My First Summit, My First Cruise, and the Courage I Didn’t Know I Had

An unforgettable journey of firsts, friendship, fear, and finding myself.

There is truly nothing more special than experiencing so many firsts. The excitement, the uncertainty, the butterflies in your stomach. The moments that change you before you even realize you’re changing.

This was my first summit. My first cruise. And, in so many ways, my first real glimpse of a version of myself I hadn’t quite met yet.

But let me start at the beginning.

The Anxiety Before the Adventure

I arrived at my first summit with a stomach full of anxiety and a mind overflowing with questions.

What if I’m not good enough? What if they see how anxious I am? What if I fail? What if I hate cruising? What if I spend the entire trip seasick?

The questions just kept coming. At first, even breathing felt like a chore. I was so overwhelmed by the unknown that I almost forgot to enjoy the very thing I had been looking forward to.

And then something beautiful happened.

I was greeted by my friends, colleagues, and leaders. Except something was different. I couldn’t tell the difference between them.

And I don’t mean that in a bad way. I mean that I had arrived expecting to put everyone into categories. These are my leaders. These are my colleagues. These are my friends.

But what I discovered was something entirely different. I had found my family.

Not a group of people waiting to see whether I was good enough. Not a room full of people I needed to impress. Just people who welcomed me exactly as I was.

And for the first time that day, I took a real breath. That’s when the journey truly began.

A Whole New World Floating on the Ocean

Every sight stole my attention. I don’t think I stopped smiling the entire day.

Our Royal Caribbean Business Development Manager (BDM) took us on a tour of the ship, showing us different staterooms and everything this incredible floating destination had to offer.

And y’all, I was in AWE.

I kept telling myself, Don’t forget this! Remember to take a picture of that! Make sure you remember every detail!

But my very human brain was so overwhelmed by everything around me that much of it became a beautiful blur. One thing I do remember clearly? The staterooms were so much bigger than I had imagined!

After our tour, it was finally my turn to explore. And let me tell you, I was like a hamster on a wheel. I. COULD. NOT. STOP.

There was so much to see, so much to experience, and so many little adventures waiting around every corner. I wanted to do it ALL.

I even had a scavenger hunt to complete, which gave me the perfect excuse to wander around the ship snapping pictures and discovering new places. And I loved every second of it.

The Food, the Flavors, and… Escargot?!

Now, we need to talk about the food. Oh. My. Goodness.

The food was incredible in every possible way. I remember sitting there thinking, Has food ever tasted this good before?

And then I did something I didn’t expect myself to do. I tried escargot. Yes. Snails.

Now, before anyone thinks I was tricked into eating something I didn’t understand, let me make one thing clear. I took French. There was NO fooling me. I knew exactly what escargot was.

And I dove in headfirst anyway. You know what? IT WAS DELICIOUS.

Who was this adventurous woman trying new foods without hesitation? Because I was beginning to really like her.

Finding Peace at the Royal Beach Club

On the second day of our cruise, we visited the Royal Beach Club.

There was so much happening. So much excitement, so many people, and so many things to explore. But somewhere in the middle of all that excitement, I found something I wasn’t necessarily looking for. Peace.

Standing on that beach, looking out at the water, I couldn’t believe how blue the ocean was. I have only been to the beach a handful of times in my life, so this was something truly special to me.

The sunshine, the ocean breeze, the beautiful water stretching out in front of me. For a little while, I didn’t need to be anywhere else. I didn’t need to prove anything.

I could simply exist in that moment and appreciate how incredibly blessed I was to be there.

Of course, after plenty of exploring, pictures, and probably more sunshine than I needed, it was time to head back. Because we had TRAINING. And goodness gracious, was it training!

The Moment Courage Took Over

I don’t think I have ever been pushed outside my comfort zone so quickly. We were challenged. We were encouraged. We were put on the spot.

Elevator pitches. Opportunities to steal the sale. Sell It or Skip It. Activity after activity, lesson after lesson, everything began to blend together into one enormous learning experience.

But somewhere in the middle of all that training, I remember telling myself something: “It only takes a moment of courage to truly grow.”

Just one moment. One decision to raise your hand. One decision to speak when your anxiety tells you to stay quiet. One decision to try, even when you’re terrified of getting it wrong.

And somehow, courage showed up for me.

I can’t even remember how many times I jumped into an activity without fully knowing what I was going to say or do. I would open my mouth, start talking, and then surprise myself with the words that followed.

Wait a minute… I actually sound like I know what I’m talking about!

And then something even more incredible happened. I started believing it.

I wasn’t just pretending to be confident. I was becoming confident.

All those moments of encouragement, all those words of affirmation, all those opportunities to practice and grow were doing something inside me. They were changing the way I saw myself.

I arrived wondering whether I was good enough. And here I was, discovering that maybe I had been capable all along. I just needed the courage to let myself try.

Courage Doesn’t Have to Be Just a Moment

One of the biggest lessons I brought home wasn’t about cruising, sales, or even being a better travel advisor. It was about courage.

For so long, I think I’ve viewed courage as something temporary. Something that shows up when we desperately need it and disappears once the moment has passed.

But this experience taught me something different. Courage doesn’t have to be just a moment. It can stay.

I can invite it to stay. I can make room for it in my everyday life. I can carry it into uncomfortable conversations, new opportunities, and situations where I don’t have all the answers.

I can be anxious and still be brave. I can be uncertain and still take the next step. And I can make mistakes without allowing those mistakes to define me.

That realization alone was worth the entire journey.

The Hardest Part Was Saying Goodbye

They say all good things must come to an end. And eventually, our summit did.

On the way back to the airport, I felt something I hadn’t expected to feel quite so strongly. Sadness.

The kind that settles deep in your chest when you realize just how much an experience meant to you. I couldn’t help it. I cried.

Not because I regretted anything. Not because I was disappointed. But because I had experienced something so special that I wasn’t ready to let it go.

I had walked onto that ship full of fear and uncertainty. And I was leaving with friendships, knowledge, confidence, memories, and a heart so full it almost hurt.

But then I realized something. It doesn’t actually have to end.

The encouragement doesn’t disappear when we leave the ship. The confidence doesn’t have to stay behind in a conference room. The skills we learned don’t vanish when we unpack our suitcases.

And the family we found doesn’t stop being family just because we’re miles apart.

We can stay connected. We can continue encouraging one another. We can keep growing together, even from different corners of the world.

More Than Just My First Cruise

When I look back on this experience, I don’t just see my first summit or my first cruise.

I see the woman who was afraid to walk into a room. And the woman who eventually found the courage to speak up in it.

I see someone who worried she wouldn’t belong. And someone who discovered she had a family waiting for her.

I see someone who was afraid of trying something new. And someone who ended up tasting snails, exploring a massive cruise ship, soaking up the sunshine on a beautiful beach, and loving every minute of the adventure.

Most importantly, I see growth. Not perfection. Not the complete absence of fear. Just growth.

And maybe that’s what makes first experiences so incredibly special. They don’t just introduce us to new places, new people, or new adventures. Sometimes, they introduce us to ourselves.

To my Somewhere Beyond Vacations family, my leaders, my fellow Navigators, and everyone who encouraged me along the way: thank you.

Thank you for seeing something in me that I was still learning to see in myself. Thank you for making me feel like I belonged. And thank you for reminding me that growth often begins with one small moment of courage.

I came home with so much more than pictures and memories. I came home with a new love for cruising, a deeper passion for helping others experience the world, and a little more faith in myself.

And as I look toward whatever adventure comes next, I know one thing for certain.

I may still feel afraid sometimes. But this time, courage is coming with me.

With love and a heart full of gratitude,Brittany EversollSomewhere Beyond Vacations and if you are ready to book your next cruise click here !