Testing the Waters with Dori: The Power of Joy

The last time so many locals came out to wave to a cruise ship I was on, I was sailing into Havana harbor on the now-defunct Fathom Cruises in 2016. As then, the excitement of the people I sailed by – this time onboard AmaMelodia on the Magdalena River in Colombia – was palpable.

But unlike on that Fathom trip, this experience was repeated over and over again during my AmaWaterways cruise in Colombia. Every day, as we sailed down the Magdalena River, adults and kids alike came out to watch the AmaMelodia sail by and wave.

In the small towns we stopped in, locals came to the dock to watch us pull in, some waving, some simply smiling at us as we disembarked to explore the town or city they call home.  

Choruses of “hello” accompanied us if we passed by groups of kids. One little girl offered a shy thumbs up when I gave her the bollo (corn meal wrapped in corn husks for cooking) I’d be given after a local performance of the Bollo Limpio dance while in Santa Barbara de Pinto.

At a time in the travel industry where everyone talks about authenticity and immersion, being a part of something at the beginning of its journey hits the mark. There’s nothing more authentic then a village that doesn’t have any tourist infrastructure yet. As I said in my piece about everything travel advisors need to know about AmaWaterways’ Colombia river cruises, there are no souvenir shops selling shot glasses or two t-shirts for $20 in these places.

But while the authenticity and immersiveness of this trip made it truly enriching, I don’t believe that’s why, more than a week later, it still lingers in my mind. The same way that first Fathom cruise does so many years later.

And it’s not the historical significance either.

As I’ve tried to put my finger on what makes these experiences different, my mind keeps coming back to the Maya Angelou quote: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

To be clear, I don’t ever want to discount in the tourism industry what people say or what people do. Those are huge pieces of the travel experience.

And, when it comes down to it, I’m not actually thinking about the way I felt during these cruises, or how I feel in the weeks and years afterwards.

It’s how the people in these destinations felt that I believe have made some of my most memorable experiences traveling around the world so unforgettable.

I think everyone who has traveled enough can think back to a time when their tour guide or the dancers at performance were clearly phoning it in. You can feel the difference. Memories of those experiences tend to quickly fade, except for the memory of how bored your guide was. How clearly the performers wished they were anywhere but there.

You know what else you can feel?

Joy.

It’s not something people talk about often. Nor is it something that appears in brochures or marketing speeches. I mean, you can’t schedule joy. Can’t train for it. Can’t predict it.

But the day we sailed into Havana harbor, past scores of people waving and clapping, joy washed over us like a literal tidal wave.

On our first evening onboard AmaMelodia, our hotel director brought himself to tears expressing his gratitude to AmaWaterways and everyone on our ship for giving Colombia a chance. His joy, as well as the joy of every person working on that ship, everyone waving as we sailed by, every fisherman proudly showing off his net throwing skills – all of that joy is palpable.

And it’s contagious. Not in the way that means I was smiling and laughing all the time too, but it finds its way into the nooks and crannies of your soul and nestles there, pulsing softly.

Thinking back to some of my most unforgettable travel experiences, I believe it’s been joy that’s left indelible traces in my memories.

The tour guide at a Southern Plantation on a Mississippi River cruise who took great joy out of using his acting skills to tell stories of the plantation’s former residents and sing songs that were evocative of the era. I couldn’t tell you the name of that plantation or any of the stories he told, but I still remember him and how much fun he had giving us the tour.

The residents of Nuka Hiva in the Marquesas Islands who put together a full performance of traditional dances for Star Breeze cruisers when two typhoons forced us off course. Not because they had to or because it was an opportunity to bring in money to the island (although I’m sure it was), but because the opportunity to share their culture and heritage was something they cherished.

My aboriginal guide who got a kick out of making ant “lemonade” during a tour of Uluru and laughing (kindly) as each person in our group gave it a try.

And, I still remember my first snorkel in Bora Bora, not because of what fish we saw (though it was the first time I swam with a shark), but because the guide was clearly loving life. Out on the open water, playing his ukelele, and laughingly showing my husband how to make a real Shaka sign with his hand.

Travel marketers would call all of these interactions authentic. Because none of it was faked. None of it performative.

And while that’s true, I don’t believe that’s why they’ve stuck with me in my memories. Or why I have a smile on my face while writing this.

Some of these memories date back more than 20 years and while most of the specifics of those tours have faded, the people themselves haven’t. Nor has the feeling of them in my memories.

I now believe that’s because they genuinely felt joy and that joy transferred to me.

I don’t think joy can be quantified or taught or even expected. Nor will travelers come across it on every trip. But when you do, treasure it. Share that tour, that guide, that cruise with others. Because, as I said before, it’s contagious and it doesn’t fade. And if that’s not what we all want from our travels, then I’m in the wrong industry.

Do you have a story of a joyful encounter you’ve had on your travels? I’d love for you to share it with me.