Caribbean Cruise, Here I Come! Why I’m Spending Thanksgiving on the High Seas

Most people spend Thanksgiving sitting around a big table with their families, chowing down on turkey and mashed potatoes — but that’s not the case for me! A few years ago, my wife Marah and I started a new tradition of traveling every year on Thanksgiving. In 2019, we flew to Costa Rica; last year, we went to St. John in the Virgin Islands; and this year, we’re taking a Celebrity cruise through the Caribbean. It’s part Thanksgiving trip and part celebration for our 10th anniversary.

I never expected to be someone who travels on Thanksgiving, but sometimes life surprises you. Marah and I discovered that if we wanted to travel together, we had to plan around our business. The week of Thanksgiving is one of the few times each year the Chiro1Source office closes for a few days in a row. Because Marah and I both work in the business, it’s the easiest time for us to get away without interrupting our work.

Traveling over Thanksgiving definitely comes with pros and cons. We always miss our extended families (and the airports tend to be crazy), but we don’t have to compete with as many tourists in the topics. This year, we chose a Celebrity cruise rather than a single destination. We wanted to have plenty of time to relax while also visiting a lot of different countries in one week! We plan to spend Thanksgiving Day jumping from waterfalls in the Dominican Republic. We’ll also stop by San Juan, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas.

I can’t wait to ride dune buggies and experience life as a local in St. Maarten, relax on the beach in St. Thomas, and learn how to perfect some Puerto Rican cuisine in a cooking class in San Juan. During our adventures, I know Marah and I will both spend time reflecting on our marriage. The last 10 years together have brought us so many new experiences, joys, and challenges. We bought Chiro1Source together, adopted two dogs and two cats, and grew our family to three when Bennett was born!

It takes hard work and a lot of love to keep a relationship strong for 10 years, and I’m proud of us both for putting that work in. Not bad for two people who dated in high school, broke up, and got back together thanks to Big Brothers Big Sisters, the state of Texas, an accidental impersonator, and some seriously damaged shrubbery! (Let me know if you want to hear more about that story. I shared it in the newsletter in 2020, but it’s funny enough that I’d happily tell it again.) In our opinion, there’s no better way to celebrate 10 years of marriage than by enjoying one of our favorite hobbies: traveling together.

Whether you’re spending Thanksgiving around the table with your family or somewhere far from home, I hope you have as much fun as we do. Take a break from work, eat delicious food, and don’t forget to share what you’re grateful for.

Happy holidays,

Josh Walker