I woke up the morning of the Karma Foundation Kandy Kruise filled half with giddy excitement and half with “crap what have I gotten myself into now.” Not only am I attending the ultimate Vegas/Playboy party where all the girls will be half my age and flaunting their cellulite-free bodies, but I am also vacationing with a complete stranger.

The extent of my relationship with my cruising partner, Megane, was limited to “liking” Facebook statuses and a few emails filled with essential cruise details. But, I already liked her. She has her own bucket list blog (that’s how we hooked up for this trip) and has done some amazing things like blown glass, attended an a-list party and went silent for a week for charity. My kind of gal.

I waited at the cruise entrance, hoping she could be recognized from her profile picture, since her UK phone was not working in the States. I knew her immediately and instantly felt comfortable. It was something about her calm demeanor and sweet Aussie accent. Relief.

Ten minutes after the typical pleasantries of meeting someone, we were taking this photo. I like to say we arrived innocent (& fully clothed, unlike most others).

We headed through the gangway to board the ship that awaited, passing Ms. Kandy sailors along the way, foreshadowing what was to come.

We spent the next couple of hours easily swapping bucket list adventures, travel stories and insecurities surrounding this trip. Feeling more comfortable, we headed to our cabin to prepare to embark on this crazy cruise where more memories were waiting to be created.

In one short weekend our friendship grew based on the experiences we shared:

We rolled the dice,

Fed a baby tiger,

Pretended to be Michelle Pfeiffer in the Fabulous Baker Boys,

Lounged in the private poolside cabana,

Ate street food in Ensenada, Mexico

…and, best of all, we learned that really young, skinny girls have cellulite too.

Have you ever vacationed with a stranger?