It’s officially spring in Colorado right now. And for those not versed in mountain life, let me clue you in: spring doesn’t actually bring all that many flowers. At high elevations, those won’t come until the end of the season – and it’s really the beginning of summer that welcome those Sound of Music-esque flower fields. In the meantime all of the snow that make winter so magical in the mountains is melting, and while temperatures are pleasant, it’s not the best time of year to play outside. Everything is covered in mud. Because of this most of my neighbors up here in the Rockies refer to this time of year by a different name – mud season

My parents had been asking me to come home to Florida for a visit before I get back to work for the summer. They sweetened the deal by mentioning my Dad would be speaking at a conference very soon, and I was more than welcome to join. Oh and also, that conference would be taking place on a cruise ship bound for Mexico.

Twist my arm why don’t you? Just a few days later I dusted off my flip flops and jumped on a plane heading home.

I know a lot of traveling types loathe cruises and the kind of people who take them. They see it as a lazy way to get out of the house, and I don’t necessarily disagree with them. But I also don’t think it’s so bad to be lazy every once in a while. And when it comes down to needing a straight-up, no-responsibilities-please vacation, I happen to think cruising is a great option.

And so on a sunny Saturday we sailed off on the Brilliance of the Seas, headed for Cozumel.

You single reader, may or may not remember, but this is not my first cruise. Back in November I was treated to a voyage on the Disney Dream as a 25^th birthday present. It’s hard to write a post about this cruise without comparing it to the last, because Disney’s ship was so incredible. While I had a fantastic time with Royal Caribbean, the attention to detail was just not there, and I did find myself missing it from time to time.

But overall, the trip was everything a cruising experience should be – sunny, delicious, lots of fun, and really just gluttonous in every way.

That also makes it a little boring to write (and read) about doesn’t it?

Well at least I’m fat and tan, and ready for adventures. Rocky Mountain National Park – here I come!