I recently came back from a week long cruise in the Eastern Caribbean with two dear friends — a girl’s trip. It was totally restorative; before leaving, I think my shoulders had been permanently attached to my ears. Now? While I still wish I was sunning myself on a beach in the Caribbean, the relaxation is still with me, and I hope it continues for a bit longer.

As expected, I gained weight. I knew I would, especially since this particular ship has won awards for outstanding food, and while I generally don’t consider food to be part of a vacation, I enjoyed myself entirely this time around. Nearly every bite was worth the compromise of understanding that it would sink to my butt until I got home and worked it off. Getting on the scale and seeing the number was no big surprise.

What I didn’t expect: I put in a ton of steps and danced every single night. This body hasn’t boogied for a really long time; I was tentative, at first. I did the white girl shuffle; rock back and forth from my left to my right foot. But after a bit of that, I stopped caring what I looked like on the dance floor and just danced.

I danced. I danced with other people; I danced alone; I danced a line dance without killing myself. And it felt amazing to just move to the music and share that joy. I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning and danced even more. By the end of the week, some of my body parts complained, but not enough to keep me entirely off the dance floor — and not all those pains were from dancing.

We snorkeled, we walked on the sand, we felt the warm water around our bodies with a drink in one hand. Probably my biggest challenge of the week was getting back up a wet metal ladder into the back of a sailboat, and while I was a little frustrated with myself, I eventually got up in the boat. Rather than dwelling on it, though, I recognize that I still have work to do on strengthening my legs.

These are the types of experiences I only dreamed about years ago. Even knowing there are still areas where I would like to improve, I didn’t feel limited or denied in any way. Even as recently as last fall’s cruise, before my second knee surgery, I didn’t feel comfortable getting up and dancing — and my travel friend was always there to assist me or wait on me if needed. She didn’t need to do that this time, and I am thankful for that. One of my biggest goals is to not feel like I am imposing on anyone else.

I’ve already warned my husband that the next time we have an opportunity to dance, he’d better watch out!