Cruising. (October 15 - October 19)

Sean and I arrived home Friday afternoon after a week-long cruise. It was absolutely wonderful. I am honestly having a hard time accepting that our trip has come and gone! We started counting down to this vacation over 130 days ago. It seemed so far away back then!

We left Greensboro last Monday morning at 6 am, on a flight to Atlanta, Georgia. I was actually really nervous about flying, but everything went well and I was able to relax a little on our 2nd flight from Atlanta to Miami!! I am a Miami, Florida baby. It was neat to be back in the city where my life began.

Nerves aside, the view was spectacular.

From there, Sean and I joined a group of our fellow cruisers on a coach that took us straight to our ship, the Carnival Imagination. Sean was 100 percent prepared with all of the necessary documents, boarding passes, and our "Faster to the Fun" cruise information, which made both of our flights and boarding the ship an absolute breeze. I greatly appreciated that he took care of every bit of the travel prep/planning. I can easily become stressed out while traveling, but I didn't have to worry about a thing!

The very first thing we did after boarding the ship was EAT! :) We enjoyed our first "date" of the week at a two-person table overlooking Miami. We both had a cheeseburger and fries. It was fantastic! After lunch, we got settled into our stateroom, showered, and explored the ship. Of course, it didn't take long before the Miami heat drove us to the bar for a drink.

Welcome to Miami!

Let the relaxing begin...

My Mango Swirl. Yum.

For dinner, we had already decided on the 6 pm early dining option. Since we've been on a cruise before, I knew we would be seated with other couples. The first couple we met turned out to be from Dallas, North Carolina, a city near Charlotte that I know well, since one of my best friends, her husband, and newborn baby girl live there! We then met three sets of newlyweds, one from San Diego, one from Colorado, and the other from Minneapolis. Conversation was easy and we genuinely enjoyed the company of these other couples throughout the week.

The dinner crew - our last evening together.

Tuesday was spent in Key West, Florida. We were the ultimate tourists, wandering aimlessly through the streets. We did make it to the southernmost point in the continental United States! We waited in line to stand beside a huge buoy and have the couple behind us snap a quick photo. This couple (also newlyweds) happened to be cruising with us and were both Florida State graduates. Sean wasted no time jumping into FSU football talk.

We stopped at Kermit's Key Lime Shoppe for an iced coffee for me, then later, Sean grabbed his own drink at Fogerty's Restaurant and Bar. We walked until we couldn't really walk anymore. We both got too much sun, but it was so much fun!

Back on the boat that afternoon, we enjoyed a beautiful view while eating lunch...

On Wednesday, our ship docked in Cozumel, Mexico! Sean and I were most excited about this stop, mainly because of our Playa Mia Grand Beach Park shore excursion. We spent the day on a beautiful beach, enjoying unlimited drinks and an international buffet. One of the highlights was kayaking the gorgeous waters of Mexico. They also had huge water trampolines (I felt like a little kid again!). I was thoroughly entertained watching Sean climb the aquatic iceberg water mountain. He was determined to make it to the top, basically just to prove he could. ;) He did make it, slid down the slide back into the water, then joined a group for a game of beach volleyball while I read a book on a lounge chair. 

Thursday was our day at sea. We spent the morning dosing off on lounge chairs on the Serenity Deck (adults only). We enjoyed dinner for the last time with our new friends, then all met for the comedy shows that evening. As sad as I was to leave the comforts of the cruise ship, I was even more excited to be reunited with my babies!

We boarded our plane Friday morning. After a two hour flight to Atlanta, we boarded our final flight to Greensboro! Sean's mom, Gracie, and Ethan were there waiting for us. It was sooo good to see them and to get hugs and kisses from our little ones! 

Sean and I strongly agree on two things: 1) We will never regret taking this trip, just the two of us. 2) We MUST do this again someday! We were able to get in the rest and relaxation we were hoping for, but also enjoyed plenty of good food and entertainment. It was a great way to travel. I'm so, so thankful for the opportunity to spend this "couple time" with my husband. 

One last picture - Almost home!