Stuffing my laptop into my bag, which is already packed from last night’s shore excursion, I head for the lounge. I check my phone for new messages on the way.

I have a voice mail from my parents (“Henley, it’s Mom. Are you and Walsh alive? Call me.”), a Snapchat from Christina at her latest rec league soccer game (“Guess who scored the game-winning goal, bitches?”), and two texts from Tory, one of which is a grainy ultrasound photo.

Gender is a social construct, but biologically, it’s a girl!

“Awwww!” I squeal.

Congrats!!!

How’s Michelle feeling? Any names picked out yet? Miss you!

I fire off a quick text to my mom assuring her that, yes, we are alive, and will do our best to FaceTime with her and Dad later, then respond to Christina’s Snap with a flame, heart, and high-five emoji. A last call for the long hike rings through the ship’s speakers, but I ignore it. Once I reach the lounge, it’s empty except for an elderly couple sipping tea and reading matching Kindles. I pick a cushy corner couch to set up shop for the morning.

Opening my laptop, I log on to my work email. I skim over several unread messages, including one from Barbara sharing an updated department calendar, to click open an email from Christina. She wants me to proofread some copy she drafted for an upcoming cruise guide. I fire back a reply letting her know I’ll take a look ASAP.

The next email that catches my eye makes me sit up straighter. It’s from Ahmed in accounting, one of Tory’s direct reports—a response to an email I sent him yesterday asking for a breakdown of results from the paid digital advertising we did for our Hawaiian Islands cruises earlier this year. I scan the spreadsheet and nod slowly. The new advertisements worked. We saw decent click rates and an uptick in Hawaii bookings following the campaign.

“This could work.” Our Hawaii cruises appeal to a similar demographic as the Galápagos—they’re both warm weather destinations that include snorkeling, kayaking, and hiking, and they have somewhat comparable price points. If our new advertising approach worked for Hawaii, it would stand to reason that similar advertisements for the Galápagos would boost sales in the region as well.

I click over to my Galápagos digital marketing proposal document and begin typing. It might not be the most novel or fanciest idea, but it’s solid and can be backed with actual numbers. Doubt threads through my gut, but I shoo it away. All I need is to make this idea pop…