Another Soliloquy

Why do I never remember that it's the PEOPLE that make all the difference?!! I start to fall asleep on the plane home and am bathed in remembrances of the delightful people I met and spent time with - Kathy and Pat (the Irish musician) from AZ (whose luggage took 5 days to arrive!), Cathy and Danny from AR, Janetta and Mark who volunteer as missionaries in El Salvador(?), Judy and Zena from Australia, our cabin stewards Chino and Lawrence, and DANIEL, the Program Director Extraordinaire! Why did I not exchange contact info with more than Kathy and Pat? And why didn't I take more close-up "portraits"? I can't wait to go through my photos when we get home, to finally SEE what I saw. But it is the people I met, and the time spent with my brother and sister-in-law: THESE are the memories that stand out for me. The cities are a blur; the buildings are interchangeable; but the people made indelible impressions. My life has been enriched. I will live off of this "feast" for many months to come. Far more nourishing than the food they served us was the experiences the delivered to us. Thank you, Viking! We created a world together, for just two weeks, and the 21 nationalities intermingled to create a smorgasbord that feeds the soul. THAT'S what I love about traveling! It's the serendipity of it all. And Sir John from Bristol - who WAS that mysterious man? Too crippled to get off the boat, he entertained dozens of us at mealtimes with his passion to travel. Such a gift we gave to ourselves, in celebration of our 50 years together! Well done, mon amí! ❤️

Martha

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