New Years Resolution - keep on keepin' on

Work - St. Lucia style

MARVELOUS!! The only word I know that can accurately describe the last month of my life.  I've never witnessed more beauty - beautiful waters, people, cultures, and places in my life!   We set out to sea about a month ago and have managed to visit Atlantis (Bahamas), St. Thomas (Virgin Islands), St. Lucia, Guadeloupe, St. Maarten, Antigua & Barbuda, St. Barths, St. Kitts & Nevis (Caribbean), and we're only half way through January!   So I know it's been awhile since my last post, but believe me when I say this - we do NOT have down time.  We work 18 hour days, squeeze 6-8 hours of sleep in and eat on-the-go.  And although I'd love go into all the grueling details, I'll spare you and jump right to the fun part  (drop of day) and all the amazingness that followed!!! 

                                        Neighbors

We pull into our slip in St. Lucia, and after saying "hey" to our new neighbors and escorting our guests off board, we throw on our swimsuits, stow up the boat, and jump in the hot tube, cocktail in hand.   I swear to God, that particular moment in time - when the guests get off board and you can walk on your heels instead of tip-toe, when you can talk instead of whisper, and when you can drink, laugh (as loud as I laugh),  and blare your music - is 100% the best moment EVER!  

Needless to say, we spent several hours "unwinding" and after a little family bonding (opening our secret Santa gifts, taking pics, drinking & eating way too much), we spent the next 2 days zip lining through the rainforest, cruising the island via tender (thanks boat driver Bobby) jumping off every chance we got, eating, drinking, and soaking up everything St. Lucia had to offer!!

We bought the freshest bananas in the WORLD from a St. Lucian man on a surfboard, swam in water I never knew existed (clear, aqua blue amazingness), and although 90% of the of the crew could’ve stayed in St. Lucia for months, our Captain and first mate decided to wrap up the party and start the journey back to FTL :( 

Bye Bye Paradise

We stopped in the Virgin Islands a few days ago, and spent a day in St. Thomas clearing customs, shopping, and fraternizing with the locals (& some Cakewalk crew - love those guys!!) and got underway at 6am the next morning :(  

We've been at sea for 3 days now, and although it was sad to leave the Caribbean, it's been a comfortable crossing so far...and the closer I get to "home" the more excited I get.  Dougie and Linda are heading to the condo and will be in FL for the majority of Feb and Becca's back in FTL so I'll have some familiar faces to smooch (thank God)!  And although I never though I'd say this, the one thing I'm NOT looking forward to is turning on my cell phone (although talking without the 10 second delay will be quite a treat)...love you Erin, Mom, Becca, Lissy, and Jenna ;-)

So here I am...crossing the Atlantic in January of 2011, and for the first time in 26 years I find myself making a New Years resolution that doesn't involve change.  I'm nearly 3 months into this adventure and as time goes by I'm realizing that everything I said I'd do but didn't, I'm doing!  I'm traveling, meeting new people, taking HUGE steps outside my comfort zone, thinking before I speak, loving and appreciating my friends and family (just like they deserve), and as Dec 31st crept up and the New Years Resolutions started flowing, I was able to take a step back and look at my life...finally, FINALLY, I'm living my life the way it's meant to be lived.  Sure I could stand to lose a few lbs, and I should probably start making my bed on a regular basis, but when it comes to whats important - fulfilled promises to myself - I'm finally on track and I wouldn't change a thing. 


Well that's it for now...love you all & I'll be back in FTL by this time tomorrow :)


xoxoxo,
mE

Kokomo

The chart we'd been waiting 96 hours to pull out

LAND!!!!!!!

We made it!!!!!!  After 98 hours at sea, gail winds in excess of 44 mph, an unexpected Bahamas pit stop, minimal sleep, and 8 Dramamine tablets (that's my 'new' word...no one uses the word "pill" unless their referencing drugs, and not the legal kind) we made it to St. Maarten and Oh My God was this island a sight for sore eyes!  I’d been on watch since 2:45am but once the sun came up and I spotted land (mind you it takes about 2 hours to go 20 nautical miles and my 1^st land spotting was at 31km out) I couldn’t sit still and I DEFINITELY couldn’t sleep sooo I’ve been up for 23 hours so don’t mind me if this blog is a little “cracked out”.   So once we got within a mile radius I started recognizing my friends boats - Northern Star is here, Lady Sheridan (who was next to me at my 1st job Dayworking and was docked across from us in Atlantis), Mi Elise, among others and I got really excited!  Not only to see some familiar faces but to walk on LAND!  I just read an article about this 15-year-old South African who pulled into St. Maarten yesterday after 3 weeks at sea and my jaw about fell off my face – 21 days at sea, riding SOLO, kudos to her but she's gotta be out of her mind!  Anyway, after squeezing through the tightest bridge ever we pulled into Isle De Sol…a marina with over 50 sailboats and motor yachts (all our size or bigger).

St. Maarten- a picture can't do this island justice, pure beauty!

After we threw out the lines and docked up, the 1st thing I see is the crew bar and 10-20 yachties dressed in theme (wasn't ugly sweater, but a close 2nd) and I instantly felt at home :)   It's hard to describe this "community" but after witnessing it I can definitely understand the appeal of life at sea.  It's a carefree world with very little judgment...everyone is loves their "job" and is happy, healthy & down to have a good time.   Probably doesn't hurt that there's 100's of billions of dollars floating within a dock radius ;-)

Isle De sol

So my Captain's got us a crew car, and Nina, Zahraa and I have decided to dedicate tomorrow afternoon to touring the island and I'm definitely looking forward to that!   The owners and their guests come on board Wednesday so we won't have long to explore, but we're heading to St. Barts, Guadeloupe, Turks & Caicos, Barbuda, Antigua, and ending in St. Lucia where we'll be dropping them off (apparently St. Lucia is amazing so I'm excited to have time to play there).  As for the charter we we're hoping to get...caught wind today that Mi Elise picked up a charter for Jan 6-16 for 10 guests and I'm pretty sure that's the trip we were hoping to get (an extra 4K in each of our pockets) but se la vi, looks like we'll have more time to relax before heading back to FL :)

Well that's all I've got for now...23 hours up and I'm about ready to crash. 

xoxo,

mE 

On the 'road' again

Unexpected Bahamas run-in with Becs!

Ahhhh I feel like a kid on Christmas - I'm so, SO excited I can't even sleep!  We took off for the Caribbean on Monday but ran into some more than dangerous weather (gail winds in excess of 40MPH) so we had to get the hell outa the Atlantic.  We randomly ended up back at Atlantis (in the Bahamas) where one of my best friends and roommates boyfriend were ported (Becca was 3 boats from mine and Johnny was right next to us)!! Starting to feel the "yachting community" vibe and I'm definitely digging it ;-)  And although I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas gift (seeing a familiar face was exactly what I needed) two days in the Bahamas was enough and I am SO excited to be back at sea.  As it stands, we should be pulling into St. Maarten on Friday, but I'm starting to feel the winds pick up (the boats a rockin') so who knows!  I'm crossing my fingers we get there by Friday because my chief stew has three friends on the island already and they're throwing a "Caribbean kick-off" Friday night...I've never been to St. Maarten but Haley says it's one of the best party spots in the Caribbean (and she parties so this should be nothing short of amazing!)   Despite the winds picking up, it's been a beautiful ride so far and after seeing another breathtaking sunset I have no doubt it'll be a smooth (safe) ride!

Sailboat hangout just South of the Exumas
  

So switching gears for a minute.  Here I am, a month into my adventure at sea (yes, it's been 1 month today), sitting in the crew mess, anxiously awaiting my 3-6am watch shift, and feeling a total sense of peace and contentment. As I sit here, watching Pulp Fiction on a boat with 10 complete strangers (who are slowing but surely becoming family) in the middle of the ocean heading to what can only be described as Paradise to all who

On watch with a friend for life; Zahraa

have traveled there...all the drama-filled Minneapolis bullshit seems so insignificant.   Ex-boyfriends, old fizzled out friendships, the Loop, Big Island, Zorbaz/Moonlight, certain Downtown Minneapolis people who shall go unnamed, and all the stupid mistakes I've made that at one point seemed earth-shattering...they all just seem so silly.  I'm amazed at how easy it was for me to get wrapped up in the small stuff and I'm just so thankful I was able to cease this opportunity to get out of it.  I keep thinking back to my decision "to go or not to go" and after more than 2 months away from MN I wonder what it was that held me back for so long.  I mean everyone knows how much I adored my co-workers, how much I LOVED my job, and how cozy/comfy I'd made my little condo...but you also know the severe anxiety I had on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis and how painstakingly miserable and bored I was, living the same routine scene weekend after weekend.  But the question remains...Where am I meant to be?  And when the hell am I going to figure it out?  I used to think financial stability and a successful career was what it's all about...make a lot of money, save 1/2 of it, invest wisely, buy property, etc but as I type it all out (literally) I can't help but laugh.  The part of me who's living this adventure (going from port to port not knowing who I'll meet or what I'll see) know's that life is meant to be LIVED, not strategically planned out.  But the side of me who's "responsible" (whatever that means) and cautious and scared feels like that 'plan' is the only thing I have that keeps me safe.  Why can't I just get a 30 second glimpse into the future to tell me what I should do and where I should do it?!  At the heart of it all I know, I KNOW, my family and friends make me happy.  When I take away logic and money and jobs and geographic location I know they're my energy and if all else fails they'll keep me afloat. But I also know that the Minneapolis scene just isn't something I'm into anymore...I deserve something more - in a warmer climate where I can wear flip-flops 365 days a year and in a city where I can go out and meet NEW people!  Maybe I'll pack Linda, Doug, and the girls (and their dudes) up in a small truck and ship them to St. Maarten where we can build our own village, live on yachts for 3 months a year, make shit loads of cash, and jam out to Kokomo.  Ugh, if it were only that easy.  Well enough word vomit for this evening...looks like this "blog" is turning into more of a diary (eek) but thanks for listening.

Sending all my love from the middle of the ocean!!

xoxoxo,
mE

Friends are the most valuable treasure

Isn't it weird that no matter where you go or how long you go without talking, your friends will always be your friends?  Back in college I was on this Muhammad Ali kick (don't ask), and I remember a quote by him saying "friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain.  It's not something you learn in school.  But if you haven't learned the meaning then you really haven't learned anything."   High five to you Muhammad, wherever you are...wise words indeed!   As I was writing out my Christmas cards last night (had to get them out before we left the country this morning) I got a little choked up.  If you're reading this blog you obviously know me well enough to know what I'm talking about - you know those tears I get when I'm smiling and happy (with the little hiccup, like when I watch a Hallmark commercial).  I'll be the first to admit I'm an extremely emotional/sentimental person and totally sappy when it comes to cards/letters, but honestly I couldn't help feeling this overwhelming love and appreciation for friendship (and everything it entails).  It's crazy how things change and perspectives continuously evolve...I remember back in high school, the more friends you had the better.  College was the same way...the bigger your posse, the better.  And now, as I sit down to write out my 6 Christmas cards I feel SO lucky and fortunate for these 6 girls and the memories we've shared.  And I know that no matter how far away I go or what continent I end up on, those girls are my family and I'll have them to lean on until the bitter end.  I'm going through a lot of different emotions with regards to "missing out" on things back home, but when I think about the word friendship, and what it's come to mean over the past 8 years I know without a shadow of a doubt that I'll be able to pick back up right where I left off.  To me, that's the most comforting feeling in the world (a comfort I really need right now) and I just had to share...

xoxoxo,
mE


P.S  We took off for the Caribbean today (won't be back to the States for a few months) and this is what we're sailing into..pure, rough, beautimous waves.

Feeling pretty lucky....

The chill spot

Lounging on the aft Sundeck, cruising the South Atlantic, preparing to finish off the rest of our Cristal, and trying to wrap my brain around the fact that this is actually mY life (and I'm getting paid for it!!).  If you would've asked me 4 months ago what I'd be doing around Thanksgiving never, in my wildest dreams, would I have thought "sailing around the Bahamas on the deck of a private mega yacht".   How is this a profession I've never heard about???  And why the hell isn't everyone and their mom doing this??  I'm just sad it took me this long to do what I've been wanting to do for years...get out of Minnesota, explore the world, and LIVE my life!  I could try and attempt to describe what I'm seeing, feeling, experiencing with pics and detailed blogs but it wouldn't do this justice...

So I've made it through my 1st charter and can't wait for round 2!!   The Mr. and Mrs. were planning to meet us in the Caribbean December 26th but apparently had such a good Holiday onboard they want to spend Christmas on here as well,  which means we'll be heading back out to sea the 1st week of December!!  The plan (although I've come to learn quite quickly that every "plan" is subject to change within an hour's notice) is to head to tour St. Lucia, St. Maarten, Turks & Caicos Islands, and be to St. Barts on NYE and they'll fly out sometime mid-to-late Jan...  :)  I've never been to St. Barts (shit let's be honest, I've never been to ANY of these islands) but if they're anything like what I've been seeing I can't wait!!   (apparently they've got the clearest most amazing water/beaches in the world, but I'm not sure what, if any, can top the exumas)!!  

Well that's all I've got...my brain is on E and it's too hot to type so ciao for now!!  Oh, and with internet being my only form of communication these blogs are getting easier (and seemingly more appropriate) so enjoy :)

xoxoxo,

mE

Happiest I've been in a long, long time :)

Adrenaline’s pumping!!

Dear God what have I gotten myself into!?!   This is crazy, I'm about to meet two multi-billionares who basically "own" me and I have no idea what I'm doing!  Let's be honest, I've "faked it till I made it" for the majority of my jobs thus far...but one wrong move here, one thing they notice and don't like about me (my hair color, my voice, my tattoos, etc and I'm gone!)  And to make this even more nerve-racking, turns out the owner wants a Jr. Stewardess/Masseuse so three days ago I had to bust my ass looking all over hell for a table/bedding/massage oils/lotions/music, etc (and there was no time for ordering/shipping so I craigslisted the whole deal...drove all the way to Miami with my Swedish roommate (who had to drive because I'm not on the rental car insurance yet) to pick it up from some random in the ghetto who buys and resells massage tables for his "uncle".  So now we're underway (meaning we're en route for the Bahamas) and I am so freakin' excited (trying not to pee my pants and crap myself)! my nerves are evening things out a bit)!  I had my first bout of sea-sickness but it only lasted an hour or so and now I'm up in the bridge (helping keep watch) and just saw my 1st sunset of this incredible journey.

Going....

Going....

Gone!
- Sunday November 21st

Um, wow, I'm speechless!  I never knew places like this existed in the world...everything is more beautiful here, the water, the sun, the people & there way of life - it's too amazing for words!  We got into Atlantis late last night but hadn't cleared customs so we couldn't leave the boat.  Today, however, was amazing!   On our way into the Marina I saw Cakewalk (the boat I dayworked on) and then right after that I literally ran into my old roommate from my crew house...the yachting world is definitely smaller than I realized!  Just wanted to throw in a quick update, now it's off to work - Mr. and Mrs will be here in less than 48 hours!! 

- Monday November 22nd

Oh, My, GOD!!!!!   Webster's dictionary does not have enough descriptive words for my owner, his wife, and two kids but lemmie give it a whirl.  Eccentric, delightful, odd, quiet, rich, particular, kind and modest.  I can't lie though, this is more work than I ever thought possible!  Sun up to sun down - zero down time, cracked & dry hands (chemicals), sore feet & calves, iron/steam burns, but with all that said this shit is AWESOME!!!!   One thing I find rather odd is how extremely private this industry is.  We're not allowed to call our owner or his Misses by their names (we call and refer to them by "the Mr." and "the Mrs", we whisper and tip-toe whenever they're onboard (literally not figuratively), and we're not supposed to share any details about who they are, what they do, where they're from, etc with anyone sOoooo...for blogging sake this should be interesting (but as you all know I'm a rule-breaker by trade so I may slip up with a few pics/details ;-).  

So back to it - my first day onboard with Mr., and it was crazy (by crazy I mean the service we provide is beyond anything a normal person could comprehend.)  We hand wash & iron underwear, we iron sheets before and AFTER we put them on the bed, we clean bathrooms everytime a person so much as touches the doorknob, we wait on them hand and foot from the moment they wake up until the minute they go to sleep, and we eat/sleep/pee & shower in between.  But even with all of that, this is paradise!  The places we're going and the people I've met...it's priceless.

Speaking of priceless, you should've seen my face today as I got called up by the Mr. for a massage!!!!!! I about passed out I was so nervous - partly because the only people I've massaged are my close friends and fam, and partly because he's the owner of this $40 million dollar vessel that's become my home and work, and if he doesn't like me or my techniques he could tell me to pack my shit and be gone.  Anyway, I pulled myself together and went up to the "massage parlor" (aka my office) to do my thang...turns out I'm a pretty good masseuse :)!!  As we wrapped up he told me it was amazing and asked where I did my training... I told him the truth (that I'm self taught and just do it for fun) and he seemed OK with that so I told him I'd let him get dressed and left the room (adrenaline pumping from every orifice of my body).

The new Massage room...aka my office ;-)
- Wednesday November 24

Happy Thanksgiving ladies & gents!!!!!!!!!!!  I went to bed last night pretty bumed - missing the hell outa my mom & dad, friends, and man-friend, but I woke up today with a totally different attitude.  Waking up in the exumas and rolling over to this view makes it next to impossible to be sad.

So we're working all day (limited football which really chaps my ass) when my chef Alan calls me up to the kitchen.  He'd asked me before we left what my favorite dish was and as it turned out he'd provisioned for it and surprised me with green-bean casserole :)  It may hurt my parents feelings to hear this but I swear to God his food's gotta be laced with something because he prepares the most amazingly delicious meals I have ever tasted - this Thanksgiving became a day thankful for Alan!!!  Two tables of pure bliss...notice the score on the NE/Detroit game ;-)

Shit, my roommates just came in and it's lights out for this cabin...so much more to write but it'll have to wait until next time.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone, miss you & love you lots!!!!


xoxo,
mE

Dad always said, work isn't work when you love what you do!!!

FINALLY the blog I've been waiting 46 days to write!!   I got a job!!  And not just any job, my DREAM job :)  K, so where do I start...?

The day after my last blog (a week ago today) I was bumming around, day-working on Cakewalk, starting to wonder why I'd left a job I loved and friends I adored for something so uncertain, when I get an e-mail from Captain Mike.  It said:

"I'd like to speak with you again soon. Please give me a call when you can 904 607 ####. - Michael"

I jumped up and although it was hard to go pee without asking for permission first, I ran up to the Sun Deck to call him back.  We arranged for him to pick me up that morning to take a walkthrough of Inception (the vessel) but he didn't say anything about offering me the position or this being the last step of the process, so I had no idea where his head was at.  We get to the boat and he walks me through every inch of it, introduces me to the crew - Mark (South African Deckhand/Engineer), Allen (American Chef), Peter (South African 1st Mate), Nick (American Engineer), and Zahara (Irish/Saudi Arabia Stewardess).  He hadn't hired a Chief Stew or Bosun yet and the other Stewardess was in the Bahamas getting her Visa renewed.  When we finished the tour he brought me up to the bridge (control room) and asked me what I thought.  I told him I was in love with the boat, he asked if I could see myself living/working on her, I said "um yEs", and as he smiled he told me he'd like to extend the position to me.  I clapped my hands, jumped up and down, laughed a nervous weirdo laugh and said I'd LOVE TO!  We talked about salary, start-date, benefits, and itinerary and then he brought me back to my boat.  I swear to God even though I loved Cakewalk (and the people onboard) those next few days were the longest ever!  I said my goodbyes (even though I'll see them all again on New Years - our boats will both be on St. Bart's for NYE :), packed up all my shit, cleaned up crew house, and went to meet my guy.

Wes had booked a ticket the week prior and his visit could not have come at a better time.  I got to spend my last 4 days of unemployment at the beach, in bed cuddling, on a scooter (should've traded in my bike a long time ago!) and indulging in good food/drinks with great company :)  Saying goodbye is never fun (especially when you have no idea when you'll see them again) but after I dropped him off at the airport I headed straight for my new home!

Niners

I was greeted by Nina and Zahraa (two stewardess') who helped me bring my bags down to my room and we hit it off right away!  Zahraa is this cute little English girl (who's half Irish and half Saudi Arabian) with the best personality and most beautiful accent.  Nina is Swedish and a little more reserved, and although she's fairly new to yachting she's the most helpful and giving girl in the world!

Zahraa

And here I am, 4 days in and absolutely LOVING my life!  I'm sitting at the dinner table with Mark, Zahraa, Pete and Nina having dinner and drinking Courvoisier.  Lots more to share but it'll have to wait until tomorrow.



Thanks for any thoughts & prayers you guys sent my way...they worked and I've never been happier...I finally feel like I'm home :)

xoxo,
mE

My new home & office