5 years ago my family took our first cruise on Disney Cruise Line. Having never been on a cruise before, we didn't really know what to expect. Although, one thing we DEFINITELY didn't expect was to be put at the same dinner table as another family of 5, from yes, Ohio. We were completely blind- sided and neither family knew what to do. After locating our table and discovering it was half full of complete strangers, we introduced ourselves, and sat on what was to be the "Seeses" side of the table... for that night anyways. After some forced conversation we realized that even though we were from two very different states, we had a lot more in common than we originally thought. All us kids are really close in age, 2 years at most between all of us, that at the time ranged from 10 to 16. Dinner the rest of the week was something we all looked forward to. the food was unreal, our servers (who followed us from restaurant to restaurant every night) were hilarious, and the company was impeccable. By the end of the week, the table was no longer separated by family, but by kids an adults, and our time together wasn't just limited to dinner. When the cruise was over, we said our goodbyes and exchanged phone numbers, promising to stay in touch. We all know that people thrown together so unexpectedly rarely stay in touch. Fortunately that wasn't the case for us. Two years later we found ourselves spending our spring break in always- cloudy Ohio with none other than the cruise family! We caught up at the Columbus Zoo, and for old time's sake, we had dinner together. Again, we said our goodbyes and headed for Georgia once again. After that we did lose touch, somewhat. About a month ago one of the boys texted me saying they were going to be in Georgia. Their mom got in touch with my mom and plans began to roll. Both of our families are significantly older now and we're all beginning to go our separate ways so a reunion was beginning to look impossible. Thank goodness the middle kids ( me and the boy standing behind me- far left in the picture) took matters into our own hands. We made fool-proof plans to spend our Fourth of July together. As the Fourth neared, I began to get a little nervous, thinking things would be awkward now that we are so much older. I have never been more wrong in my entire life. Our day started at lunch time in Atlanta, and ended back in Douglasville late at night. We talked, we laughed, we reminisced, and of course we made memories. It might be another 3 years, and it might be a hassle getting everyone together, but I have no doubt that us and our cruise family will be forever friends. The kind of friends that travel 12 hours just to catch up.
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