Living the Dream

A dear reader commented on my latest post about my upcoming vacation and said I was “Living the Dream.” 

I chuckled but had to agree.

My anxiety about gaining unwanted weight over our vacation has quickly dissipated.  I’ll concentrate on that when I return home. Today, all the food, from the appetizers to dessert, is delicious onboard our cruise ship, Holland American, MS Koningsdam, and I intend to enjoy every single bite. 

As extra insurance, I am taking the stairs instead of the elevators whenever possible.

 It has been a fun, busy, and eventful few days.  On Sunday, we toured Cabo San Lucas by catamaran (above), and on Monday, we watched the solar eclipse with a thousand or so of our shipmates. (see below.) 

Photo courtesy of Gwendolyn McKirahan.  Fellow passengers are watching the Eclipse in Totality on Holland American Koningsdam near Matzalan, Mexico, on the Pacific Ocean. 

Proof that I was trying to take photos.  It was a beautiful day in the Pacific Ocean.

This photo represents my best attempt at solar eclipse photography on April 8th, 2024. After all the effort I put into researching and getting a solar lens cover, it was a bit disappointing.   A lack of practice. 

This photo is one of the better images I have “borrowed” from the Internet. It is the closest to what I saw with my own eyes. Totality is simply stunning in person. 

It was a gorgeous, perfect view of the eclipse from the ship. Witnessing this spectacular natural phenomenon firsthand and sharing it with so many others onboard was thrilling. We also saw “Baily’s Beads,” a diamond ring effect that occurs just before the moon completely blocks the sun.

 Our onboard professor was Dr. Adam Burgasser, a Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at UC San Diego. Everything he predicted might occur actually happened. 

Even with hundreds of people around, it was eerily quiet. It was literally as if you could hear a pin drop. The temperature dropped ten degrees within minutes, and twilight fell over the sky.

 I had a clear view of the moon perfectly covering the sun, and it is a sight I will never forget. 

I felt perfectly in tune with nature and yet simultaneously as if I were the tiniest, most insignificant piece of the cosmos. I experienced so many emotions within a few short moments. 

I highly recommend the experience.  

The day after the eclipse, in one of the most popular spots on earth for watching Totality on land: Mazatlan, Mexico. 

We are off to Hawaii now, enjoying six days at sea. 

This will allow me some time to kick back and catch up on reading and writing, enjoy a daily lecture, and play an occasional game of bingo. 

My posts will be shorter for the next few weeks, but I promise to check in and share a picture or two.  

I'd love to see your photos or hear about your experience if you saw the eclipse on Monday.  

Thank you so much for reading! 

Keep smiling!

xx