Public distress is uncomfortable. I'm so thankful for the people who ignored the awkwardness. [View all]

First off - a disclaimer. While I'm not a cruise person, this vacation was for my husband. We compromise and trade off over the years. Not my jam but not going to pick that battle. I respectfully ask for no judgment on this count as I know people can have very strong feelings about cruising.

Anyway, I had to leave a cruise vacation prematurely for medical reasons on Tuesday. The experience was ... traumatic. My husband could not come with me for reasons I am 100% okay with and too long to get into. I was traveling alone which probably upset him more than me.

I'm also not a birthday person. Until my birthday is spent slogging in misery to get back to the US. I tried desperately to keep my discomfort to myself but tears slip out, you know?

I wanted to share some observations recognizing that one or two employees in organizations with a workforce of thousands is not representative of the company itself, especially when it's gig work.

Companies and places where I encountered amazing caring people:

Virgin Voyages - can't say enough about their commitment to passenger safety and care.
Enterprise Car Rental - two people who saw what needed to be done and quietly took care of me above and beyond their job duties.
Uber - I think I encountered a guardian angel, if I believed in such things.
Ashford Presbyterian Community Hospital ER in San Juan, PR - What they can do with what they have is seriously impressive.
Heck, everyone in Puerto Rico seems to have sky high EQ!
US Border Patrol - I am not kidding.

I had a horrific experience at a Courtyard Marriott once I finally got somewhere stateside I could lie down for a few hours before continuing on which really surprised me.

I'm grateful for all the people on my journey who inquired about my well-being, expressed concern, offered help, and just did things they could see I needed without being asked. The Costa Rican woman who held me in her arms in the airport in Barbados before boarding her flight to Toronto gave me the strength to carry on.

If someone is in distress, ignoring may be the "polite" thing to do, but it can also hurt. I was at my lowest when surrounded by people pretending not to see me. I know they were respecting my privacy and dealing with their own lives. I do appreciate that.

I have long encouraged folks to reach out to suffering strangers, even at the risk of being snapped at or rebuffed. If all you can do is quietly hand someone a kleenex or a bottle of water with no words exchanged, it can mean the world to them.

Distress is awkward, but it doesn't have to be if we normalize acknowledging it gently.

There are so many people out there who will never know how large a place they will forever hold in my memory and my heart. I hope I can continue to pay it forward for years to come.