My family cruises a lot, and you might be wondering how being on a cruise ship for a week surrounded by other people in the middle of the ocean is a place where you can find yourself. Cruises are portrayed as floating resorts with 24 hour buffets, partying, and drinking. And they are all that, but they’re also escapes from reality with the lack of cell service and the fact that you’re spending your week with 2,000 unknown faces with 2,000 different stories coming from 2,000 different walks of life. You can learn a lot in a week.

The lack of cell service really helps. You aren’t checking your social media feeds every other minute, and you aren’t ignoring the people around you to text other people. The lack of social media and escape from reality is such a pleasant change of pace. You stop worrying about who liked your post or if someone posted an indirect about you. You stop worrying about the people who are virtually there, and you start talking to the person sitting next to you. You start to realize that you can actually live without your social media, and that keeping your Snapchat streak up with people you barley talk too isn’t that important.

Meeting new people from all walks of life is something always life changing. You never know who you’re going to meet and how they’re going to affect your life. Falling in love and late night talks under the stars about depression really opens up your mind. You don’t know these people, you aren’t from the same town, let alone maybe not even from the same country, and more than likely, you’re never going to see them again, so why bother? Bother to make an effort to talk to the person sitting next to you because you never know what they have to tell you and what you have to say.

Being surrounded by nothing but water also has something to with having a clear peace of mind. It shows you how small you really are and how big the world really is. Sitting outside with a good book or an empty journal and a brain full of thoughts is always a good way to find some inner peace. Take a minute to watch the waves gently hit the side of the ship with a salty breeze hitting your face; you’ll appreciate the moment of sanity.

Maybe cruising isn’t for everyone. Maybe people really cannot live without their phones and the lack of cell service would kill them. Or maybe the near thought of being on a ship with 2,000 unfamiliar faces is disgusting to some. Or maybe the fact of being in the middle of the sea is simply terrifying for people to imagine. Cruising isn’t for everyone, but I know that with every cruise I go on, I come home a different person because of the people I meet and because of the experiences I’ve had.