As I board the cruise ship, I am bombarded with sights I have never seen before. There are lights everywhere, dangling from the three-story-high ceiling, reflecting up from the glass floor. There are color-changing light bulbs inside each glass wall sconce. The elevator, also entirely glass, drops other passengers off on the top floor. The aroma of freshly-picked roses fills the air as a crew member pushes past me with a cart of flowers. It is my first time being on a cruise ship, yet I feel at home as the lustrous grand piano plays a tune I recognize.

Politely moving through the crowds, I make my way outside. There are thousands of people on board the royal ship, each with a smile across their face. The refreshing summer breeze, along with mist from the ocean below, gently pets my cheek. I sigh, parting my lips, and the sea spray touches my tongue. It is bitter and tangy and I crinkle my face as a result. My eyelids flutter as a strong gust of wind brushes across my skin, keeping me cool despite the intense Floridian heat. A young boy must have been watching me because I hear a small, highpitched voice from beside me ask, “Excuse me, miss. Are we in Heaven?”

He must have read my mind. In response, I lower my head, slowly turn to him and say, “Yes. Yes, we are.”