We recently spent 11 days on an Alaskan cruise for our 20th wedding anniversary. It rained for at least part of the time on nearly every day for the entire trip. We were prepared for this, we had done our research. Alaska is the world’s second-largest rainforest and the temperatures in May are still chilly, so we dressed for the weather.
But many of the travelers around us seemed unprepared. They complained about the lack of sun, the constant drizzle and not seeing enough wildlife. (We actually saw a lot of wildlife on the excursions we chose but we were prepared to see less given that May is not a prime time for wildlife either. That comes in August and September but prices are also nearly twice what we paid for our trip. We managed our expectations accordingly.)
Despite all of this we actually had an amazing time. But there was one day when we were headed out sea kayaking it was absolutely pouring. It wasn’t as cold as it had been earlier in the week when we had canoed up to a glacier but it was still cold. I was tired and not feeling great, and we were nearing the end of our trip. We considered canceling our excursion but we had missed the refund deadline and decided to just try to push through anyway.
When we got out on the water I tried to keep my hood up despite the wind but we were definitely getting wet. Then we started to see starfish. A sea lion swam by. We paddled over to a bald eagle’s nest. Suddenly the clouds parted and we were bathed in sunshine. Every now and then the rain would start again but only a few moments before the sun would return.
The day ended up being one of the highlights of our trip, especially the 20 minutes we spend hanging out in a small cove with a few curious seals.
This is what it looked like when we headed back to the dock. What started as one of the wettest most physically unpleasant days of the trip ended up being one of our favorite memories.
Sunshine can make all the difference. But even when it’s not the weather getting us down, I can learn from this experience.
Just do it
Sometimes it’s worth sticking with something even when there are plenty of legitimate reasons to quit. There is often a beautiful reward that comes from trying anyway.
It might be better than you think.
We had mentally prepared for a cold, wet day and were determined to make the best of it. But we couldn’t have anticipated all of the wonder and beauty the day contained and the sunshine felt like an unexpected blessing. Sometimes when we move forward despite less-than-ideal circumstances, we experience joys we hadn’t counted on.
Your hardest days can produce your best moments
The day before and the day of our kayaking excursion were some of the most physically difficult I had on the whole trip. My body didn’t feel great and I had a lot of anxiety about how my physical state was going to affect the day.
But in the end, that day contained one of my favorite memories of the trip.
Sometimes when we choose to do things even though the situation isn’t ideal, we encounter unanticipated wonder. I couldn’t have imagined how much paddling with seals would amaze me and it filled me with such happiness for the rest of the day. We did some pretty amazing things on this trip but when I tell people stories of our adventures, this day is my favorite. The unexpectedness of it is actually part of what produced the greater enjoyment.
Have you ever found yourself in a difficult spot and yet experienced happiness and joy in the midst of it?
Our Alaska trip was definitely a high point we will look back on for years to come and while it was a ton of work and a significant expense, we had waited a long time and it felt like a fitting way to celebrate two decades of marriage.
Because marriage is also filled with surprising adventures and unexpected joys even in hard times.
Life may not be what you expect,
but if you don’t embrace the suck,
then you will perforce reject
the blessings that can’t be called luck.
God above has laid your path,
but He has used His ways, not your
desires, so just do the math.
There are some days you must endure,
but in endurance find the light
that illuminates the ground,
that even in the deepest night
will show you what the Lord wants found,
the signs and proof and evidence
of His love, and of His presence.
Brenda, this sounds like a fun trip – one my husband wants to do as well 🙂 It really is all what one makes it and it sounds like you both made the best of it!
What an amazing trip and a great reward for sticking with it on a tough day! Visiting from FMF#8
I loved this post and the message.
What a good thing you didn’t cancel your excursion.
Thanks for sharing.
Brenda, I’m so glad you persevered with your adventure that day and were able to get bouts of sunshine as a bonus. Thanks for sharing. Kath, your FMF neighbour at #5 this week.