That’s me in the heels, blonde flip hair -do and 1961 very dark sunglasses next to my Grandmother, her traveling partner(in pearls) and her granddaughter (Candy…also in cool sunglasses)
The SS Independence June, 1961- Bon Voyage!!
Television series have been built around this romantic scenario (“The Love Boat”) Falling in love on board ship I think might be wandering around in the back of most minds as they set sail for a week cruise across the ocean. In my case I was the lucky recipient, from my grandmother of a three-month long trip by land and sea for my 8th grade graduation. In this picture we are leaving New York, heading for Algeciras Spain, to meet our driver and car and begin a trek through, Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy, England and Scotland and then home on the Queen Mary that left from South Hampton in England.
The first night out to sea they made a “Get-to-know-you dance” for all the young people on board..I think from 13-18 years old. Both Candy (the other granddaughter) and I were 14 and we nervously went to the dance to be social. I admit now, I did not want to go…..but if I hadn’t gone, I would not have met my “shipboard romance
“This is the exact moment we met!! The woman behind Michael F.’s shoulder was the social director and had just brought us together and introduced us….and the rest is HISTORY!!
Michael F. looked so handsome in his white tuxedo and bow tie and I had a modest but pretty party dress on with my Grandmother’s pearls..because PEARLS Were IN:)
We talked for a bit and he invited me to sit at a table with him. In our brief chat I learned he was from a big Italian family in Riverdale New York and was there with 4 older brothers all in white tux and his mother and father.. It was love at first site..I was swept off my feet. ❤️
We watched a show, drank coke after coke and then we danced and danced and danced. By the time my grandmother had reeled me in to go back to our cabin and sleep, we had exchanged cabin numbers he called me and under the covers. whispering about everything under the sun, we talked until 2am when his older brothers got back. 
By the second day, we spent all our free time together and I would say, had both officially fallen in love:) My travel companion, Candy did not have the same luck and so it was awkward at times to share the cabin with her. I felt bad and he tried to set her up with another 14 year old he met.,..but alas… it wasn’t meant to be.
By the time we had to say goodbye, we were committed to see each other somehow, someway again. We both cried when his family got off at Sicily and promised to write letters to each other the whole time(which we did) We exchanged itineraries and there was always a letter waiting for me when we arrived at our next destination. The days of snai-lmail were sooo romantic. No phones, no texting just driving and then pouncing on the concierge in the next hotel and asking, “Is there any mail for me?”:
But this story doesn’t end here.
I always visited my Aunt and Uncle and two cousins once a year in New York. My mother talked to his family and they invited me to spend Thanksgiving weekend with them all at their home in Riverdale.
Here we are, on dry land, both 15, Thanksgiving 1962 in New York. This romance did not die on board ship and actually it lasted 3 more years until….I ran away from home in 1965 and we lost touch.
I think at one time we might have contemplated marrying when he finished school but we didn’t get that far. Still I treasure the memories, the amazing trip my Grandma Verona had given to me, and the opportunity to dream and “fall in love” all so innocently for so many years.
Look at us..all grown up 17 years old, Thanksgiving 1964. This was the last time we ever saw each other and it was a wonderful trip, but by then I think we both knew it would in some way come to its end.
I lost touch with him and although I think we talked once when I was living in Hollywood, we went our separate paths/ I would love to be in touch again, just to thank him for this fairy-tale
Shipboard Romance. So See?? it does happen..It could happen to you..at any age:)
Digital Rabbit Hole 
What a wonderful story and what a wonderful grandmother to provide the trip!
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Thank you so much Linda..really my Grandmother was a very important person in my life.. After my dad died..she helped us keep us afloat. The trip was amazing..we cruised around in a 1959 stretch Limo with a Swiss driver, Mr. Lattman.. How we drove him crazy..:):)
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look at you rockin those heals Karima so cute and sassy and he was quiet a looker himself. I love the story and it could just happen to any one of us anytime, you’re right. What a cute couple you made with so much nostalgia and happy times!!! I love it!
💔🥰🥰🥰💔
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Woo wooo rockin robin in my 3 inch heels hehe:) Yes..it’s just one of those real life slices we all might have been served or something equally mind blowing. We were a cute couple…and the parents, I think just let us grow out of it with no pressure. Long distance highschool romances were hard to keep going. Would love to come across him again, to sat Thank you..but so far, no luck. Thanks for this great comment.
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Karima, I love this beautiful & romantic story of yours…Hollywood stars you both look with beautiful dresses, suits, shades & pearls…thank you very much for sharing another precious piece of your life with us…sending you a balloon filled with love & several hugs ✨❤️💫🤗
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Navin, thank you my friend for loving my real life intermission. Since I have “come out” as a person of a “certain age” I can now share some great stories along the way. This trip was a dream trip of a lifetime, and luckily I was old enough, to remember a lot. Aww thank you for your sweet words. I was a tomboy at heart, but I did know how to dress up, when the occasion called for it. My pleasure Navin and thank you for your warm and beautiful reaction too:)
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You dressed up very well…the beauty at that time & now…is simply wow…that wow isn’t just for the outer appearance…as I know you much better today through our friendship, I can see how beautiful you truly are…keep sharing such previous moments from your treasure heart ❤️
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Thank you again Naveen and yes, we have formed a nice friendship over the months/years:) Thank you for seeing me in this light and for enjoying my shares about my real life. It means so much to me my dear friend 🤗
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🤗❤️
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Ha, amazing! You’ve had so many experiences; so many you’ve already told here, and now it turns out there are so many waiting in the wings from Real Life… 🙂 Thanks for sharing this, as ever!
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Thanks Dale, I have shared some stories in outline but it is fun to tell a few details. I am so glad, I still have so many photos from between 1900 and now.. It does make it easier to tell the story:) My pleasure to share and so glad to see your enjoyment of this post.:)
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Wonderful!
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Thank you for reading it Jay…I really appreciate your commenting too.
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thanks for this great dream-come-true story of shipboard (& more) romance! i love the photos! bless you for saving so very many of your lifetime’s worth of pictures🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼 ah, soulkin, you are blessed with so many stories to tell🤗😘😊🙏🏼❤️💕🌹🌺🌻
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Ahhh thank you dearest soulkin, I’m glad you sailed along on my innocent but very romantic cruise. Alhamdulillah, the pictures that still exist are true treasures. When I drove down to Costa Rica, I had packed up 2 gigantic boxes of what I called “The Family Bones” Many of these pictures succumbed to the tropics. but some hardy ones are what I have shared in my recent real life posts. I feel totally blessed to have them, and the adventures that inspired them too. ❤️🌹🦋🎈🌈
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Oh my❤️❤️❤️ my hopeless (and hopeful) romantic heart just melted reading your story. I initially thought, you ended up together …and then i sighed…😔 you did not…but on the brighter side, it was a beautiful love story worth sharing, and I am swooned.
P.S.
Omg Karima you rock with your pearls and hair and heels….gorgeous.
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Awww so sweet of you to say I rocked my pearls and heels and hair. That was the style of the early 60’s before the hippies started taking over fashion in 1965. My grandmother was a seasoned traveler and a bit fussy on how I must look. I was so happy to get out of those “nice clothes” and get back into my comfy jeans and tshirts when I got home. By the way, my grandmother had the best sense of humor…we laughed all the way through Europe. I am just sorry I lost contact with Michael..but even though it was not forever…it was an amazing experience. Thank you Mich, for this wonderful comment. 🌹
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I am an old soul Karima, that’s why your photos really warmed my old soul heart. 🤭❤️ and of course the romantic in me just kept sighing as i read along …🤗🤗
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Well I’m so glad your old soul can relate to those times..plus I already see in your poetry and comments..you are a true romantic..just like I am. I love that ❤️
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Such a pretty girl 😊
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Why thank you Beef…so glad you enjoyed this glimpse into my real life:)
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How fortunate to be able to travel widely at that age and have a romance thrown in as a bonus.
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Oh my yes..I consider myself, fortunate, lucky and just blessed to have had this whole whirl-wind of an experience at 14 years old!! Thanks David, for commenting.
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Haber vivido la juventud en los años 60, es como si la inocencia guiaron nuestas vivencias. El despertar al amor era entrar a un mundo de fantasía y color. Tu historia nos hace llenarnos de una nostalgia increible por esos momentos donde el corazón descubrió la belleza del primer amor. Tu excelente narración no hace sino despertar los recuerdos. Saludos Karima.
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Muchíssimas gracias mi amigo Manuel, por este bello comentario sobre una época muy única y especial…los años de las sesentas. Si la innocencia es algo que no se puede recobrar, pero qué bello es un primer amor…aunque no dura, aunque nunca sabemos todo del amor, saboreamos los bellos besos y primeros deseos. Yo tuve la gran dicha de experimentar estos momentos, por primera vez en un barca lujosa, rumbo a Europa..De verdad, mi abuela me hizo un sueño, una fantasía de una chica de 14 años en una realidad!! Saludos y gracias de nuevo por tu comentario tan relevante:)
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Tienes una forma especial y honesta de relatar tu experiencia. Un talento innato para la escritura y eso llega al lector. Que bien que seas agradecida con tu abuela. Eso dice mucho de tu persona.
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Aiy Manuel muchas gracias por estas palabras tan bellas sobre mi ser. Me siento, muy honrada y muy agradecida por tu forma de pensar en mi.. Gracias
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Para mí es todo un placer leerte. Cómo si te hubiese conocido de toda la vida.
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Thank you for share this heart-warming story of young love, Karima. What a special memory it must be, and to have all the photos… fantastic!
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Oh thank you Steve and yes I am really so lucky to have salvaged so many photos from my youth. They are treasures. I don’t usually share things from my real life, but this one…had something very special. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
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You’re so beautiful, Karima! Love these old-fashioned love stories. Everybody’s in such a rush nowadays.
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Thank you Dawn for this comment….blushes a bit. I think almost everyone is beautiful at 14..it’s that air of innocence they project. I so agree, snail mail had some wonderful advantages…learning to wait and be impatient or impatient hehe, but rewarded at the end with a cherished letter. Now..everything is too instant.. There is no anticipation…They don’t know what they’re missing:)
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Absolutely!
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A good story, I love it 🫶🏽
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You made my day James!! So glad you enjoyed it (and you read it all in English too) It’s not every day I get a comment from my handsome and intelligent grandson:) Thank you!🤗
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What a sweet story, Karima, that runs its natural course! I so enjoy the tale alongside these old photographs. ❤
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Thanks so much Layla and as you say..it ran its natural course. There were no tears and trauma, we just slowly faded away into our own lives. I’m so glad you enjoyed the pictures too:)
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Such a wonderful story! Your pictures really make it come alive. Such sweet innocence and a sorrowful parting! A story for the ages!
Dwight
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Thank you so much . The times were more innocent and great love, through only correspondence and rare visits was actually possible. I consider myself very lucky to be fated this shipboard romance and my first steps in romance and young love. I am so glad you enjoyed it Dwight.
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You are welcome!
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Dear Karima, you had a wonderful life. The photos were amazing.
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Thank you John..I am so grateful for my life and to still have these pictures is such a miracle bonus…Really:)
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I agree dear Karima. I am the photos keeper for my family. The photos are priceless now. You are welcome dear friend.
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You’re both very good looking and such exciting memories about a young romance. Photos bring back so many memories!
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A story, beautifully told, with a few jolting lines … ‘when I ran away from home..’
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Thank you so much for reading and leaving me your comment. If you are interested, here is the “whole story” in a nutshell:) https://karimahoisan.com/2023/03/09/making-it-real-or-surprise/
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Karim, so much of your story resonates deeply. There aren’t many people whose tapestry of life is as rich and varied as yours, but our own stories are intertwined with those of others. As I think back over my life, particularly in the sixties, seventies and eighties, I cannot exclude the lives of my parents, siblings, children and even friends. Collectively, they reflect many aspects of your story that I can closely relate to. And even where there are differences, I have this sense that we are like trees in a forest, interconnected through a complex ecosystem.
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Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me this beautiful, sensitive comment after seeing my post. How wonderful you could relate and yes I love how you see your own family, friends, and your own experiences in my story. How wonderful is that!! The times were different then.. and so our lives and memory is now what I have and it’s fun to share those iconic adventures. Thank you again for such a generous response 🙏
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What a delightful, storybook story! Right out of a novella, or old movie. Gidget goes to Europe. You should be getting royalties for this. Your pictures, and the retelling are perfect! A priceless memory that now, will not disappear.
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Thank you so much Ruco for reading and commenting on this romance:) Let’s talk soon!!
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Such a beautiful romance encounter. 💕
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Thank you Cassa, was a once in a lifetime moment…:) I too am a romantic at heart:)
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First things first. You look so beautiful here, Karima, so adorable. Look at that innocent smile, those bright eyes. You took me to an amazing journey. I filled in the details you see. The waves splashing the ship hull as you guys lean on the railings talking, the breeze, the fragrance, and above all the electric taste of new love crackling in the air. Oh, that age! And thanks for sharing this. I feel like I’ve met you for the first time. On a ship. Wow!
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Oh I love and admire all the little details you could imagine Sundaram, because reading your words made me relive my memories that were also si much like you imagined. I think all 14 year olds are adorable and beautiful. They still have that precious innocence and naïveté inside which comes out in their shy smiles. Yes truly this is a side of me you are just meeting. Big smiles… so glad that my sharing a small but very significant life vignette was embraced by you and communicated to me through your beautiful words. Thank you my friend 🙏
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