Cruisin' the Mediterranean

I decided to book a 4-day Mediterranean cruise while I was in Istanbul.

We stopped in an alcove somewhere off the Turkish coast and one of the deck hands challenged me to dive head first into the deep indigo water. As I stood on the railing about to make the plunge, I looked around and marveled at the beauty surrounding us. It looked like a scene from The Odyssey. Each neighboring island composed of weather stained white rocks, bushes protruding from the rocks like green caterpillars and goats, hidden, but moaning endlessly. I dove in, flipped over, and watched as the remaining sailors join.

While bobbing in the cool, salty water, I could not stop myself from giggling. Three months earlier the concept of swimming in the Mediterranean Sea would have been shrugged off as a dream. Not everything has gone “to plan” over the past months, but everything has happened for a reason. There have been highs and lows, expectations that have not come to fruition but dreams that have. One thing that is certain is that without each individual piece falling into place, I would not be swimming in the Mediterranean today. One area of my life I have desperately tried to improve is limiting regrets. Life constantly provides opportunities to shift courses and the decisions we make in those times (or sometimes just moments) plays a major role in the paths we live. Do we ignore them and let them pass over or do we walk through those doors and act? Do we live life with or without regrets?

Life is filled with the unexpected, but it is also filled with possibilities and opportunities. I do not regret the chances I have taken over the past months. Not everything turned out as expected or even desired at the time, but each individual experience has led to this point. And I am glad.

Sleeping Under the Stars

Butterfly Valley

Sun setting during dinner.