O'Neill Column: A graduation gift 'I will never forget'

On Saturday, Jan. 6, we boarded the Celebrity Cruises Apex Ship, which was our cruise line for the vacation. It was like entering into a different world and being unplugged from reality. I could imagine us going on the most magical carpet ride. We were immediately welcomed by friendly folks all over the world. We met people ranging from South Africa, Indonesia, Zimbabwe and Canada.

Among the many people we met were two women from Wisconsin — Danica and Jenn. They were the best new friends my mom could ask for. They had friendly personalities that gave me a very good vibe. We had dinner with them and they wanted to tag along with us. When the ship stopped in Roatan, Honduras, the four of us took a bus to the beach to snorkel underwater.

There in Honduras, we met more friendly people, including Corey, our snorkeling guide. Corey led us out in the ocean and we saw some of the most beautiful reefs. I was under the sea seeing all the characters from “The Little Mermaid.” You can even see a painted portrait of the clear, blue water blending in with sunlight. The fish made the reef look more beautiful than I could ever imagine. Afterward, we enjoyed our only beach day outside of the United States. It was sunny weather and I felt like I could stay there forever.

Our next stop was Belize City in Belize. My mother and I walked around and got a great glimpse of the city, thanks to another lovely tour guide, Erolyn. As she drove the van, she showed us the city with passion as she was born there in Belize. Among the many attractions we saw there were St. John’s Cathedral, the Government House and a rum factory. Belize City is a place where residents make their own jobs if they are not employed. Seeing a lady make coconut water on the street was very cool because she was providing for her family.

We shopped around the Port of Belize the rest of the afternoon until it was time to board the ship again. What came next for us was something we never done before — swimming with dolphins. The next morning, the ship landed in Cozumel, Mexico, where we were transported to Dolphinaris. It is home to many dolphins that were rescued and we were in for a treat. We befriended a dolphin named Adolpho, who was the friendliest dolphin of them all. Rubbing his back and interacting was him was like playing with a child. It was so sentimental.

The best part of the experience was riding on Adolpho’s back. I felt the wind blowing against me as he transported me back to the group. I imagined myself singing lyrics from Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” during the dolphin ride.

In no time, it was time to say goodbye. Adolpho said farewell with his fin flipping up and down. We also explored Cozumel and its stores. I bought souvenirs for very good family friends of mine and met a wonderful, friendly jeweler named Francisco. He polished my chains at no charge — one of them is a tribute to my late grandfather.

Our last leg of the trip was at the Grand Caymans. We were supposed to explore their beaches, but weather conditions prevented that. Plan B for us was to walk around and explore the city, which we did. Seeing the city was like seeing the growth of downtown Monroe, N.C. With crunch time approaching, we made sure to soak up every minute of our time in the Grand Caymans.

On the last day on the cruise ship, we got our tan on and did other things on the ship. I enjoyed being on the ship and seeing everything it had to offer. We saw plenty of comedy shows, danced, ate and saw the beauty of God’s kingdom. I also ate a wide range of seafoods, including lobster, snail and octopus, and, of course, grilled steaks.

The experience was everything my mother and I needed. I am reminded from the cruise that time is our enemy and not our friend. We relished seeing four countries in one week, thanks again to our lovely aunts.

I plan on going on another cruise in the near future. Now, it is time to get back to our livelihoods.