Day 12 - Homecoming
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When we awakened at 5 am to watch the approach to New York Harbour, we hurried out to the deck in the dark hours before the dawn. The balmy air had that classic “New Jersey” smell to it, completely in contrast to the clear atmosphere in Iceland, or Newfoundland. Regardless, there was one word on my mind: home.
Beyond an 11 day holiday, this voyage was in fact a homecoming. But better than an average homecoming—the hugs and hellos of landing in an airport—this voyage was an adventure. Over the course of this trip, I found a new meaning in travel. I saw ruins and castles, geysers and harbours, towers, valleys, museums and boats. I became closer to my travelling companions, and made new friends along the way. I crossed the Atlantic Ocean by ship!
The Statue of Liberty gleamed, even far away through the fog. I tried desperately to take stellar pictures, but the smooth progress of the Jewel across the water prevented using long-exposure. As sunrise approached, the temperature dropped, and we headed back indoors to make the final preparations for disembarkation.
In leaving London, I left behind a year of my life. Friends, memories, and potential for new experiences all were left in the wake of the ship setting off from Dover. But that is the catch-22 inherent in leaving home—you can only find the new horizons by going towards them, but you are always leaving some horizon behind. The past 11 days were so full of excitement, new sights, and brilliant locations, and I do not regret the choice to journey on and try.
All in all, the transatlantic cruise is an experience that everyone should have at least once. Treating travel as so much more than a means to an end, indeed savouring it like a gourmet meal, is an experience in itself. The different flavours that emerge when you take a moment to ponder the smell of the air or the shape of the waves would be missed when you’re squeezed against the window in an airplane cabin.
After a year abroad, there’s a sense of relief in finally standing upon native soil.
Getting there is half the fun, but getting home is everything.
View interactive map of the voyage
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Day 12 - Homecoming (you are here)
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