Not Even Not Traveling 72: Hawaii - Did I Learn Anything?

Almost Thinking

During our many dinner discussions with other passengers, I was consistently surprised by how instructive other people's lives could be. Everyone’s choices had an internal coherence. Sometimes you had to wait until you understood their logic, but still. These people had survived a long time, sometimes in challenging businesses, and the ones who made it to the cruise life had done well. They had made their choices, dealt with the consequences, learned, and kept going.

There were a couple of engineers: One was a retired military and civil engineer who moved to Nevada to lower his cost of living, specifically to fund his world travel. He and his wife had been everywhere from Antarctica to the Panama Canal.

We met professional guides: Nick and Lori had lived as Hawaiian tour guides, luau hosts, Las Vegas card dealers, and golf package sellers. They never got rich but they always seemed to find a way to finance what they wanted, even if they had to play golf as the course hosts, not as the guests.

There were careerists: Unlike the families of inherited wealth, these individuals sweated for their money. They worked during the voyage, too, as a rule. I suppose I was one of these in a way, although sadly without owning a business. Still, I was new to my job and working my way through the vacation. What I learned (again) from the careerists is that it is way, way better to own the business. But I already knew that. 

The health concerns: We met folks with partial paralysis, with deafness, and with serious medical problems in their past. After all, about two thirds of the passengers were elderly. The most difficult may have been David, a retiree who had been the life of the party, once. Now he was mostly deaf. He felt frustrated about it because was unable to be his previous self. He couldn't catch the jokes and stories at the table; he couldn't return with his own banter. He watched lips carefully but often, he had to tap his wife to translate. He seethed about it.

We met lots of Canadians: Multiple couples, like Paul and Joanne, had retired from government jobs with pensions. Half of them had no children, which might have been a financial benefit that allowed them to travel. A few owned small businesses - but, after all, a small lumber business is still a profitable one.

In Summary:

• After a week, I stopped liking buffet food. It's more limiting than you might think.
• Canadians civil servants can retire to the cruising life.
• Americans who are in a position to start their own businesses are living by different rules. (Admittedly, I kind of knew this.)
• Mexico, at least in the lands around Ensenada, is more beautiful than Hawaii.
• Snorkeling should be sort of mandatory. There are kinds of fun that everyone should have and snorkeling may be one of them.
• No one should go to Honolulu or Waikiki. Maybe if you're staying there and can walk to where you want, it could be acceptable. But if you're trying to drive around the area to see the sights, no.
• Hawaii is so expensive that taking a cruise might be the cheapest way to stay in the islands.
• The defense of Hawaii against the Japanese attacks in World War II made the islanders and mainlanders come together. Basically, the USA mutual defense made Hawaii a state.