Day 4 Story

Dear Blog

Day 4, November 2^nd Cozumel, Mexico

 

At 8 a.m. we pulled into Cozumel, Mexico — famous for its beaches, snorkeling, and diving. We’d researched beach clubs with loungers, umbrellas, calm water, limited guests, and a quick taxi ride from the port. Basically, our exact vibe. But by the time we chose one, it was already full.

 

A quick check explained why: four cruise ships in port, roughly 19,000 passengers pouring ashore. With that kind of crowd, we decided this was the perfect day to stay onboard. It was the first stop of the cruise, and I’d bet about 89% of guests were heading out — which meant the ship would be wonderfully quiet. And it was.

 

Cruise ships offer every kind of activity imaginable: shore excursions, theater shows, thrill rides (roller coasters, water slides, race tracks), deck parties, dance parties, exercise classes, trivia, bingo, spa time, pools, hot tubs, karaoke, casino games, and even napkin folding. Yes, we actually did that once. It was a long cruise.

 

The variety exists because everyone has their own idea of fun. I know this better than most — five years running a senior center, three years managing a YMCA, and later building a community education program for a college. We offered all the non‑credit “fun” classes: gardening, Tai Chi, ballroom dancing, computer basics, even how to plan walking trips on historic footpaths in England. Higher ed can get a little snooty about anything outside academia, but my program earned real respect because it filled a need and brought in serious revenue. Plenty of people already had their degrees; they just wanted to keep learning and explore new interests.

 

After all those years, one truth stands: everyone has their own comfort zone and curiosity. Give people options, and they’ll drift toward whatever speaks to them. No right, no wrong. But some choices do make you quietly think, well… what the hell.

So, what kind of fun did we choose today? Pure poolside bliss. I ordered Diet Coke, Jay went for the Bahama Mama (which is practically an activity by itself), and we split a juicy burger with fries delivered right to our loungers. We sat there soaking in the views across the water, eating our burgers, and enjoying the quiet. Honestly, it doesn’t get better than that.

 

Tonight we went to Le Bistro, the upscale French restaurant where we go when we want to pretend we’re elegant. It’s French and moody and the French Onion soup is delicious. I chose to let the snails remain exactly where they belong, on someone else’s plate.