I really thought that turning the big 5-0 would entail a big party, surrounded by friends, partying until the sun came up. Instead, I spent the day in Ethiopia, working from sun up to sun down and beyond (I think I was awake about 46 hours, counting the 12 hours in the office plus flight time back to the U.S.).
But I have discovered that the big 5-0 is more than just a day - it's worth celebrating for a full year. As my two best friends from college reminded me, we had always promised to celebrate the big occasion together by going on a big trip.
But how? And where? Napa? A cozy house by the lake?
Nah.
I asked one friend "if she could go anywhere in the world, where would she go"? She said Spain and Italy, then changed the subject to a trip more reasonable. "A cruise would be nice", she said, "but I'm not sure we could stand each other if we had to share a cabin".
My other friend loves photography - nothing pleases her more than capturing the perfect view.
Me? I travel for work all the time, so my idea of a vacation is to go somewhere, unpack, and enjoy the company. I'm just as happy drinking a beer and playing scrabble with my friends as anything else.
So being the travel afficionado I am, I went to work to see what I could possibly find that would please all of us. Here's what I found.
Norwegian Cruise Line's newest ship, the Epic, has cabins specifially designed for solo travelers. And the last sailing in October departs from Barcelona (Spain), and goes to three very photographic sites in Italy (Florence, Rome, and Naples). Hello - could there be anything better?
My friends immediately jumped at it, and we are now booked for the October 16th sailing. In SEPARATE CABINS! We are all over the moon about it, and I haven't been this excited about a trip in, well, forever.
Now I just have to figure out where the money's coming from....hmmmm.....
