Back From Another Adventure
Laura watches the water as the sun sets on the last night of our recent cruise.
We have now returned from another adventure, which included a Carnival Cruise to Mexico! In case you were wondering why there weren’t any new posts here last week. Or maybe you were rejoicing that there weren’t any new posts, and now your joy has ended. Sorry for that.
But this trip was even more than just a cruise. Here are some statistics from our adventure:
- 1 foreign country
- 2 Mayan ruin sites
- 3 fantastic beaches
- 3 states (not counting Tennessee, our home state)
- 2 state capitals
- 4 different types of watercraft
- 8 days of adventure
- Too many delicious meals to count
- 1 bottle of Coca-Cola with real sugar
- 1 strange place (that would be the French Quarter in New Orleans)
- 23 years of marriage fun
Yes, that’s right - we were on the cruise for our 23rd wedding anniversary, enjoying a lovely day at sea on our actual anniversary date. And to top it off, Laura won us a free dinner in the ship’s steak restaurant, which we got to use on our anniversary as well. Can’t beat that! I should probably mention that Jaylin spent a lovely week with his grandparents while we were gone, just in case you thought we left him at the house all alone.
If you want the particulars, here they are. We were on a cruise on the Carnival Liberty that left from Galveston, Texas, with stops at Cozumel and Progreso in Mexico, and we took shore excursions in both of those places. After the cruise, we spent a day at the beach at Galveston, and then we stopped by New Orleans for a walk through the French Quarter on our way home. There is lots and lots more to tell, but I will save that for the standard long-form report similar to the one from our Disney Cruise last year. And if you are wondering how a Carnival Cruise compares with a Disney Cruise, that will all be in there as well. Gotta get to writing on all of that!
But to quickly sum it up, it was a great time! It was partly great because of just being on a cruise ship out in the water. It was partly great because of the interesting places that we went, places that we had never been before. But it was mainly great because of the company. Maybe most people don’t do big celebrations for a 23 year anniversary, but we would be okay celebrating every day if we could. Because we always enjoy being together. And having some great scenery like the sunset above just makes it even better.
The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord; for He laid its foundation on the seas and established it on the rivers. - Psalm 24:1-2
About the Photo
We tried to get some good sunset photos for a couple of nights, but this last night of our cruise was the first night where you could see the sun go all the way down below the horizon, thanks to some clouds the other nights. Nothing against cool clouds, of course, but there’s something cool about seeing the sun seem to sink down into the water, too.
Laura really wasn’t posing for this photo, but instead she was just sitting on the bench watching the sun go down and waiting for me to finish. But I like that she is in the photo. If you aren’t sure why, go back and read all the stuff above.
And yes, I used the fisheye lens quite a bit during this trip. Just in case you need a warning or something.
Here is the before and after version of this photo, for those who are curious:
Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Photoshop. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10
Lens: Rokinon 7.5mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens
Date: July 20, 2016
Location: The Carnival Liberty cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico
