Ellis -- Tell Us: "Everything Happens for a Reason"

A nice view to start off my morning...

Nassau, Bahamas; last day of charter, tipped out and back to the states! Five day charter over and done with, legs and feet might fall off with 17 hour days and only 6 hours of sleep every night, I made it. Another trip under my belt, one more to go and then we are off to Europe!

This charter we had 12 guests, all couples and a very lively group of people. Dancing on top of our tables, kind of lively.

You know the famous words that say" you are only five people away from knowing everyone in the world."

Well I think I'm one step closer to fully believing in that saying. One of the guests was a middle aged man from Australia, who lives in Florida and is now an engineer. He was an early riser every morning and was up hours before any other guest and on a few days he was up before I was, 5:00am some mornings, so needless to say he needed someone to talk to. We got to talking and it came up that I was from Indiana. Normally when someone asks where in Indiana, I just say Indianapolis and don't say anything about living in Carmel because most people don't know anything about Indiana, in the end it's just a waste of breath. But this was a different story. After saying Indianapolis, he then proceeded to say that he use to travel all over the US and made many trips to Noblesville, Zionsville and Carmel. I told him I lived in Carmel and then the real truth about him knowing Indiana came out. He told me he was in the design of golf courses and designed all of Mel Simons golf course which is right down the road from my house and knew exactly where my house was and the golf course we now live on. He told me all about the Simons and had a long conversation about his money and how he spends it, but that's getting off subject. He then mentioned a good friend of his who also managed a lot of the Simon's building sites and property with the last name of Cohen. Erin Cohen, who works with my dad now on many different projects and is the grandfather of two of my closest friends all throughout high school.

This man who was on my yacht, all the way fromAustralia and lives in florida, and then knew so much about my life, where I lived and we had so much in common. All of this happened while I was trying to set the table for breakfast one morning. We both were stunned.

Five people away from knowing everyone in the world is no joke. Everyone is connected some how and it's freaky once you think about it. Who knows maybe some of his projects went through my dad and my dad might have even worked with him, all while this random guy is vacationing on my boat in the middle of the ocean in April...

I also live by the quote everything happens for a reason, every day I think about what happens if I wouldn't have studied aboard in college in the South of France and never learned about this industry. I wouldn't have the job I have now, be making the money I'm making nor would I be in the Bahamas at this very moment on a yacht. The people I have met, one new one in particular, who I met while I was in Fort Lauderdale and can't wait to see when I get back, are all so much like me. They understand and interest me in so many different ways. I haven't been able to find many people until now to fully understand my passion for seeing the rest of the world and striving to fulfill my desire to learn about other cultures and countries around the world. The special someone is from the UK and he too has the same passions as me and really wants to see anything and everything possible or impossible in the world. Ready and willing. Not scared to live in a van for two weeks while traveling in the mountains in the Swiss Alps, Germany, and northern France. Going where the wind takes us, not having a plan. I live for the day I can do that.

Making money now, saving for awhile and being able to take a holiday and spend that hard earned money on seeing the rest of the world, with someone who also shares my eagerness of traveling the world would make it all the better. I want to live my life because it's seems be disappearing right before my eyes. I remember year one of college like it was yesterday. Moving into the newly built house after returning from my trip from Brazil like it was only a few years ago when in reality it was over a decade ago. Time is slipping away so quickly.

Just yesterday, Kylie the other stewardess I'm close with on Big Eagle, just lost a good friend to an unknown disease. Her girlfriend from South Africa was 22 and just two months ago got married, her new husband was a top ranked jockey from Australia, he was in Singapore for a race and had a random seizure. Went to the hospital was put in an induced comma and never woke up. Even though I don't know him or her but seeing Kylie so upset over this loss and her explaining that life can be taken for granted so much that you can't wait on certain things in life. She says the worst part is knowing how great this guy was to her friend and how in love they were, everything was so new in their lives, they were just getting settled in. Kylie thinking about how much she loves Dave (her boyfriend who also works on the boat) said she's always scared that something that serious and fast could happen and he wouldn't understand how much she really loves him. Hearing her speak so effortlessly on her love for just one person makes me want to have a love that deep one day and not living life wondering "what if."

Sorry deep stories...after about the 14th hour of work and being on your feet you need something to get your mind off you feet and the truth normally comes out when you need to take your mind off of something so serious.

Yacht below is called S E V E N S E A S (86m) and is owned by Steven Spielberg. Worth $200 million and $1.4 million a week to charter

This photo is of some of my crew and I dancing to the "happy" song after we finished our last charter in Sampson Cay, Bahamas. (Stef, John, Ellis, Kylie, Dave)

Two days before the most recent charter we got to go to Atlantis and I had to get in the huge "famous" golden chair and take a picture.(not cracked up to what it's supposed to be) There was a line to get in it. :(