I Prefer Solid Ground to Lots of Water

Daily writing prompt

What’s the biggest risk you’d like to take — but haven’t been able to?

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I love to travel, and travel means walking down long streets, taking in the ambiance and the art. I like going to museums and finding funky places to eat. One means of travel I have not done is take an ocean cruise. I don’t want to be in more water than I can bathe. I love looking at the ocean and putting my toes in the water, but getting on the boat is out. It’s funny that once, in Germany, I took a beautiful cruise down the Rhine River, admiring how the grapevines grew down the hills towards the river. I marveled at how the people could work and thought of how much they must celebrate that hard work at the end of the harvest. It was more of a ferry than a ship.

I have watched the big cruise ships in the ports of some of the places that I have visited, but they seem so huge. There are several reasons I haven’t been able to persuade myself to go on a cruise on one of these ships. One is I can’t stand crowds. I get panic attacks being in that close proximity to a lot of people. Two is you can’t get off and just take a walk to get away from it all. You are stuck on the water throughout the night and on some days. Third, I am not a party animal, so most of the entertainment would be wasted on me, and I would not get my money’s worth.

Fourth, I have claustrophobia in tight places, and those small rooms I could afford would give me fits. Fifth, I have a fear of falling off a ship because I cannot swim. I never learned to swim. Lastly, I don’t like buffets. I always overeat, especially the desserts. My children will not take me to Golden Corral because I only eat one plate and maybe two desserts. I

I have deep respect for people who love cruises, but it seems like a fear-filled panic attack, and it would not seem like a true vacation to me. Give me the streets of Paris, Amsterdam, and Porto. I hope to go to Norway and, interestingly, take a boat down a fjord, but not a cruise. Douglas and I have talked about a small European cruise with no more than 200 people. They seem to cruise close to the shore, and that is important for someone who does not swim or float. I admired Peter for stepping out of the boat and taking a few steps towards Jesus, but I prefer solid ground. I like knowing that I can hit the ground running if trouble arises. So, I probably won’t be cruising anytime soon.