So much to be thankful for...

This has been a pretty full year for me, and there are so many things for which I give thanks regularly. I'm thankful for a job that I love, friends and family who are loving and supportive, a great town to live in, a creative streak a mile wide and so much more.

But this Thanksgiving I has something extra special to be thankful for: going on an amazing Caribbean cruise with Brian!


We sailed out of Ft. Lauderdale on Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam to rather rough seas and high winds. But that didn't keep us from exploring the ship and enjoying the fresh sea air.

Our stateroom was very nice and the stewards kept it immaculate and decorated!

I almost felt like I was at summer camp as there were so many things available to do each day. There were pool games and musical shows, educational seminars and a movie theater, a fitness center and bingo. The hardest part was deciding what to do!

The chefs were amazing, not only at creating wonderful meals but also beautiful desserts and decorations!

Day or night, the ship was lovely. As big as it was, I was amazed that we were able to get right up into port for the day trips.
The nature lover in me enjoyed finding the wildlife on each island. This little crab was lightening fast at skimming across the beach and burying in the soft sand.

I have no idea what kind of lizard this is, but I thought the curl of the tail to be a nice touch.

Never again will I scoff at photos of the clear blue Caribbean waters. Words just can't describe how beautiful it is here.

In Grand Turk we had an awesome time Snuba diving (it's kinda like Scuba, except the tank is floating above you an a raft and you have about 20ft of tube to swim around). I'm still getting the film from the underwater camera developed, so stay tuned for those photos!

On San Juan we signed up for the ATV ride through the rain forest. Brian drove most of the way, but I still got a little time in the driver's seat. The scenery was beautiful and the ride was fun. ATV is not something I would have opted for if I was traveling by myself (hiking is more my style) but I enjoyed it more than I expected!

We made time for a little sight seeing and some shopping (I had no idea that jewelry was such a bargain here!) and even got in a little bit of relaxation.

It was interesting to see several of the other cruise lines compared to ours (on the right). Many of the people we met on board said that Holland America is one of the best out there. Not having anything to compare it to, I'd have to say that it was pretty fantastic! We're already thinking about our next adventure...maybe Alaska??