North to the Future

It was a once-in-a-lifetime bucket-list adventure: cruising through Alaska.
Paradoxically, the 13-day vacation accomplished its high expectations because we all left feeling depressed it was over.
 
We had never been on a cruise. Turns out, cruising is actually the best way to see Alaska, because many places (like its capital Juneau) are only accessible via water or air. So, we decided to fully embrace Americana and see our 50th state not just on any cruise, but via a Disney cruise. Based on reviews of cleanliness (Covid seems to be making a comeback), food quality (more on that later), and kids’ activities (tween and kids clubs), it best met our needs.

We loved the surprise guests, and we had the same waiters every night, who remembered our favorite drinks and foods, and did magic tricks.

​Disney’s Wonder (the name of which fits nicely with my blog) holds 2,500 guests, plus crew. We thought it was ginormous, until we were next to other cruise ships that dwarfed us, one holding 6,000 guests alone.
 
Alaska is gorgeous: majestic mountains reigning, bald eagles soaring, fish leaping out of serene blue waters.
 
And whales. We all really hoped to see whales.
 
In Hoona, after seeing a ton of (real) starfish in the water, we embarked on a whale watch. To our immense delight (and relief, cuz no refunds), we witnessed a pod of whales cavorting. We could even hear them coming up for air.
 
Our driver refused to get closer (which the other boats did), and didn’t share what kind of whales we were seeing, but as I am continually learning, things don’t have to be perfect to be wonderful.  Frolicking whales sooth the soul.

and lounging seals are good medicine too

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One day we left Ty and Lexi at their respective Disney clubs so we could row to a glacier. We rowed five miles across Lake Mendenhall to a gushing waterfall: it is the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau melting.  It’s as bad as it sounds. In fact, the week after we were at Mendenhall, Juneau suffered the worst glacial melt in its history when 13 billion gallons of water melted off the glacier and broke through an ice dam. The lake we had rowed on rose 9 feet in a matter of hours, wiping out the two homes on the bank.
 
Had we come a few days later, we would not be able to row to the glacier. Decades worth of erosion happened a few days after we were there and hydrologists from the University of Alaska believe the glacier is forever changed.
 
Coincidentally, had my brother been in Lahaina four days after he was, he would have been in Lahaina the day of the devastating fire. I say coincidentally, because we were both vacationing on money our parents had left us, going to places a few days before both were forever changed. I can hear our Catholic Mom say, “There’s no such thing as coincidence.”
​I think Mom watches over us still.
 

Lillie picked ice out of the lake as we were rowing by...

The runoff from Juneau's Mendenall glacier.

​And there is something about the ocean that always makes me think of our dad, and this cruise was no exception. In fact, it was the first vacation we had taken since he and Mom passed away, and I realized that I’m still learning to navigate life without them, and I probably always will be.  It’s just a different season of life.
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On our last "on shore" day, it is raining. Once off the boat, we learn that Ketchikan is the third wettest city in the United States. Maybe we should have looked into that before booking ziplining here?

Our 11-year old daughter Lexi woke up refusing to disembark. Understanding her terror, we also had to help her understand the (non-refundable) commitment she had made. We balance between acknowledging her very real anxiety and pushing her boundaries to keep her growing. There is a metaphor here: if she stays safe on board, she will miss out on life's adventures. 

En route to the rainforest, I get lost in thought watching the thick clouds and lush verdant Alaskan wilderness out our rain-streaked windows.

Once arrived on base, the harnesses and helmets just further Lexi’s panic, and the kid looks truly terrified. We tell her that if she tries it and hates the first run, she won’t have to do the other six. Frankly, we’re all a little nervous. She wants to get it over with, so we arrange for her to go first.
 
Mercifully,  the minute she starts to zoom down the line, a tremendous smile overtakes her face. It’s like her body over-rides her worried brain, trumpeting, “This is FUN!”

Her siblings perk up, and finally it’s my turn. I’m so wet I can’t feel the rain. As you walk off the platform, you sit, the harness securely holding you. Wow – it’s glorious. Zipping through the trees, I feel carefree, light, ethereal. The rain is a welcome friend – and it turns out rain is the best weather in which to zipline (because you can go faster as the line is lubricated).

​It’s sublime. A magnificent memory that we all want to relive.

Daredevil planning her next move...

Lillie Grace soaring 

Finally, this being our first cruise, we wondered if the weight gain stereotype is real. Uh, yup. Upon arriving back in New Mexico, all five of us stepped on the scale to find weight gains varying between 5 pounds (Lexi) and 13 pounds (me).  In fact, the ships don’t even try to hide it. We found this in every single bathroom, whether private or public:

It’s not like “If you are diabetic and need a sharps container, please call…” Rather, it is assumed that you have type two diabetes, or, that if you keep cruising, you’ll soon have it. So yes, with a 13-pound gain weight (in 13 days), I would be qualifying for a sharps container with this lifestyle.
 
On the cruise, we dined with lavish 3-course meals (bread! dessert! alcohol!) every night starting at 8:15 PM (10:15 our time).  Disney cruises get raves for food quality, and I concur. Then, of course, there's free room service, sit down breakfasts and lunches, and 24-hour soft serve ice cream.
 
On the bright side, it shows how surprisingly effective the discipline in my normal diet actually is. A month later, I’m down seven pounds and counting….

Coming home has been a readjustment. Jory continues his job search. I am writing a fascinating project that pays tuition for August...

​Welcome September!