This trip has caused me to consider expectations in a different way. After visiting two ports in Vietnam, I got sick with a bad chest cold that had me in my room for five days. I recovered slowly after that. I, therefore, missed lots of Vietnam, Cambodia, and two ports in Thailand, including Bangkok.
This was a disappointment, but not the same kind I think I would have felt if I were on a shorter vacation. There are lots of colds going around the ship, so I have been trying to adjust my expectations. It is less a vacation, and more life. I will not, therefore, be able to do everything over the six months. What I have been able to do has been amazing.
When we docked in Bangkok on June 1 (Day 139), I was still in my room. Here was the view of the port through my window.
We stayed overnight in Bangkok and by the next day, I felt well enough to emerge from isolation. As we pulled away from the dock, I sat on a lounge chair on deck 5. The air was warm, breezy and pleasant.
There is a long trip from the dock to open ocean, and we navigated it as the sun was setting. What a pleasure to sit outside and to be able to enjoy some of the sights.
As we approached the ocean, these towers and temples were lit up along the way.
My expectations for that evening on the chair were not high. I felt very grateful that just the kind of experience I could take in on that day was delivered to me on the deck of Insignia.
It might do me good to view even my vacations as “life”. Managing the expectations of being able to “do it all”, will help me appreciate what actually is.
This is a lovely and meditative approach.