Michigan woman gets creative when vacation canceled after 7 years of planning

HAMILTON, Mich. – Many people have been forced to cancel vacations they’ve been looking forward to due to coronavirus.

READ: Michigan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases up to 15,718; Death toll now at 617

One West Michigan woman said her tropical vacation with friends that was canceled was seven years in the making.

Instead of getting upset, she got creative.

Tiffany Dekker lives about 30 minutes outside of Grand Rapids in Hamilton. She, and three of her friends, were supposed to leave Monday for a five day cruise to the Bahamas.

“I would say maybe I was in denial that it was canceled," Dekker said.

Instead of wasting the vacation time she had planned, she decided she was going to make the most out of a tough situation.

“I had a week and a half off," Dekker said. "I was like, no, I’m still going to take my time off and I thought I might as well pretend I’m on a cruise.”

Instead of the Bahamas, she brought the cruise to Michigan and tried to liven the spirits of the three others who were expecting to go with her.

“I privately sent them videos I was taking and I was like, you know what? I’m going to share this with everybody,” Dekker said.

That’s when she took her virtual cruise from home to Facebook.

Dekker created everything from towel pets -- like you’d see on a cruise ship -- to a buffet with great desserts. She even enjoyed the water, but had to get creative with the tropical drinks made from home.

“I don’t have a coconut but I have apples at home," Dekker said. "So, I made a drink out of an apple.”

While she made have missed out on a vacation that has been in the works for years, Dekker said it’s all about spreading positivity in a time when we all need it.

“You have to lift yourself up, you have to bring something positive out of a bad situation," Dekker said. “I always like to look at the glass half full.”

Even though it took seven years to plan the cruise, Dekker said she’s still hoping to be able to reschedule it once the pandemic is over.


About the Authors:

Dane is a producer and media enthusiast. He previously worked freelance video production and writing jobs in Michigan, Georgia and Massachusetts. Dane graduated from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.