There’s nothing like an extended vacation to revitalize the mind and soul, whether it’s taking a weekend away from home nearby or squeezing as many activities into 132 hours as possible.
We opted for the latter last week, flying out Wednesday afternoon to Orlando, spending the following day at Magic Kingdom at Disney World, then embarking on a three-day cruise to the itsy bitsy Bahamanian island of Bimini upon the Carnival Liberty cruise ship.
I could write a few thousand words about the details of the experience, but I’ll keep that part short.
I don’t know how we managed to do it, but we brought the excessive heat warnings from Cassville down to Orlando with us. Disney World was absolutely sweltering, the kind of heat and humidity combination that no one enjoys.
Alas, we got to eat lunch at Be Our Guest, the Beauty and the Beast-themed restaurant my sister works at. The food was classical French fare and the only part of the experience I had to choke down was the bill. And at my sister’s request I ate escargot for the first time. It’s surprisingly much better than you think, if you don’t think about what it is exactly.
Through the day we got to experience all the best the Kingdom had to offer, from meeting Mickey and a handful of princesses to riding the newly opened Tron ride — the fastest in the park. We enjoyed the afternoon parade and the nightly fireworks show at dusk. The latter was hands down the best show I had ever seen, matching music and graphics on the castle to the colorful and gigantic explosions.
Recouping that night as much as we could, we loaded onto the cruise ship Friday, enjoyed a few hours in Bimini on Saturday and a day at sea on Sunday.
It was my second time on a cruise ship, having gone to Cancun quite a few years ago. It delivered on the expectations of some great entertainment, incredible dining and endless possibilities for fun.
All four of us had an amazing time, and we all hope to repeat the adventure in coming years.
As I sat on our stateroom balcony at dusk on Sunday, facing the open blue endlessness of the Atlantic ocean, my thoughts drifted away from the immediate time and place and more inward.
Cassville, Barry County, and Missouri for that matter, are such small places in our wide world, and as I looked across the horizon, I couldn’t help but think how much more is out there.
Being in the middle of the ocean can make you feel small, a reminder I think many could do with. No matter your problems or stresses, the world is wide, and if you are looking at it as I was, the little things that may feel like the end of the world seem to be less and less important.
That effect of the vastness of the world was reflected on the ship, as well. The crew was almost entirely foreign, with most hailing from the Philippines, but others I saw from countries like Bolivia, Cape Verde and Belgium, just to name a few.
Our extra cash tips went out to three people who took great care of us: our cabin steward, Aung; the bartender at the previously mentioned sports bar, Alejandro; and our dinner waitress, Nunung (pronounced Nu-Nu). Though the language barrier was a challenge on occasion, they all made our cruise an experience to remember, and we won’t forget how helpful and personable they all were to us and our family.
The passengers on the ship, though mostly American, were exceptionally diverse. As an avid people watcher and admirer of other cultures and traditions, It was exciting to be immersed in such diversity — something I frequently miss here in southwest Missouri.
There was even a little taste of home, as my wife unintentionally found herself in the Mongolia Wok restaurant line right behind a St. Louis man, comedian Percy Crews II.
We attended two of his shows on Sunday, a family friendly half hour in the afternoon and an adults-only hour in the evening. Crews left us in stitches both times, and I hope to see him again one day and have no doubt he will remember us, or Jordan at the very least after their nearly hour in the food line swapping stories.
As we boarded the flight home on Monday, my thoughts turned back to the paper and to this column. What could I bring back that people would want to hear?
Each of the experiences we had over the last week stands out on its own, but when I put it all together, I fell back to this.
The world is vast and time is short — travel broadly and with open eyes and hearts. Someone may make your day, or with even just a little effort, you may make theirs.
Make yourself small, then reap the big reward.
Kyle Troutman has served as the editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and became Publisher in 2023. He was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers in 2017, and he won a Golden Dozen Award from ISWINE in 2022. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville- democrat.com.
