"...and just like the Bible, son I've returned."
Now...I'm not sure as to how often I'll be updating this but with so much happening in the past week or so...i felt like a journal entry was in order...its the only way i can properly pay homage to the trip. (translation: i have a lot of ground to cover and i don't feel like answering all your annoying and probing questions :) I'm gonna detail the trip...then provide some commentary and all the while have some fun along the way- so sit back and enjoy the ride cuz the journey has been reborn. Hahaha- i know its cheesy but im actually excited about this.
WIth all that preamble bullshit out of the way...lets dig in like a retarded boy making a sand castle.
The trip started early (for me). I woke up at 3:05ish on Sat morning- (June 3rd). I got ready quick, i'm tlaking lightening quick....so quick i forgot to put on deodorant. I dropped off the luggage at Grand Master Bert's house (just left it on the driveway cuz the inside of his house was darker than the audience at a ludacris concert). SO then it was off to Nikki's house. It was at least a couple of weeks since i saw her so i was excited..about 5 1/2 inches I'd say- J/K!!! Nah i was excited in a sense that this was it...this is what I've been waiting for....This trip has been a year in the making and now it was a few hrs from finally coming to fruition. So i scooped up Nik and helped her with her bags. Again, let me stress the fact that i had like no sleep...i was doing last minute packing, figuring out how to work my camera, and cleaning up my room cuz i pretty much just tore it apart looking for things. So my eye lids felt heavier than bowling balls and i drove the whole way looking ike a Chinese man..anyway, i took the long way home (not on purpose). Once i got to my house, Bert and kara were there waiting for me. I ran into my house quick and said good bye to my parents and my brother (and no, i didn't say "i love you" assholes). From there we went back to Bert's where Mr Bert took us to the airport.
We met up with the rest of the crew in the airport and checked the bags. Gina was stressing out like she was on heroin until we were about to board the plane. This is where i broke out my camera for the first time. The SD550....7.1 mega pixels, 3x optical zoom, 2.5 screen- insert tim "the tool man" taylor grunt here. I pretty much carried this camera everywhere, as if i wasa mother kangaroo and the camera was my little one. Now i think i mentioned before how much i hate pictures. I used to tell people that I'm not photogenic but now i dont do that cuz i realized why. Cameras are accurate. Why do i look like a milky white, bald, out of shape cancer patient in all my photos?....i glance in the mirror, "ohhhh because thats what i look like". So i figure if im the 1 snappin the pics- i'll like them cuz i wont be in them...So yeah- camera in hand..lets get it poppin. The plane ride there was kind of quiet, filled with lethargic anticipation. Brad was doing his usual shenanigans - adjusting nikki's seat pillow every time she moved. Bert van winkle was sleeping the whole trip leaving poor kar with no1 to talk to (they were seated away from us). Oh i didn't mention Kate and Jess. Kate is Gina's friend from Sacred Heart and Jess was Kates friend from...HELL. ok, she wasn't that bad- but not my cup of tea..i could tell from day 1.. Kate on the other hand was a delight- sweet girl and just fun to be around..."Kate is great".
So lets speed up the tape a little bit...Miami was hot as balls, oh and remember when said i forgot to put on deodorent- yeahhhh at this point i smelt nastier than Shaq's gym socks. So we get there and idump both bags off- its too hot to carry them...Sidebar- they give me these broken tags and instead of just askin for new ones i make it my life mission to try and tie a secure knott- bottom line- 1 worked 1 didnt, i hadda go searching though a sea of lost baggage once we finally got on the ship. ohhh and we are about to board ths ship when i realize that i forgot my cruise info....well not really...i realized it when nikki yelled- "did u remember to take the blue book out of your lugage"... so i had to make the run back outside in the heat and get the shitout of my bag. then we finally get on the ship...The Carnival Triumph! After we eat and i indulge in some ice cream...we check on the rooms. Me and Nikk got an ocean view and lemme tell ya- best move we ever made.. I loved that shit, both the window and the couch- clutch!! Little fun fact about your buddy catty...he loves the water. Like i think i mentioned this when i went to Cape cod- but i'll say it again..the water on a clear day/night to me is just a natural tranquility.. its fucking nirvana. Its where i wanna be when i grow old..where i want to write my novel, its a place id like to go to die (so if u ever cant find me, check the trunk of my dad's cadillac first, then hit up the high seas). I absolutely love it though- the last night i spent over an hour on the 11th deck- pearing outside at the water- wishing i could stay there forever.
Once we all got settled- we met upstairs and hit the bottle..and we kinda hit it hard. This is right beofre we were supposed to have our emergency drill...as a result me and nikk were walking around with our lifejackets on lookin half retarded..in the event of an emergency, we were both as good as dead, but it was fun though- i knew the cruise was gonna be a good time from that point on...and i'd say a good 98% of it was just that...I'll get into the 2% dont worry.
Thie Islands...Puerto Rico was cool although we really didnt stay there long. We didnt have anywhere to go after Senior Frogs...but really it didnt matter cuz nothing could have topped it. For those of you who dont know...Senior Frogs is like a drunken frat party with pretty good food. You have to be at least a little tipsy to fully enjoy it but when ur there- its like new years rockin eve. The people at the bar- have these wind machines, they give out sombreros, and they have drinking contests and they have a stage where you can dance and look like an idiot...and some of us did just that. We had a good time doing it though. St Thomas- the beach in st thomas was beautiful- crystal clear water.. as far as the island...ehhh not so beautiful..it looked 3rd world..but out of all the islands i think it's safe to say that we had the most fun in St Thomas. Tree chirty, meaty coconut, Ayos mioooo, spots, cocoa butter, misquito bites, "fucking American's"...and oh so much more. St. Martin/Maarteen? however u spell it- it was funnnn. We hit up this private resort where we rode the waverunners and lounged in the pool (bar at the edge of the pool). Definitely the nicest island out of the 3.
The Triumph- i had a lot of good times on the ship as well..The dinners were amazing, the towel animals were fricken cool and the comedians were actually funny too. But the best times i had was with my friends (both old and new)...wether it be in the casino, taking shots, or in one of the rooms just joking around...it can't be duplicated. Brad's offensive/(hysterical) statements, Como, Trubert...., Bob-bert, Gina's negotiating skills (squeeky wheel gets the grease), and funny lines- "like dove", "cat's bald, why?", "32 to 24..i'll kill u, u f'n whore" (or something like that).. Bert...our heart to heart, johnny walker black.."the sipping drink", "im cold, im nikki belk", Kara the bundle of energy, her chants...Boo Bert (my favorite), Nikki, Nikki, Nikki...snores like a guerilla, "wheres my bread biatch", who wears short shorts, "what what what", Kate- "lets go swimming," "i didnt know there was meat in coconuts"...Jess...??.- maybe it'll come to me later. onestly it was an absolutely blast..and i hope we can continue this tradition next year (although everyone should come next time). I have so much more to say but i dont want to have to explain it all.
We spenf an extra day and a half in Miami and that might have been the best part of the whole trip- maybe. I just love when everyones together and thats all miami was- fun times with friends. We did drinking games and took naps- sounds boring but it was soo much fun. Our flight home was delayed so we hada spend 6hrs in the airport..but for some reason 6 hrs flew by and before i knew it i was on my way home saying "where did the time go".
I think i really learned a lot from this trip...yes it was fun and educational..i learned a lot about people. The group was like the real world in a way and i was able to see all types of people.i compared myself to others and saw the contrasts and similarities . (As i said- i had some time to just gaze out into the open sea and just think.. it was like therapy..just without the couch and the useless psych degree hanging on the wall. Obviously im not saying that a good night on the ocean willl result on the cure for cancer- but for me- it helps me focus.) I learned about my own standards and limitations, i learned that there is a fine line between happiness and awkwardness. Lies and truth.Humor and Anger. I learned what's real and whats just a mirage. I learned who people are and who they are pretending to be (myself included). Above all else i learned that i'm not too old to still be learning about myself.
The million dollar question- me and nikk?? I know everyones wondering if anything romanticly happened or "what not"... Well, im gonna leave that open ended. I think i should stress that it really was never my intent to go there and hook up with her..my only hope was that we grew closer..whether that meant friends or more than friends...i cant really say. Ideally yes- i prob wanted her to fall in love with me- but i didnt really anticipate that..b/c thats not logical/ the reason she was invited. She was invited b/c shes a fun person...who i just happend to be madly infatuated with. Plus- there were 2 couples on the cruise and i didnt want to have to share the room with any of them. All i can say is that i think we are better off now than when we left.. I think we have a better understanding of 1 another and that's i guess, all i should have been asking for... My gut tells me that we'll never be a couple and I'm ok with that. Its not cuz my feelings towards her have changed or visa versa. I think thats just the harsh reality of life.
Back to the reality....So i come back to work, after taking a day to just relax. ask for a new batery cuz i couldnt find my old 1- i get it and BAM- i see all the pictures i took...beatiful clear pictures, i explain to my friends at work some of the situations, show the videos, and let them look through the pictures...the girl that sits next to me.. asks to see the pics, she says shes gonna do a slide show - next thing i know ...."uh-ohhhh" ...I said what- she says i think i deleted them...i say "your fuckin with me" shes just looks at me..i say again "ur fuckin with me" - i go over there and see a black screen that says NO image... I YELL...Carolina, "WHAT R U DOING TO ME" and after a second of trying to retrieve the pics- i have to walk away before i take the camera and smash her over the head with it repeatedly. Things havent been the same btwen us- shes been appologetic but im just sooooo pissed still- im sure it was an accident but i feel like i have nothign to show for my vacation.
Look for some changes- coming soon. By the way- The SoaS has oficiallly started.
