An Anniversary Cruise?.....

Forty years of marriage is an accomplishment for any couple. If you can do that, pat yourself on the back. My wife and I will be celebrating that accomplishment soon. Sometimes it feels like four years, sometimes like four hundred years. But, we made it.

Statistics say the average marriage in America that ends in divorce lasts eight years. But the median duration for all marriages is forty years before somebody dies. So if we're at forty years now, anything more is just gravy. More reason to celebrate.

Crazy kids.

My wife and I were in our very early 20's when we got married. If I were counseling a young person today on marriage I would advise them to wait until they were older. But nobody told us not to, so we went ahead. It even took over a year to plan the wedding. We didn't have a clue as to the challenges and curveballs that life throws at you. There are no guarantees in life.

Forty years is a mark where you can look back and take stock. I can tell you for sure that we have three fantastic kids. We also have stacks and stacks of photo albums. (Most of those years were before the dawn of digital photography.) So let's celebrate!

We both agreed that we should do something memorable. Even if it costs a little more than we wish it did. Still, there are limits. so Europe was out. My wife would probably be disgusted with Vegas. So that's out. She mentioned driving up the east coast. But long distance driving becomes a pain. I always wanted to visit the Sequoia National Park in California. But it's in the middle of nowhere, and you would have to rent a car. I thought about hot air ballooning in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Maybe someday. Cuba would be cool with me. But not with the Mrs.

My wife got a very generous offer of free use of a friends condo in Naples, Florida. But I don't think I fit in Naples, Florida. Seems like just a bunch of rich old-timers.

5,000 people on a boat. Foreign countries, What could go wrong?

So how about a cruise? We have never been on a cruise. Some people love 'em, some people hate 'em. Personally I think a cruise ship might make me feel too confined. I even felt confined on the Island of Oahu in Hawaii. We have investigated a Caribbean cruise. We even visited a travel agent that got us a little more excited about the idea. The idea of being in a different country every day sounds intriguing.

For example, I have always been interested in Jamaica. Maybe it's a Bob Marley thing, I don't know. But the wife has been told by friends that it's a dangerous place. I have a friend that says it's a dirty place. But that's OK with me. I don't want some sanitized and perfect place that makes it seem like you're in Disneyworld.

So anyway, we should have a decision on this next week. Time is running out. Did somebody say, "What about hurricane season?"