All growing up, my parents shared the joy of traveling with my siblings and me. Even as I became an adult and had a family of my own, I have continued to travel with them any opportunity I could get to bring this joy to my family. Almost a year ago, we started planning a cruise to Alaska. Then, in December of 2023, my dad was diagnosed with multiple myeloma cancer. Despite treatment, his health has continued to decline. About a week before we were supposed to leave, he was hospitalized, and it was uncertain if we would go. The weekend we were preparing to leave, as he and my mother still wanted to go, he was told he was in the beginning stages of kidney failure and had 2-4 weeks to live. Among choosing to stop more treatment, he chose to spend his last moments with us, doing what he loves- traveling. So, here we are, traveling to the cruise port, on our final vacation with my dad.