Yesterday I was in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Not the prettiest terminal, but I got to go on a shore excursion with the Cruise Director, Mike and the Activity Manager, Luisa. None of us had any idea what we were doing except that we had asked to see crocodiles. We got our wish!
We boarded a little boat that took us up and down the Tarcoles River where we saw Igrets, blue birds, pink birds, iguanas and CROCODILES!! These guys were huge! Our driver pulled up and beached us on a small piece of land where an 80 year old crocodile they call "Osama Bin Laden" resides. He pulled out some raw chicken and led him around out of the water so we could see the whole of him. He was scaley and black and yellow. The dry crocs sat up on land and held their mouths open in order to cool off. The held so still they looked stuffed. I got some of the best footage of my life on this tour. I was so close to this "Osama Bin Laden" fella my knees actually started to shake. Up close you're really reminded that these guys are kin to dinosaurs. They are so amazing.
Just another day of filming...
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
San Fran
One of the perks of this job is the ever-growing list I get to acquire of "Places to Spend a Long Weekend." Along with Cannes, Barbados, Estonia and St. Thomas I can now add San Francisco. In fact, that city may be at the top.
As I rode the trolley up and down the steep streets, with an old Daytona friend by my side, I realized cruise ship time was not enough to explore this city. I got to ride trolleys, have dinner at Pier 39, and drinks at Union Square. I must come back as I did not make it to Alcatraz or Haight-Ashbury, shocking I know.
I did absolutely love it there, though.
Mexico is nice. Beaches in Cabo... very similar to the Caribbean so same old, same old. I can't tell you how happy I am to be back to same old, same old. We plopped down on a towel in Cabo and soaked up the sun. Nothing feels more natural to me than the sound of waves and sizzling in the sunshine.
Loving, loving, loving being back in the warmth. :)
As I rode the trolley up and down the steep streets, with an old Daytona friend by my side, I realized cruise ship time was not enough to explore this city. I got to ride trolleys, have dinner at Pier 39, and drinks at Union Square. I must come back as I did not make it to Alcatraz or Haight-Ashbury, shocking I know.
I did absolutely love it there, though.
Mexico is nice. Beaches in Cabo... very similar to the Caribbean so same old, same old. I can't tell you how happy I am to be back to same old, same old. We plopped down on a towel in Cabo and soaked up the sun. Nothing feels more natural to me than the sound of waves and sizzling in the sunshine.
Loving, loving, loving being back in the warmth. :)
Monday, September 26, 2011
Alaska
Alaska is an experience.
Work has been amazingly busy. Satelitte signal is quite a challenge in the mountainous regions up here. I've got a Cruise Director who never lets up, but we have so much fun when we're working together I don't really mind it. I've put together some great videos here that I'm really proud of. The higher ups here really like my writing which is always nice to hear. I get on really well with the crew here. Most are leaving soon, but it's always so nice when you have a team that just clicks. The Acitivity Manager and I are old friends, my assistant and I laugh all day, the Cruise Director is a really fun guy, the Associate Hotel Director is an old friend from the Eclipse open, and there are so many new friends here.
One thing that's kept me rather busy has been the Shore Excursions I go on with my Cruise Director, Mike. We go out to film the tours and I make mini travel documentaries. One of them was shown in the theatre. I love when we do that. It leads people to talk about the videos around the ship and I get to overhear it. It's great to hear your work complimented.
The tours we've done are incredible. The first one was insane! The Cruise Director calls me the night before and says, "Clear your schedule for tomorrow, we're going to ride a elicopter to a glacier." Oh darn, I guess I'll have to find the time...
Helicopters are incredible. I loved the ride. No steep take off or landing, just pick up and touch down. It was amazingly comfortable. On the Mendenhall Glacier we had to wear these boots over our shoes, I called them "Moon Boots." So we get to the glacier and it's absolutely freezing, but stunning. It was like stepping into another world. I expected dinosaurs to appear around the corner at any minute. There were little rivers running with sides of the most amazing crystal blue.
The best side story to this tour was there was an obnoxious, annoying little boy running around not listening to his parents or the guides. For added humor, he was a fat kid. Mike turned to me and said, "That kid is going to fall in," and I respond with, "Shhh. No he's not." Sure enough, five minutes later we hear, crack, crack, crack and the ice beneath the kid cracked and he was neck deep in glacier water. His dad ran to his side, but no one else seemed to mind. It was quite comical. I swear it was like seeing the fat kid in Willy Wonka fall into the Chocolate River. It was fantastic and I feel only slightly guilty about laughing.
The next tour was in Juneau. Mike and I took a seaplane to the Taku Lodge. It was a hunting lodge in the 1920s and is now a spot for tourists to come see the Taku glacier and river. This tour was not Mike's favorite, but it was right up my alley. It was so relaxing. We flew over mountains and glaciers to land at the lodge. The grounds were amazing. There was a nature trail with waterfalls and some of the most interesting plants I've ever seen. The best part - there were dogs!!!! There were four labradors running around and they loved me. I want a dog so desperately. So Mike and I took a walk around filming the trails and then the beel was rang for dinner. Now, I'm not a salmon fan, but it was so different there. It was such an amazing meal of salmon, home made bread and lemonade with glacier ice in it! They actually go out and chip ice off the glacier to serve to their guests!
While sat for dinner someone near the window called out, "Oh my goodness look!" It was a brown bear! A brown bear had come from the woods to start eating the sand out of the grill. Some of salmon oils had leaked into the sand and he wanted it! I know I was supposed to be frightened, but all I really wanted to do was go and hug it! They're just so cute!
The last tour we went on was in Skagway. We took the White Pass Railway Ride. It was beautiful. It's the same route the miners used to take up to their panning sites. It was a lovely ride and seeing how the scenery changed was awesome. It started very green and rugged and as we climbed higher and higher it started to have that jurassic look again. It was lovely. I spent a lot of time on the platform outside and it felt very tranquil. I took deep breaths and said a prayer of gratitude.
The second part of that tour was a 15 mile bike ride back down the mountain. That was interesting. It was freezing, rain rushed at my face, my fingers and toes went numb and the scenery was majestic. I kept looking around thinking, who knew I'd ever do this!? I spent most of the ride at the back of the line talking with Alex, one of our guides. It helped the 15 miles go by much smoother.
Now I know this is the Alaskan voyage, but I have to say my favorite port has been Victoria, British Columbia. It's a gorgeous little town where we've been able to stay out until 11. Our first time there I went out with such a fun group. There was the Shore Excursion Manager, the Spa Manager, the Cruise Sales Manager, the Port and Shopping Guide, a Shore Excursion Assistant, the Cruise Director, myself and so much laughing. There are no bad restaurants in that town.
Elisha the Cruise Sales Manager and I spent an evening touring the Butchart Gardens. It was very lovely, but I wish we had more sunlight. The gardens smelled soooo nice. The coolest part was the part of the tour we didn't expect. We were taken to the Butterfly Gardens on the way back and there... were... FLAMINGOES!! I have actually never seen flamingoes up close. So Elisha and I were doing everything we could to get their attention for a good picture. I said, "Elisha get them to look up!" She turned and looked at them and said, "Hey! Gobble Gobble!" What!?! We cracked up for a good few minutes about that. For future reference, flamingoes don't go "gobble, gobble," though, they did look up! Probably wondering, why the hell is that girl making turkey noises??
One of the things I'll never forget about Alaska or the Infinity is having my Mom sail for a week. She brought her friend, my new "Aunt" Diane. They had such a blast and I'm still touched by how much the crew went out of their way for them. It really means a lot to know that the crew will go out of their way for my family.
All in all Alaska was nice. Too cold for my liking, but I did some pretty incredible things. I suppose it's time to tick ride in a chopper and see a real bear off the old bucket list. What am I talking about? I don't even have a bucket list. Most of these things just happen. I never even knew I wanted to ride a helicopter until someone told me I was going to. It's an odd life I lead.
Off to Panama...
Work has been amazingly busy. Satelitte signal is quite a challenge in the mountainous regions up here. I've got a Cruise Director who never lets up, but we have so much fun when we're working together I don't really mind it. I've put together some great videos here that I'm really proud of. The higher ups here really like my writing which is always nice to hear. I get on really well with the crew here. Most are leaving soon, but it's always so nice when you have a team that just clicks. The Acitivity Manager and I are old friends, my assistant and I laugh all day, the Cruise Director is a really fun guy, the Associate Hotel Director is an old friend from the Eclipse open, and there are so many new friends here.
One thing that's kept me rather busy has been the Shore Excursions I go on with my Cruise Director, Mike. We go out to film the tours and I make mini travel documentaries. One of them was shown in the theatre. I love when we do that. It leads people to talk about the videos around the ship and I get to overhear it. It's great to hear your work complimented.
The tours we've done are incredible. The first one was insane! The Cruise Director calls me the night before and says, "Clear your schedule for tomorrow, we're going to ride a elicopter to a glacier." Oh darn, I guess I'll have to find the time...
Helicopters are incredible. I loved the ride. No steep take off or landing, just pick up and touch down. It was amazingly comfortable. On the Mendenhall Glacier we had to wear these boots over our shoes, I called them "Moon Boots." So we get to the glacier and it's absolutely freezing, but stunning. It was like stepping into another world. I expected dinosaurs to appear around the corner at any minute. There were little rivers running with sides of the most amazing crystal blue.
The best side story to this tour was there was an obnoxious, annoying little boy running around not listening to his parents or the guides. For added humor, he was a fat kid. Mike turned to me and said, "That kid is going to fall in," and I respond with, "Shhh. No he's not." Sure enough, five minutes later we hear, crack, crack, crack and the ice beneath the kid cracked and he was neck deep in glacier water. His dad ran to his side, but no one else seemed to mind. It was quite comical. I swear it was like seeing the fat kid in Willy Wonka fall into the Chocolate River. It was fantastic and I feel only slightly guilty about laughing.
The next tour was in Juneau. Mike and I took a seaplane to the Taku Lodge. It was a hunting lodge in the 1920s and is now a spot for tourists to come see the Taku glacier and river. This tour was not Mike's favorite, but it was right up my alley. It was so relaxing. We flew over mountains and glaciers to land at the lodge. The grounds were amazing. There was a nature trail with waterfalls and some of the most interesting plants I've ever seen. The best part - there were dogs!!!! There were four labradors running around and they loved me. I want a dog so desperately. So Mike and I took a walk around filming the trails and then the beel was rang for dinner. Now, I'm not a salmon fan, but it was so different there. It was such an amazing meal of salmon, home made bread and lemonade with glacier ice in it! They actually go out and chip ice off the glacier to serve to their guests!
While sat for dinner someone near the window called out, "Oh my goodness look!" It was a brown bear! A brown bear had come from the woods to start eating the sand out of the grill. Some of salmon oils had leaked into the sand and he wanted it! I know I was supposed to be frightened, but all I really wanted to do was go and hug it! They're just so cute!
The last tour we went on was in Skagway. We took the White Pass Railway Ride. It was beautiful. It's the same route the miners used to take up to their panning sites. It was a lovely ride and seeing how the scenery changed was awesome. It started very green and rugged and as we climbed higher and higher it started to have that jurassic look again. It was lovely. I spent a lot of time on the platform outside and it felt very tranquil. I took deep breaths and said a prayer of gratitude.
The second part of that tour was a 15 mile bike ride back down the mountain. That was interesting. It was freezing, rain rushed at my face, my fingers and toes went numb and the scenery was majestic. I kept looking around thinking, who knew I'd ever do this!? I spent most of the ride at the back of the line talking with Alex, one of our guides. It helped the 15 miles go by much smoother.
Now I know this is the Alaskan voyage, but I have to say my favorite port has been Victoria, British Columbia. It's a gorgeous little town where we've been able to stay out until 11. Our first time there I went out with such a fun group. There was the Shore Excursion Manager, the Spa Manager, the Cruise Sales Manager, the Port and Shopping Guide, a Shore Excursion Assistant, the Cruise Director, myself and so much laughing. There are no bad restaurants in that town.
Elisha the Cruise Sales Manager and I spent an evening touring the Butchart Gardens. It was very lovely, but I wish we had more sunlight. The gardens smelled soooo nice. The coolest part was the part of the tour we didn't expect. We were taken to the Butterfly Gardens on the way back and there... were... FLAMINGOES!! I have actually never seen flamingoes up close. So Elisha and I were doing everything we could to get their attention for a good picture. I said, "Elisha get them to look up!" She turned and looked at them and said, "Hey! Gobble Gobble!" What!?! We cracked up for a good few minutes about that. For future reference, flamingoes don't go "gobble, gobble," though, they did look up! Probably wondering, why the hell is that girl making turkey noises??
One of the things I'll never forget about Alaska or the Infinity is having my Mom sail for a week. She brought her friend, my new "Aunt" Diane. They had such a blast and I'm still touched by how much the crew went out of their way for them. It really means a lot to know that the crew will go out of their way for my family.
All in all Alaska was nice. Too cold for my liking, but I did some pretty incredible things. I suppose it's time to tick ride in a chopper and see a real bear off the old bucket list. What am I talking about? I don't even have a bucket list. Most of these things just happen. I never even knew I wanted to ride a helicopter until someone told me I was going to. It's an odd life I lead.
Off to Panama...
Friday, May 6, 2011
I Made it Through the Bermuda Triangle!
Today is the kind of day I remember when I was kid - warm sun, cool breeze, and blue sky. I remember walking home from the bus stop in those perfect light jacket days and just feeling happy. Now for a Florida girl it meant the beginning of a light winter. Here in Bermuda, however, it means the end of spring.
I knew once I started seeing new places I would have the urge to blog again. Bermuda is amazing. Absolutely amazing. We dock in the Royal Naval Dockyard and it’s the cutest little area. There are palm trees, brick sidewalks, pubs, souvenir stands, a gazebo, craft markets and a pharmacy. It’s like our own little town since our ship will stay docked there three days out of the week. We can go to the pharmacy and get amazing mint chocolate chip milkshakes and walk around watching the kids play after school (which we did today) It’s a place we will easily get to know and love. I already love it there. The water is a shallow, pale blue that we can see the bottom of as we’re docking. The pier reminds me of Beach Street, but the streets remind me of St. Augustine… or Portugal. It’s exciting to look around and think of all the things I want to do before we leave. I want to go to the capital, Hamilton, on the ferry. I want to rent a scooter for a day and get lost on the island. I want to be on the beach when the sun goes down. I want to take the free tour through the fort. I want to swim with the Dolphins. I want to swing on the swing set outside Snorkel Park after a night of dancing.
Diana, Lauri and I went straight for the English pub “The Frog and Onion.” Love. Love. Love. Instantly. They have pints of Magners – done.
Last night was our first overnight on the Summit. It was Diana’s first overnight ever. When you haven’t set foot on solid land at night in 6 months you’d be surprised how exciting it really is. I saw the street lamps when we were out during the day and had a jolt of excitement thinking about how I would soon see those lit up. It’s those little things that make life just a little more normal. A giant gang of us got off the ship and went to the crew favorite – Snorkel Park. It’s essentially a beach bar that turns into a night club after dark. It was fun to be at a proper bar, with a breeze (much like Mai Tai’s for my Daytona fans) and ship friends. It’s different, but a novelty.
The greatest part, though, the part that brought tears to my eyes was putting my feet in the waves at night. My favorite thing to do at home is to go to the beach at night. There’s something so natural and beautiful to me about a dark beach. Lauri and Diana and Eric danced around while I just marveled at all the stars and thought of home. I thought of my beach and the way my friends from home dance around at the beach at night. I just thanked God for the amazing things in my life.
Now we’re sailing to New Jersey and I’m counting the days until we get back to Bermuda. I’m a little sad I’ll only have a month here, but with certain special people, it will be quite a month!
I knew once I started seeing new places I would have the urge to blog again. Bermuda is amazing. Absolutely amazing. We dock in the Royal Naval Dockyard and it’s the cutest little area. There are palm trees, brick sidewalks, pubs, souvenir stands, a gazebo, craft markets and a pharmacy. It’s like our own little town since our ship will stay docked there three days out of the week. We can go to the pharmacy and get amazing mint chocolate chip milkshakes and walk around watching the kids play after school (which we did today) It’s a place we will easily get to know and love. I already love it there. The water is a shallow, pale blue that we can see the bottom of as we’re docking. The pier reminds me of Beach Street, but the streets remind me of St. Augustine… or Portugal. It’s exciting to look around and think of all the things I want to do before we leave. I want to go to the capital, Hamilton, on the ferry. I want to rent a scooter for a day and get lost on the island. I want to be on the beach when the sun goes down. I want to take the free tour through the fort. I want to swim with the Dolphins. I want to swing on the swing set outside Snorkel Park after a night of dancing.
Diana, Lauri and I went straight for the English pub “The Frog and Onion.” Love. Love. Love. Instantly. They have pints of Magners – done.
Last night was our first overnight on the Summit. It was Diana’s first overnight ever. When you haven’t set foot on solid land at night in 6 months you’d be surprised how exciting it really is. I saw the street lamps when we were out during the day and had a jolt of excitement thinking about how I would soon see those lit up. It’s those little things that make life just a little more normal. A giant gang of us got off the ship and went to the crew favorite – Snorkel Park. It’s essentially a beach bar that turns into a night club after dark. It was fun to be at a proper bar, with a breeze (much like Mai Tai’s for my Daytona fans) and ship friends. It’s different, but a novelty.
The greatest part, though, the part that brought tears to my eyes was putting my feet in the waves at night. My favorite thing to do at home is to go to the beach at night. There’s something so natural and beautiful to me about a dark beach. Lauri and Diana and Eric danced around while I just marveled at all the stars and thought of home. I thought of my beach and the way my friends from home dance around at the beach at night. I just thanked God for the amazing things in my life.
Now we’re sailing to New Jersey and I’m counting the days until we get back to Bermuda. I’m a little sad I’ll only have a month here, but with certain special people, it will be quite a month!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Virgin Gorda
**Written last night** :) :)
Look at this – two blogs in two days! Today’s excursion was so monumental I couldn’t pass up the chance to share.
Today the Celebrity Summit docked in Tortola – a British Virgin Island – and everyone onboard had heard about this amazing island right near Tortola, Virgin Gorda. So a bunch of people from entertainment and I get up at 8:30 am (yes, me. 8:30. Better believe it.) and catch a ferry to Virgin Gorda. The travel there was most of the day. We arrive and get on an open-air taxi/bus thing and finally make it to The Baths. Our adventure begins.
We squeeze through two huge boulders and begin a journey through one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. These rock formations looked like something out of Jurassic Park. I really did expect to see a pterodactyl overhead at some point. My friends and I climbed all over these things, taking photos and not believing our eyes. Massive boulders leaned against one another and let just a bit of sun peak in and say hello to the shallow water underneath. Diana climbed a rock and took a “Little Mermaid” photo and I was slightly jealous, knowing my little legs wouldn’t reach the top of that boulder. Then when we made our way through the caves the beach we arrived on was hands down, the most beautiful beach I have ever seen, and that’s saying something! It reminded me of those water parks in Orlando they were that perfect, but these weren’t man made. The water was a blue I struggle to describe. It was bright, almost like crystal. There were rocks standing out amongst the swimmers and snorkellers. Mountains in the distance kept us contained in our little paradise. It was incredible. I played “Categories” with a friend and laughed until I couldn’t breathe, each dunk underwater reminding me of playing that game as a kid. A little girl and her father swam near us watching the whole thing and she giggled each time I was thrown underwater. I started talking to her about the difference in “water wings” and “floaties.” My new little friend was named Sienna, she was turning 4 “on June” and with the stresses of ship life lately, she was the happiest conversation I’d had in days.
A little close call with all aboard time and we were back on the ship. It was a funny way to leave behind the Caribbean – literally running through the island of Tortola hearing Caribbean accents yelling, “You’ll be fine, baby. Slow down!” Now we sail off to Bermuda. I’m keeping an eye on the tracking of the ship. Sometime tomorrow we’ll be right along the same latitude as Daytona. I’ll be sailing past home. Perhaps a trip to the top deck and a squint of the eyes is in order. If those I love in Daytona happen
Look at this – two blogs in two days! Today’s excursion was so monumental I couldn’t pass up the chance to share.
Today the Celebrity Summit docked in Tortola – a British Virgin Island – and everyone onboard had heard about this amazing island right near Tortola, Virgin Gorda. So a bunch of people from entertainment and I get up at 8:30 am (yes, me. 8:30. Better believe it.) and catch a ferry to Virgin Gorda. The travel there was most of the day. We arrive and get on an open-air taxi/bus thing and finally make it to The Baths. Our adventure begins.
We squeeze through two huge boulders and begin a journey through one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. These rock formations looked like something out of Jurassic Park. I really did expect to see a pterodactyl overhead at some point. My friends and I climbed all over these things, taking photos and not believing our eyes. Massive boulders leaned against one another and let just a bit of sun peak in and say hello to the shallow water underneath. Diana climbed a rock and took a “Little Mermaid” photo and I was slightly jealous, knowing my little legs wouldn’t reach the top of that boulder. Then when we made our way through the caves the beach we arrived on was hands down, the most beautiful beach I have ever seen, and that’s saying something! It reminded me of those water parks in Orlando they were that perfect, but these weren’t man made. The water was a blue I struggle to describe. It was bright, almost like crystal. There were rocks standing out amongst the swimmers and snorkellers. Mountains in the distance kept us contained in our little paradise. It was incredible. I played “Categories” with a friend and laughed until I couldn’t breathe, each dunk underwater reminding me of playing that game as a kid. A little girl and her father swam near us watching the whole thing and she giggled each time I was thrown underwater. I started talking to her about the difference in “water wings” and “floaties.” My new little friend was named Sienna, she was turning 4 “on June” and with the stresses of ship life lately, she was the happiest conversation I’d had in days.
A little close call with all aboard time and we were back on the ship. It was a funny way to leave behind the Caribbean – literally running through the island of Tortola hearing Caribbean accents yelling, “You’ll be fine, baby. Slow down!” Now we sail off to Bermuda. I’m keeping an eye on the tracking of the ship. Sometime tomorrow we’ll be right along the same latitude as Daytona. I’ll be sailing past home. Perhaps a trip to the top deck and a squint of the eyes is in order. If those I love in Daytona happen
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Quite a Contract... So Far...
Ups and downs out here in the Caribbean and as one person very close to me has pointed out, I have neglected my blogging!
I feel so different coming to the last month of this contract. I know I have made incredible friends this time around and have even begun planning a post-ship life with a few of them. I have realized that while this job I hold is fun and rewarding in its own way, I need, have to have, crave and am completely miserable without creativity in my life.
I have begun editing again. My new assistant and I bounce ideas back and forth and generally work well together. I created a Nascar themed commercial for our race car challenge we do at the poolside (thanks Daytona). I made a commercial for our "Newlywed and not so Newlywed" Game Show in the style of the original show, and Baywatch was the inspiration for my Officer vs Guests Volleyball Tournament promo. It feels good to be creative and feel like I'm kind of turning this place around. There's a whole new archive of promos, I'm creating new movie slides and trying to amp up the production value on things. It seems to be receiving positive feedback.
We are currently sailing to St. Thomas for the last time and then we will be sailing north to begin our Bermuda runs. I am very excited for this. I love the Caribbean, but I am SO ready for something new. I need a new site to see and a new magnet for my wall.
The days run together down here. Nothing really stands out. There's the occasional cruise where something exciting happens (Tiffany being onboard, Lauri's parents on for a visit, Kyle DJs in the crew bar, Under the Sea birthday parties, etc.), but this last week was one of the best sea days ever! I woke up at 3:30 am - yes 3:30 am... ok maybe I was still up - to record the Royal Wedding so it would be rebroadcast throughout the day. So after a loooooong morning of backtiming and scheduling channels so everything would go off without a hitch, I went with Diana, Adam and Eric to high tea at our specialty restaurant, The Normandie. It was so delightful. Adam and Diana - being British - taught Eric and me - being American - all about British tea. As it turns out, I like English Breakfast Tea! We ate those and mini sandwiches and watched the waves roll by. Then we had to run because the tea party in the staff bar was beginning. We all wore tiaras and giant light up engagement rings and the Food and Beverage team even made a wedding cake for the event as we watched William and Kate say "I will." Poor Diana missed London and we all sat around waiting for the kiss. It was a nice way to spend the wedding day - and Diana and all the Brits felt so happy to have a day onboard where they could celebrate being British... seeing as onboard people are typically celebrating not being British.
My friend Lauri likes to speak through lists. So because of her I have the urge to do this. Things I'm looking forward to:
1) Bermuda overnights
2) Spending more time with special people who will be gone soon
3) New Jersey... strange I know...
4) My vacation starting June 5th
5) My trip to the UK on June 10th
6) My first 4th of July in the States in 2 years!
7) A possible road trip to Charlotte
8) Going back to Unity
9) Publix
10)A full day of no work!
Still one month to go. If it's been anything like the last 6 have been I look forward to it. It'll be a month of extreme highs and way down there lows. Let's do it!
I feel so different coming to the last month of this contract. I know I have made incredible friends this time around and have even begun planning a post-ship life with a few of them. I have realized that while this job I hold is fun and rewarding in its own way, I need, have to have, crave and am completely miserable without creativity in my life.
I have begun editing again. My new assistant and I bounce ideas back and forth and generally work well together. I created a Nascar themed commercial for our race car challenge we do at the poolside (thanks Daytona). I made a commercial for our "Newlywed and not so Newlywed" Game Show in the style of the original show, and Baywatch was the inspiration for my Officer vs Guests Volleyball Tournament promo. It feels good to be creative and feel like I'm kind of turning this place around. There's a whole new archive of promos, I'm creating new movie slides and trying to amp up the production value on things. It seems to be receiving positive feedback.
We are currently sailing to St. Thomas for the last time and then we will be sailing north to begin our Bermuda runs. I am very excited for this. I love the Caribbean, but I am SO ready for something new. I need a new site to see and a new magnet for my wall.
The days run together down here. Nothing really stands out. There's the occasional cruise where something exciting happens (Tiffany being onboard, Lauri's parents on for a visit, Kyle DJs in the crew bar, Under the Sea birthday parties, etc.), but this last week was one of the best sea days ever! I woke up at 3:30 am - yes 3:30 am... ok maybe I was still up - to record the Royal Wedding so it would be rebroadcast throughout the day. So after a loooooong morning of backtiming and scheduling channels so everything would go off without a hitch, I went with Diana, Adam and Eric to high tea at our specialty restaurant, The Normandie. It was so delightful. Adam and Diana - being British - taught Eric and me - being American - all about British tea. As it turns out, I like English Breakfast Tea! We ate those and mini sandwiches and watched the waves roll by. Then we had to run because the tea party in the staff bar was beginning. We all wore tiaras and giant light up engagement rings and the Food and Beverage team even made a wedding cake for the event as we watched William and Kate say "I will." Poor Diana missed London and we all sat around waiting for the kiss. It was a nice way to spend the wedding day - and Diana and all the Brits felt so happy to have a day onboard where they could celebrate being British... seeing as onboard people are typically celebrating not being British.
My friend Lauri likes to speak through lists. So because of her I have the urge to do this. Things I'm looking forward to:
1) Bermuda overnights
2) Spending more time with special people who will be gone soon
3) New Jersey... strange I know...
4) My vacation starting June 5th
5) My trip to the UK on June 10th
6) My first 4th of July in the States in 2 years!
7) A possible road trip to Charlotte
8) Going back to Unity
9) Publix
10)A full day of no work!
Still one month to go. If it's been anything like the last 6 have been I look forward to it. It'll be a month of extreme highs and way down there lows. Let's do it!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Watch My Mouth
This will be short, but this event must be blogged about.
So things out here have been less than stellar. All details aside let's just say I've been a little frustrated with life at sea. I decided to share these frustrations at dinner and continue them in the elevator ride with my dear friend Lauri. What does this ship do to show her dislike for my comments?
The elevator shakes a few times, knocking my friend and I around and then just stops. Lauri and I begin making the necessary calls - well Lauri does - I proceed to hold on to the rail with visions of Disney's Tower of Terror running through my mind. I began theorizing whether or not sitting or standing in the dirty crew elevator would effect the injuries I'd receive once we plummeted to our deaths. I tried pressing every button, which made Lauri nervous. After a long talk discussing what we would ever do if we ever got out, we were just about to turn one another for food when the doors were pulled open by our savior! A vision in white!
Ok, so it had only been ten minutes and the hero was actually an electrician in white coveralls who seemed rather disgruntled that we had bothered his evening.
That's not how it'll be written in my sitcom one day, though.
I wonder if Tina was ever trapped in an elevator?
So things out here have been less than stellar. All details aside let's just say I've been a little frustrated with life at sea. I decided to share these frustrations at dinner and continue them in the elevator ride with my dear friend Lauri. What does this ship do to show her dislike for my comments?
The elevator shakes a few times, knocking my friend and I around and then just stops. Lauri and I begin making the necessary calls - well Lauri does - I proceed to hold on to the rail with visions of Disney's Tower of Terror running through my mind. I began theorizing whether or not sitting or standing in the dirty crew elevator would effect the injuries I'd receive once we plummeted to our deaths. I tried pressing every button, which made Lauri nervous. After a long talk discussing what we would ever do if we ever got out, we were just about to turn one another for food when the doors were pulled open by our savior! A vision in white!
Ok, so it had only been ten minutes and the hero was actually an electrician in white coveralls who seemed rather disgruntled that we had bothered his evening.
That's not how it'll be written in my sitcom one day, though.
I wonder if Tina was ever trapped in an elevator?
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