Two Pair of Shoes and One Shoebox

Nothing tests the bonds of your family's love like togetherness. In the case of our recent family vacation, the bonds were tested even more by the close proximity of our living space. By day it was a small shipboard cabin with two twin beds and a balcony to escape to and by night it was a shoebox with two pair of shoes.

 When we arrived in our cabin the first day we wondered where they were going to put the girls and also when they were going to put our beds together for that cozy full size bed feel. We were quite surprised when the room steward made us aware that we were stuck sleeping in our twin beds and our daughters would be sleeping in the beds that would be pulled down from the ceiling bunk bed or loft style. The loft beds were put away each day and brought back down at night, so we were only in peril of hitting our heads and toes at night.

 It seemed like no big deal. We were on a fabulous trip so what was the big deal if we could not sleep together, right? Off we went to enjoy our first afternoon on the ship. That evening after dinner when we arrived in our room this is what we saw…

 Surprise is not quite enough to describe what I felt, claustrophobic maybe? Fortunately we were able to escape to our balcony if we needed to and honestly I think the whole idea was to keep us out of the cabin and out spending money on the ship. Who the heck wants to be the second pair of shoes in the shoebox?

 Over all we had a fabulous time, but three women getting ready for dinner, showering, doing hair and make-up is no easy feat on a good day and it is no easy matter at all when you are elbow to eye ball with each other. I have to say I am actually amazed that we all made it home with out to much bickering. Do not think for one minute it was a breeze, but we did stay on our best behavior with only a few snippy and sassy comments here and there.

 Let me put it this way. We all made it home in one piece! What is even nicer is that we now feel like we live in a mansion since we shared such a small location for a week. You see folks; there is always a bright side!