fun to compare notes, what we liked, what we would do differently.

      The weather in Alaska in August was fantastic for us, but of course that attracted all the summer travelers. I’ll remember that for the future – off season may be more my style.

      Love
      S.G.

      Like

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  12. I started reading your post to learn about your Alaska cruise and came away with so much more. I can relate to your thoughts on your journey toward self knowledge. I enjoyed reading about your Alaska adventure and seeing your gorgeous photos. Thanks for the cruise tips! I’ve never been on a cruise and have one in my future so they are really appreciated.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dearest Wandering Dawgs,

      Thank you so much for reading and commenting. I put my heart and soul on the table for readers and hope it resonates with someone. A friend privately emailed me saying she thought I was coming from a “glass half empty” perspective and I told her I simply tried to be honest about all facets of the trip and in doing so, it might help someone.

      I actually have a lot of fun talking about the ups and downs of life experiences and adventures – it’s therapy. Is that so bad?!?! 😂

      I hope you have a great cruise when you go. I LOVED Alaska. Everyone should go there at least once, whether by sea, land or air!!

      Love
      Susan Grace

      Liked by 1 person

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