More Ships, Fewer Excuses: My Travel Plans for Late 2026 and 2027
My calendar is starting to look like I’m avoiding being home. I kinda am.
There’s Las Vegas. There’s Cozumel on Halloween. There’s a fraternity alumni holiday gathering with a name that covers several celebrations at once. And there are cruises, because apparently my preferred way to unpack once is to have the entire hotel move.
I get to live this life—the only one I have—and I’m putting a few more things on the calendar worth looking forward to.
First up: Las Vegas, with a Filipino accent
In early October, I have a Saturday ticket to Pinoy Fest in Las Vegas. I love the Filipino culture, the food, and the people, so this was an easy decision.
Just Saturday. I’m trying to show some restraint in this travel schedule.
Halloween in Cozumel
At the end of October, I’m sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas: leave Tampa, spend a day at sea, stop in Cozumel on Halloween, enjoy another day at sea, and return to Tampa.
I’ve taken a Halloween cruise before. It was interesting. On a cruise, you already spend some time wondering about people’s wardrobe decisions. Halloween adds the question, “Is that a costume, or just his vacation shirt?”
Radiance is a smaller, more classic ship, without all the newer attractions—the water slides, ice-skating rink, Johnny Rockets, and so on. That suits me. I don’t need every vacation to include an amusement park and a waiver.
A ship, the ocean, and time to enjoy both will do nicely.
ChrisKwanukah and the $30 pancake
December 13, 2026, is the Tau Epsilon Phi, Phi Chi Alumni Club ChrisKwanukah event.
I went last year, flying into HPN, where a bit of snow wreaked havoc. Somewhere in that experience, I ended up with a $30 pancake and Diet Pepsi.
For that price, I felt the pancake should at least have helped with my luggage.
Still, I’m planning to return. Seeing people matters. Shared history matters. Apparently, I’m also willing to give winter air travel another opportunity to test my personality.
Trying MSC in January 2027
In early January, I’m taking an MSC cruise from Miami to the Bahamas. MSC will be new to me.
I’ve read the good reviews and the bad ones. The ships are supposed to be beautiful, while the food and service can apparently be hit or miss. I’m going with an open mind and will form my own opinion.
Reading cruise reviews is its own voyage. Two people can get off the same ship convinced they visited entirely different planets.
Utopia, with a road trip attached
There’s also the three-day Royal Caribbean trip on Utopia of the Seas from Port Canaveral that I’ve written about before.
I plan to drive to that port. Put the bags in the car, get myself there, and board the ship. That’s a travel day I can appreciate.
My car hasn't charged me extra for a suitcase yet.
Yesterday’s booking: back to Celebrity Reflection
Yesterday, I booked Celebrity Reflection for July 30 through August 2, 2027—a three-night Key West and Bahamas cruise, with a balcony on Deck 10.
I’ve been on this ship twice, stopping in Key West both times. I’d also visited Key West twice before those sailings, so we’re reasonably well acquainted.
This trip includes Grand Bahama, and I have absolutely no intention of getting off the ship.
I like the ship. I liked the staff on my last two voyages. I liked the experience. That’s enough reason to go back.
I'm not required to turn every port stop into a field trip. Sometimes the destination is the balcony I already paid for.
If anyone needs me, I’ll be conducting a thorough inspection of the ocean from a seated position.
Yes, there’s room for a future ex-wife
There is a spot for a future ex-wife. A sense of humor would be helpful, along with an appreciation for cruising and my occasional decision to visit a country without actually stepping onto it.
Passport not required for eligible U.S. citizens on qualifying round-trip U.S. cruises; a certified birth certificate and valid government-issued photo ID can do the job. We’ll check the specific sailing’s requirements before packing. Romance is one thing; being denied boarding is another. Celebrity’s travel-document requirements
Let’s start with a cruise and see whether we can agree on dinner before involving attorneys.
Why I’m doing all this
I was told that a lot of amputees and dialysis patients end up sitting around and disengaging from life. I know what withdrawing feels like because I did it myself.
Everyone’s circumstances are different. I can only speak for mine: I decided I wanted to take some risks and enjoy more of the little part of the universe I get to occupy.
Being an amputee and being on dialysis are parts of my life. Travel takes planning. Some things require more effort. But I still want experiences, people to meet, familiar faces to see, and stories to bring home.
Even if one of those stories involves a financially ambitious pancake.
I get to live this life. I want to be present for it—with a few boarding passes, some Filipino food, Halloween in Cozumel, and a balcony waiting somewhere ahead.
My Future Ex-Wife Is Going to Be So Proud 💰😂
The lottery refuses to cooperate with my retirement plans.
So here we are again.
🎟️ Mega Millions: $672 million (Friday)
🎟️ Powerball: $526 million (Saturday)
That’s nearly $1.2 BILLION just sitting there, waiting for someone to claim it.
I’ve been thinking about what I’d do if I won.
Sure, I’d take care of my family.
I’d help the communities and causes that have been important to me.
I’d make sure my friends were doing okay. (If we haven’t spoken since MySpace, this is probably a bad time to reconnect.)
But after the responsible stuff…
Things could get a little weird.
I’d found the world’s most exclusive underground fraternity: Omega Cucumber Omega (Ω🥒Ω).
The initiation? Standing in a circle while everyone gets pelted with cucumbers. Why cucumbers? Because billionaires don’t have to explain themselves.
Our official motto?
“Making poor financial decisions so you don’t have to.”
Annual dues would be exactly $1, because we’re not in it for the money.
There would be a Board of Directors whose only responsibility is debating whether Tuesdays should officially become “Wear Hawaiian Shirts While Grocery Shopping Day.”
I’d sponsor a competitive professional nap league.
I’d hire someone whose full-time job is reminding me where I left my phone.
I’d create a scholarship for people who have never said, “Reply all.”
I’d buy a beach house.
I’d buy a sweet ride.
And yes… somewhere in there I’d probably meet my future ex-wife. At least we’d have a beautiful view during the divorce negotiations.
Will any of this happen?
Probably not.
Will I spend a few bucks dreaming about it?
Absolutely.
Sometimes the ticket isn’t about the jackpot. It’s about spending a couple of days imagining a life where your biggest problem is deciding whether your pet llama should have its own swimming pool.
Good luck this weekend!
And if you win because this blog reminded you to buy a ticket… remember who believed in you before you were rich.
Guess Who Didn't Win Mega Millions? 😂💰
Me.
And... unless you're reading this from your private island, probably you too.
How do I know?
Because nobody won the Mega Millions jackpot, it has now climbed to $672 million.
That means tonight's Powerball jackpot of $498 million pushes the combined jackpots to shy of $1.2 BILLION.
I’m seeing a lot of commas.
And for just $2, you can buy a Powerball ticket and spend the next 24 hours mentally redesigning your life.
I've already got a rough plan.
I'd take care of my family.
I'd invest in the communities and causes that mean something to me.
I'd help out my friends. (If you aren't one now... applications after the drawing will not be accepted. 😄)
Then I'd pick up a sweet ride, buy a home on the beach, and maybe even find a future ex-wife to enjoy it all with.
Hey, at least I'm planning.
Will I win?
The odds say no.
Will I spend two bucks to dream for a day?
Absolutely.
Sometimes $2 isn't about buying a lottery ticket. It's about buying permission to imagine what's possible.
Good luck tonight—and if one of us wins, remember who reminded you.