Glow with the Tide. Shopping Queen

We woke up at five in the morning like people with a plan. By sunrise, we had already showered, achieved a suspicious level of productivity, and were essentially waiting for civilization to wake up with us. When the nearby café finally opened its doors at 8 a.m., we were there immediately.

After breakfast, we headed straight for an outlet mall, where we proceeded to lose all sense of time. Three-plus hours vanished between racks, mirrors, and the quiet internal justification of purchases that felt necessary in the moment.

Somewhere between stores, global politics entered the chat. News broke about a U.S. military operation in Venezuela, which could potentially affect our travel plans. Countries around Venezuela were closing, cruise routes might change, and suddenly our carefully imagined itinerary felt less… fixed. That said, as long as this didn’t mean extra days stuck at sea, we were flexible. Aruba turning into Turks & Caicos? Honestly, not the worst problem to have.

Back in Miami Beach, we returned the rental car, changed clothes, and walked down to the ocean to watch the sunset. And wow. It was maximum beautiful - the kind of sunset that makes the entire city skyline glow and convinces you that stopping to stare dramatically into the distance is completely justified.

From there, the plan was simple: go to a department store that included TJ Maxx. Finding the building? Easy. Finding the entrance? A full-on escape room experience.

Eventually, we discovered that the correct route involved entering an elevator from the street, taking it to the second-floor parking garage, walking through said garage, then taking another elevator to the fifth floor. Completely logical. Once inside, success followed quickly: I scored a light blue velvet tracksuit, and Scott walked away with a bag full of caramel candies. Balance was restored.

Next stop: yet another Cuban restaurant. On the way, we paused to photograph a full moon. Dinner this time was absolutely delicious, and the waiter - while excellent - was noticeably more reserved than our previous, tip-fueled best friend.

Speaking of tipping: Miami does not mess around. A 20% tip is automatically added to the bill, after which you are invited - politely but firmly - to add more, with suggested amounts starting at 15%. On top of that, Florida taxes are significantly higher than elsewhere, with over 10% added to menu prices. So the number you see on the menu is more of a concept than a final price. A suggestion. A starting point.

We walked back to the hotel along Oceanview Street, full and tired. Since I had read that eleven cruise ships would be in port the next day, we decided not to gamble with timing. For 1:30, we ordered an Uber to be in the port by 2:30ish.