Published November 30, 2009 | I didn�t feel so enthusiastic about 2009. Like so many Americans, my 2008 had been less than stellar. The wacky nature of the economy had really gotten me down. With all the gloomy forecasts about the recession I wondered what there was to look forward to. I was suffering from a winter-recession blues. One night on the internet I began googling away just imagining what it would be like to hit the warm high seas. Belize. Mexico. The Caribbean. The possibilities in that dreamy little moment seemed endless. I typed in three keywords: last minute cruise. And it was those three key words that launched me into a brilliant 2009. I�d gotten online at ten-thirty. By midnight, I�d booked myself on a Caribbean cruise–for $500.00. Oh, and by the way, the flight was included.