Re-thinking

Finishing charter feels like finishing finals in your Freshman year of college, knowing theres more to come and it was hard when they were happening but all the stress is off your shoulders and you can go have fun! 

As soon as the guests got off the boat yesterday all the crew were able to let loose and go out on the toys and have a day to themselves. We took out the jet skies, explored the island, wake boarded. swam, snorkeled. Found out that the island next to us with the windmills has four private huge houses on them and its own seaplane and pilot and costs $75,000 for one night on the island. The island is solely run off the windmills and from the water you can see the entire island and all the houses. Very very small island but it would be so amazing to get away from your busy life and completely relax. We all say on vacation we can have a relaxing day or whatever but this honestly couldn't get more relaxing with no cell service, no where to go and no one at all to bother you...can't get much better then that. Also yesterday took the jet skies out close to two yachts anchored out on charter and drove by to show them we were having more fun then them. We see that all the time so needed to show off a little bit. so the next few days to really relax because we've got a busy upcoming season in the Mediterranean. 

We just came from a long, busy winter season then straight into a two month yard period with very few days off and very little time to ourselves so after this short but very busy charter we are able to relax. This is exactly how I want to job to be; working my ass off for a short amount of time just knowing right around the corner we have a day to relax in the most beautiful places in the world.

As I'm typing this, I'm sitting on a private island in the middle of the Bahamas, on a red painted comfy beach chair with a pure white sandy beach at my feet, Big Eagle in the distance, the sun shining and listening to the waves crash. Can't get a much better job then what I'm blessed with right now. As much as I wished this lasted forever, I know it won't and I'm so thankful to be able to experience this with great people. 

As many know, my passion for traveling and exploring the unknown is what I strive for in life.  I'm always very envious of the people who have been places where I have not. Being able to talk about our completely different experiences in the exact same places is the most interesting way of getting to know someone. Being able to connect through stories in exotic places and learning able other cultures through others stories broadens my perspective and mind. I've been to Brazil but hearing a story recently about Brazil makes me want to travel back there and do certain activities and see new things. I was talking to someone the other day about being able to travel in places where most civilization doesn't even know about and be able to tell people stories that seem so unreal that they have to question me if these stories are sincerely true. 

Even being in this yachting industry for a short amount of time and because money seems to be no object in these peoples lives it really makes me want to go out and help the people who are really struggling in life. Every single one of our guests thus far on my boat have been billionaires...that's with a B. BILLIONAIRE. I know they help out with certain causes or universities around the country but I would personally like to go in remote areas in the world and help starving people or build a house for a family who are living in the slums of India. Something that I can sleep at night knowing there is a little more happiness in the world because of me. My job has really opened up my eyes to the world to see what I do and do not have in life. Lucky to have what I have.  

Growing up privileged and able to have the world at my feet, I had blinders on to the rest of the world for so long. Traveling a lot with diving and my family, I was able to see the world but it all didn't slap my in the face until recently of the life I lived and what I was use to. I always told myself when I was younger I didn't want a job, didn't need to make my own money and have my own life experiences, I would just meet the right guy and he would take care of me. I would live my life as a caring mother and wife and that's all I needed.(taking after my parents haha) Now after having a solid job and making great money I can see where women strive to have a great job and don't like solely relying on their partner. Makes me stand taller and more proud knowing I have my OWN money thus not relying on my parents any more! Thats the biggest stress reliever. I'm also very fortunate and one of the few college students coming out of college with no college debt at all, which has helped me enormously. I'm saving every penny I make and my next big goal in life is to buy a nice car. Once I'm back in one place in the world and not in the middle of the ocean most of the year I can buy a car with the hard earned money. 

My parents always taught me to make goals in life; small or big but I didn't really listen (as does most children). But now becoming more independent in life and understanding I have to grow up at some point, I know these goals are important. I'm lucky with my job not having any experiences which is unheard of. Bills, bills, bills are what most people my age and older are worrying about and that never enters my mind. Just solely saving all my money for the bigger picture and my family down the road.

Bahamas

I'm not sure where to even start. A lot has happened in the past week.We are now in the Bahamas, docked at a private island called Sampson Cay. Private island is an understatement, people can't even come dock up and just have a look around, nothing on the island for public at all, no fuel or food besides what's personally brought in for whatever guest is staying on the island. No cars, only golf carts. Only way to get to the island is boat or sea plane. Seven unbelievable pure white sand beaches, only for guests of the owners to enjoy. Good news is we are staying an extra five days after the charter ends and we are considered "guests" of the owner which means we are able to check out then entire island and use all the facilities as guests. One owner to this 36 acre island seems like a bit much but you have a hard time finding ways to spend your money once you become a billionaire it seems.

The owner of this island is also number two of the list of people in the United States for owning the most land all over the world, number one goes to the United States Government. (wrap your head around that one) He owns over 2,000,000 acres of land all over the world. This island is only 36 acres out of 2 million of them. They are only chartering the boat out for three days and six people are staying aboard but they are hosting all meals and meeting aboard with a total of 17 guests. I poured 37 coffees this morning...long morning to say the least.

 Sampson Cay has the most beautiful water I've ever seen. I know I might have said that when I was in the Grenadine islands a few months ago but this water is even more clear almost looks white it's so clear. Teal then a light tint of blue and then white! Hurts your eyes a little bit to look at it when the sun is out. 

 We are docked right where all the sharks nest because of the certain warm current that rips through the bay and back out into the ocean. Our chef dumps small amounts of food into the water for all the fish to eat and it literally is like an aquarium outside our boat. No need to pay anymore to see fish swim around I've seen it all now. We went snorkling on Tuesday and we were literally five feet away from these sharks. There are three big ones around, six or seven feet long, and one baby that's about the size of me. We also saw a sting-ray that was about the size of a dump truck tire around. massive tail on it but just swimming as if there weren't seven people over top of it taking video of it. 

This is me diving to the bottom of the ocean and asking before I went down "Has anyone ever seen a white dolphin?" If you don't know what a white dolphin is, it's the whitest thing in this photo. But you can see the rock in the picture and it's about 15 feet deep here and it looks like it's only 5.

This is one of the sharks swimming around our boat. 

Sunrise on the first morning of charter in Sampson Cay, Bahamas 

Looks like the boat is just sitting in the backyard of someones house.

Two different types of small villas on this island. 

This trip I'm on the early shift meaning I'm the first to get up in the morning normally 5 am to set up breakfast and make sure no guest is the first up and then I'm the first to go to bed around 9:30pm. Kylie the other stewardess yesterday was carrying an entire tray full of very expansive wine glasses (around $200 per glass) to the dinner table, slipped and fell and broke four or five of them and that's my worse nightmare so I'm glad it was her before me. I don't wish it upon anyone but she's been in this industry for awhile I feel as if she has more freedom is breaking $1,000 worth of wine glasses then I do. That has been the only mishap so far, otherwise a good trip and everyone is loving the boat. One more charter after this finishes and we are headed back to Florida for a quick turn around and heading to Europe for the summer. 

Yard Period

I've been back in the States for almost two months now and it has flown by so quickly. Starting out in West Palm Beach in a marina called "Rybovich." Rybo is one of the nicest marinas in the entire world and now I'm completely spoiled and now understand why it's so amazing.

Free shuttle
Free gym open 24/7
pool
fire pit
restaurant with huge TV's all over the place
free yoga on certain nights of the week
movie nights
high security

The marina is one of a kind and I couldn't have started out with a cooler place to be while in the yard. Our boat was taken completely out of the water and the bottom of the boat was painted and some of the shafts were replaced or repaired. While we were there, my parents came to see where I work and get more of a a feel of what I really do on a day to day basis even though it's still hard to even get the full picture unless you truly live in my shoes. It's so hard to explain without a true picture. They were here for about a week, was able to travel around florida, see West Palm, Fort Lauderdale and Miami with them, which is always a treat because I thought the entire time I would be working while they were visiting.

After a month in Rybo we moved the boat down to Bradford Marina in Fort Lauderdale which I was so excited for because I would be close to a lot more of my friends and knew Fort Lauderdale like the back of my hand because I had just spent a solid two months with no car searching for a job in Ft. Laudy.  But I was so wrong. Bradford is a shit marina far away from everyone and everything. Not close to any other boat yards and is for all smaller boat and mostly boat that are for sale. Once again no car and a cab ride into the main ft. Lauderdale is over $25 one-way. That ended u[ being a HUGE buzz kill as soon as I paid once to get to the beach and back.

It's now been about two weeks in Bradford and we are doing so much construction on the boat it's hard for me to even see the light at the end of the tunnel. The boat is completely torn apart. Everything is getting repainted, fixed, torn down, put back up, tents over the entire boat, dusty and dirty. It's a mess and we leave here March 15th to get back to the Bahamas for another three weeks of charters.  

In turn we have been making so many trips out to do provisions for the charters as well as the crew. We've been living off of small amounts of stuff for the crew because we were away for the season and everything in the Grenadine Islands was almost five times the price of something here in the States. I was in charge of making the list of what the crew needed. Keep in mind that anything I wrote down on the list was paid by the boat and given to the crew. Just a few items I listed:

Aussie shampoo/conditioner
face wash/masks
makeup remover
deodorant
loofas
mouth wash
tooth paste
whitening stripes
tooth brushes
venus razors
gum
cliff bars
72% chocolate
tomato juice...The list goes on

But pretty much anything we want we can get. We are provided with shoes, bathing suits, uniform, fleece jackets, rain jackets, towels etc. to get us through our trips. It's amazing the amount of effort given for provisioning. We did a Costco run today and had 6 carts full of groceries and still have another full day of running around and getting specific things to get ready for our trips.

Just if anyone was wondering, I'm still loving every second of my job but now getting anxious again to get back out in the open sea and see more of the world.

We have three weeks in the Bahamas then back to the US for one week then crossing the ocean for the Mediterranean season. I will be in Europe all summer, most likely into fall and I would love to stay over there for winter but more than likely will be back on this side of the world by October or November.

Wish I could post pictures of some of the last month but of course my computer isn't working at the moment so hopefully I can work on it and then post a little later.

Peace&Love

If you think my job really isn't a job, then read this...

Most people when they ask me what I do for a living they picture me walking around in a bikini serving drinks to rich older men who are laying out on the sun deck of their mega yacht.WRONG! read this article and most everything said is exactly on point!

http://theswedishafrican.wordpress.com/2014/03/04/the-yachting-illusion/