As part of our holiday, we took a cruise from Athens to
Venice. It was our first cruise, and we
were amongst the youngest on the cruise - although not the youngest. I remember another childless friend
commenting years ago that her and her husband found they had more in common with the empty-nesters and
the retired folks who were living a childfree life, and how it made her feel
old before her time. I felt a little
like that on the cruise, knowing that my friends with children couldn’t do
this, at this time of year, because of school commitments, and occasionally feeling slightly odd, wondering if I too was old before my time.
But putting those feelings aside, the cruise was
wonderful. Waking up every day in a new
place without having to pack or fly or drive anywhere was bliss, enjoying a
glass of champagne and the gentle breeze as the ship sailed out of port every
evening was amazing, and sharing it all with my husband was a joy.
And it was childfree.
There are no facilities for children on this ship, and so the youngest person on the
ship was about 18 (other than the energetic, young crew, that is). This meant that the
cruise services were all pitched at adults.
It was sophisticated; there were of course cocktail parties to start and end the
cruise, dinner was late and, in two of the restaurants at least, chic and
classy (I’m trying to find synonyms for sophisticated). It was perfect. And as I’ve mentioned on previous holidays,
the absence of children for an entire week was in fact liberating – and you
know, I’m pretty sure I wasn't the only one (childless or not) who relished being in an adults only space for a time.
Sounds like fun! I go to concerts and to the opera with empty nesters. I also find that I have much more in common with them than with other people my age.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you had fun during the cruise. :-D
ReplyDeleteIt also crossed my mind about the "empty nest" period and our IF journey, but the thought doesn't make me feel old before my time. In fact, it makes me feel glad that we've managed to get through it pretty well - and that we're still going strong together. :-D And that thought comforts me so much. :-D
A lot of my hobbies and interests mean that I often mix with people a lot older than me. It makes me feel really young! When I go to a bar (or some other place where young things hang out) I always feel so old!
ReplyDeleteChild-free holiday sounds ace, actually, my holidays are often child-free as we go away during the school holidays. It's cheaper, less busy and more pleasant. Children can be annoying. Can I say that?