A Not-So-Steep Learning Curve

 

learning curve - noun - a measurement in the rate of progress re: learning a new skill. A steep curve indicates high difficulty, whereas shallow curve points to the opposite (Reddit). 

If you happen to be blessed with common sense, you can often tame a steep learning curve. Perhaps not when it comes to mastering chess, however. But if you take a risk to learn via experience and can put two and two together, chances are it may be easy for you to walk away with knowledge worthy of sharing.

For those of you who followed my progress when I was on the world cruise, you know that at day 60 into the 114, I wound up contracting pneumonia from a faulty HVAC system on the Coral Princess and disembarked five days later in Bangkok, Thailand only to arrive back home in L.A. some twenty hours later via a United Airlines flight. But what you may not know is what I learned from the interrupted journey. 

I, a.k.a. "Girl interrupted," can honestly say that the gains from the risks of going on such an adventure far out number the losses. The trip itself represented a not-so-steep learning curve. The most important takeaway was that 2,000 international peoples (a cross section of Earth) with a common interest (travel), and perhaps a common language (English), can live in a small space (118,00 square feet), comparatively speaking, peacefully. Yes, when put in just the right situation, humans of all religions and political affiliations can get along, something the politicians may never quite comprehend.

Another tidbit of knowledge that I walked away with is that the Pacific Ocean is so incredibly vast. If you travel by jet, you can't get an idea of the size of it and of the world in general. Travel via cruise ship is worth any price so that you can understand how small you (and your problems) are compared to the greatness (and complications) of the planet. (F.Y.I.: Humility is not a bad trait to embrace.)

Another significant insight I now grasp is that the natural beauty of the world is so divine that it is worth saving, no matter the cost. I visited 26 ports in about twelve countries on three continents, or roughly half of the globe in terms of mileage. The most spectacular to the eye was French Polynesia. That said, global warming is taking its toll on the wildlife. (Yes, it is a reality.) An avid snorkeler for the past fifty years, I noticed when underwater that the number and types of marine life have diminished compared to when I spent time exploring depths from the surface in the Caribbean during the 1970s and 1980s. The water is getting simply too warm for many of the creatures, and they are becoming extinct.

So that's all I can think of right now, but I'm sure I could unearth more if I had more time. In summary, the aforementioned were not hard to come up with as I kept my eyes and heart open and common sense turned to "on." 

In parting, I will leave you with this: Nothing is ever lost even if you have to jump ship midstream. 

#travel, #cruise, #vacation, #knowledge, #common sense, #blog, #blogger