One of the unexpected things Wayne and I got to do on our Alaskan cruise was play a game that gave us a taste of how we’d do on the Amazing Race. We fared about as I expected, but we also did a little bit better than I expected.
Boat Activities
Our first full day on the ship was a day at sea. (For those of you who haven’t taken a cruise before, that means it’s just you and the boat out on the open water. You don’t stop at any ports.)
The first cruise we took (a short one to the Caribbean), I freaked out at the prospect of being “stuck” onboard all day. But the day at sea became my favorite day because of all the activities, in particular games.
Knowing what to expect this go around, at breakfast Wayne and I eagerly scanned our Carnival Caper to see what kinds of activities were planned. One I was very excited about was the Digital Scavenger Hunt.
The Game: Digital Scavenger Hunt
I didn’t know how it would be played. I’d never done something like it before, but I’ve known people who have through their churches and such. Wayne and I showed up, along with about eight other teams, and got directions.
We were given a sheet of paper and told to take pictures of all the things listed. Or as many as we could get pictures of in a half an hour. That was the time limit.
With our competitive juices flowing, we dashed off when the half an hour started ticking.
His Way vs. My Way
In another article, I wrote about some of the lessons I’ve learned about marriage, relationships, and communication while watching the Amazing Race. Watching the show paid off.
See, I’ve discerned there are different “racing types.” Type A personalities move, move, move with the sole objective of getting the job done. This is great. They’re fast and usually forces to be reckoned with. But they can also overlook important clues or directions. Wayne fits this category.
I’m Type B. Which can be good, too. Because I’m not as rushed I tend not to overlook things. But because I don’t move fast for fast’s sake, I put our team at risk of being overtaken by a speedier one.
Complimenting Each Other Comes In Handy
Type As tend to overwhelm Type Bs. If you’ve ever watched the Amazing Race you know what I’m talking about. When this happens frustrations and confrontations flare.
But did I mention I’m a very good student of the show? Not to mention my relationship. I know how our differences compliment each other. I had a strategy in mind for playing off our strenths and weaknesses.
For instance, I knew I wasn’t going to run as fast as Wayne. I’d let him run ahead of me, find the object, yell at me to shoot it, then I’d sprint after him as he dashed off to find the next clue.
I also knew he wouldn’t pay close attention to the items on the sheet. When I could, I’d sneak a peak at it. (Thankfully I did because I caught two things he would’ve missed that gave us extra points.)
Our Results
We both missed seeing the bonus points section at the bottom of the scavenger hunt sheet. Six of the teams racked up 40 something points a piece because they hadn’t. We didn’t think we stood a chance of winning.
But…turns out we did. Those other teams had taken too long trying to rack up the bonus points. They hadn’t paid attention to the clock, something my Type A husband did brilliantly. (He had us back right before time expired.)
The late teams were knocked out. We came in second, just one point behind the team who won first.
Watch out Amazing Race, Team Wayne and Courtney just might have to audition for your show after all.
Me with the medal I won in the Digital Scavenger Hunt