Changed forever

“Changed forever” … little did I know the ramifications of that thought.  

Feelings of claustrophobia began to encamp around me.  The damp, gray backdrop peering through the portals, made the cabin of the boat feel eerie and warm.  Since the windows were closed, not to take in water, there was no cross breeze and I could hardly breathe.  And then, out of nowhere, I experienced the most dreadful headache.  It felt like someone had just hit me in the back of the head with a baseball bat!  And then, the pressure in my head was insurmountable.  What was going on?  

With hardly a moment of delay, I began feeling dizzy and sick.  What was I going to do?  Here I was, seated on a bench with my stomach churning as hard as the waves against the underbelly of the boat.  With distorted vision, I began scanning the boat for a bucket, a bowl, anything; and then, I spotted a plastic bag across the cabin, laying on a counter.  Finding myself unable to communicate sufficiently what I needed, I began pointing and signalling to the person closest to the bag.  All the while, trying to keep myself composed and yet knowing....it was about to happen, I was going to be sick.  

And sick I was!  Actually, I’ve never been so sick before.  To describe what happened would be too graphic and would turn the stomach of the most seasoned of nurses, let alone a novice.  I was so violently ill that Nelson could hear me out on the deck. He attempted to get to me.  I could see him advancing toward me.  Confused and determined to hold my head up, I held my hand up to indicate for him to stop; and then I motioned to him - go back on the deck.  In a later conversation, he asked me, “Why didn’t you want me to come and sit next to you?”  And this was my response - “At that moment, I honestly thought I was going to die and I did not want you to live with “if onlys” the rest of your life. I didn’t want to die ‘on you’ and I was praying I wasn’t going to be dying with you.”

Somewhere between being fully aware of my surroundings and feeling like I was going to slip away into a state of unconsciousness, I could hear the empathetic voices of some of the passengers on board the boat.  Quietly, and amongst themselves, people were making statements like, “I’ve never seen anyone get so seasick before.” And,  “This is the worst case of seasickness, I’ve ever seen.” Then following up with encouraging statements like, “Once we get back to the harbour and you get on land, you’ll get rid of those sea legs and feel much better.”

At one point, I remember distinctly having another kind of conversation. It was almost like an out of body experience.  In my mind, I would repeatedly say, “I am going to die on this boat” and then, I would hear this small, still voice, as though it were above me, saying, “You aren’t going to die.”  It definitely was a battle in a realm I have never experienced before; and deep within me, I sensed it was a battle for my life.  

Despondent for what seemed like a lifetime, I sat there in soiled clothes and shoes.  Unable to hold my head up, I sat there humbled and embarrassed waiting for this climatic boat ride to end.    

The storm that changed everything

Whether it be a seasonal storm or a storm in a season of life - storms happen. We’ve all been there. One minute, everything looks serene and beautiful; and the next minute, the atmosphere turns dark and chaotic.  

How many times have you been drifting through life, when all of sudden, a major storm showed up out of nowhere and turned your world completely upside down?  In the nearly seven decades of my life, I can think of two times when I went through a tumultuous “season of life” storm and two times when I experienced a significant weather event.  

Although, my experiences have been limited, all four storms have been life altering.  The residual effects of the storms changed relationships, financial security, geographical locations and in some cases caused a seismic shift in a sense of “normal.”  In all of these storms, there was a common factor, except for one, the fact that my feet were placed on the ground.  At times, shaking or struggling to remain upright; however, my feet were definitely planted on solid ground.  However, in the last storm - the storm in Puerto Vallarta - there was no place for sure footing, except in my faith.

Lunch was over at the quaint beach side restaurant, everyone was laughing and joking about how full we were; when, someone mentioned - “Looks like a storm is rolling in.”  In the meantime, shuttle boats were taxiing people from the shoreline out to where the boats were anchored in the bay. Although we would have preferred to be together, there was only one seat left on the back deck by the time we reached the boat. Nelson tends to be more prone to motion sickness, so I said, “You, go ahead and take the seat outside and I’ll go inside the cabin.”  

The cabin was full, so the men stood; while most of the women took a seat on the bench that wrapped around one side of the cabin.  The only exception was that the captain’s wife; she took a seat on the floor because she said it was the middle of the boat and she never gets seasick.  

Typically, I don’t get motion sickness either; however, if someone else befalls to it, beware.  Call it empathy or power of suggestion … fighting off the sickness becomes a challenge for me.  Immediately, I start with positive self talk and then transition to changing the subject.  Anything to keep my eyes on the horizon and my mind off of the possibility of succumbing to the dreaded symptoms of seasickness.

Confidently, the captain felt like we would be out from under those dark ominous storm clouds once we moved out of the bay.  After all, a storm had not been predicted and this was not their tropical storm season. Unfortunately, there was no escaping.  

The clouds were looming over us like a heavy wet, gray blanket.  Swelled with raindrops, the enormous clouds opened up producing a torrential downpour.  The water became rougher and the waves bellowed up out of the raging water causing the waves to lap up on the sides of the 38 foot boat. The boat began rocking around like a kid’s toy boat in a washing machine, and everyone began to feel the effects. People were popping dramamine and through their brave faces you could see a certain level of uncertainty.

And then it happened .... one of the ladies became seasick.  Others on the boat began to take care of her needs while I was doing everything not to even think about it.  From my vantage point, I would go from being concerned about her to checking on Nelson.

How could I get to him?  The the boat was rocking so hard, it would have been impossible to get across the cabin floor to where he was seated.  And just when I decided I’d take the chance, someone encouraged the lady that was seasick to sit in the doorway leading out to the deck to get some fresh air. I know she would have moved for me; but, the obstacles to reach him were becoming insurmountable to me in my mind.  At that moment, I had a sense of peril and I knew our lives would be changed forever.   

Boat ride of a lifetime

Somewhere between being fully aware of my surroundings and feeling like I was going to slip away into a state of unconsciousness, I could hear voices of some of the passengers on board the boat.  Quietly, and amongst themselves, people were saying, “I’ve never seen anyone get so seasick before.” And,  “This is the worst case of seasickness, I’ve ever seen.”

But wait … before I tell you anymore, let me share with you how incredibly beautiful our trip started out.  It is still a mystery to us as to how our boat ride that day to Los Arcos, a national marine park just south of Banderas Bay, turned into what seemed to be a bad dream.

Remember the day tour of Puerto Vallarta we were awarded for going on the property tour? Well, as part of the tour, we traveled winding roads above the shoreline where we could see Los Arcos from a distance; however, to be able to have this opportunity to see it up close was almost unimaginable. Plus, we were going to travel beyond Los Arcos to a restaurant that was only accessible by boat. Sounded like such an absolutely spectacular trip and we were feeling especially blessed to be invited.

When we arrived at the marina, it was a picturesque morning.  With the exception of someone sweeping the sidewalks, a shop owner greeting us as we passed by on our way to the boat, or the noise coming from a busy outside restaurant, it was peaceful. And even today, I can remember standing on the dock, looking around to take in all of the beauty one more time before boarding the boat.  

Gradually, the boat began to fill up with equally as excited passengers. For us, we were meeting everyone - except the captain, his wife, her mom and a friend visiting from Texas - for the first time. Most everyone else knew each other and had traveled on other excursions together. Hearing them share some of their adventures together before leaving the marina, we knew one thing for sure, we were in good hands with the captain.  But then again, why should we feel any other way? It was an absolutely beautiful day for a boat ride.

Along with some of the other passengers, Nelson and I congregated at the stern of the boat. From this vantage point, we were able to take in the view, get some fresh air and shoot some great pictures of Los Arcos and the tropical fish swimming just below us.  

After our stop at Los Arcos, we traveled past beautiful shorelines filled with tropical vegetation and sugary white beaches situated at diverse points along the bay.  Next destination after our two hour ride - an outside restaurant located under thatched roofs on one of those majestic beaches; and everyone was ready to get off the boat, walk around, and have a delicious beach side meal.   

So what happened? It all sounds so lovely.  Well, stay with me and this weekend, I’ll share the rest of the story about this incredible boat ride of a lifetime and the storm that changed everything.

The Getaway

Where do you go on vacation and what do you do once you get there?

According to a January 2015 article I read in the New York Times, most Americans traveled to Mexico in 2014 with some 21,297,000 people predicted to travel to Mexico in 2015. And not surprising at all, according to the statistics in the Times’ article, my husband and I are very ordinary travelers; because the average traveler was headed either to Cancun or Puerto Vallarta.  Like thousands of others, Puerto Vallarta was our getaway destination in March of 2016.

If you are anything like us, once you get to your destination you are more than ready for some “down time” -  resting at the pool or on the beach. Of course, there are always tours you can take, shopping to do, and plenty of good food to eat!  And, the one thing we have always avoided are the high pressure marketers trying to sell us a little piece of paradise!  

Believe me, “high pressure” anything was not on our agenda. We had already decided we were going to be laid back, spontaneous, and casual on this trip. Rest was high on the agenda and the only predetermined plans were to possibly connect with a couple we knew from the states; now residing in Puerto Vallarta.  

Well, our trip started out just the opposite of what we had hoped it would be. Our getaway began with our flight being cancelled after an hour drive to the airport to spending our first full day...yes, you guessed it...with a high pressure marketing agent trying to sell us a piece of paradise. “Why?” “Why?” “Why, did you choose to go on a property tour, you’re asking?”  

Call it spontaneity, a sense of adventure, or sheer naivety, we were most definitely lured into all of the shiney bait dangling before us.  Before our appointment, we had already agreed and told the representative we were going to say, “no” to the sales pitch.  But really, how could we pass up a trip to a beautiful gated community on the beach, a Mexican breakfast buffet, two different day tours to explore Puerto Vallarta, a private massage under a cabana at the tip of a raised pathway directly overlooking the ocean and discounts galore? After all, the massage alone seemed like it would be absolutely spectacular!

Well, the property was gorgeous; however, the “sales pitch” experience was horrendous. The agent was relentless and came at us from every direction trying to wear us down to say, “yes” to this unbelievable offer. The upside was we were able to walk away fulfilling our commitment to each other to say, “no” no matter how enticing the offer was and knowing that we still had five more days to enjoy all of our “freebies.”

Next week, when I share the story of the chartered boat ride, you’ll begin to understand why I’m sharing all of this background information with you; but for now, let’s spend a few minutes reflecting on a couple of questions.  When was the last time you were “lured” into some enticing offer?  How successful were you at not caving?  What did you factor in to make your final decision? How good are you at saying, “no” when you are pressured to say, “yes” to something that seems so appealing?

Feel free to share your experience in the comment box below.  Your comment may encourage someone, today.

Reference: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/travel/where-will-americans-travel-in-2015-.html?_r=0
Where Will Americans Travel in 2015 by Stephanie Rosenbloom January 6, 2015

The journey begins

Have you ever noticed how often we are drawn to something new or shiny? We may not want to admit it; but it seems like for the most part, at least for many of us, there is this attraction or you might say, we are lured to something no one else has, or at least few have. There seems to be a lure for unusual things or we tend to romanticize about going to exotic places. For some of us there might even be the fear of a lost opportunity. Simply put, there’s a lure for something ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR!

Maybe this is the reason people enjoy reading romance novels, watching soap operas or getting lost in a travel magazine. Perhaps you are at a place in your life where you would like to experience the vintage commercial that said, “Calgon, take me away.”

And, “a take me away moment” is exactly what my husband and I needed. We had been putting in a lot of hours - focusing on ministry projects - discipleship materials and developing an online class, the release of a new book, and coaching.  In addition to work, I was personally worn out from being a caregiver to my parents over the past 10 years; and was ready to escape reality to enjoy something, anything absolutely spectacular!  

Since Puerto Vallarta had been on our “bucket list” for years, I decided to find a great package to suggest to my husband as a “getaway” for our anniversary and upcoming birthdays.  After several weeks of research, trying to find the right combination of flights and hotel accommodations and also finding the right week to carve away in our schedule; everything fell into place and we were going to get away for a much needed reprieve. We were bound for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Over the next few months, I’m hoping to not only share with you an unbelievable life journey; but, something absolutely spectacular!  So, if you are interested in reading more, join me on this journey and we just might make some new discoveries. Let’s find the joy in the journey together!