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!
Friday, May 6, 2011
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!
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