A year in review

It is so very strange to me to think that exactly a year ago today I spent over 12hrs sitting in the LAX airport.  I had disembarked the Sapphire Princess and had to say goodbye to the family I'd come to know over the past several months.  You always promise that you will meet again -you always hope- but life can be funny and those things don't always happen the way we'd like them to.


I had spent the whole day in that airport contemplating my next steps in life.  After two consecutive ship contracts, I knew that I wanted to spend some time on land (windows and the outdoors have their appeals), but I wasn't sure exactly what I would be doing.  I had some pretty big dreams of freelancing my photography- focusing on weddings and paying the bills on my terms.  It didn't pan out immediately (what does?), but I am closer everyday to that dream.

After finding work at an organic pizza restaurant, and freelancing photo jobs on the weekends, I had begun training at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio downtown.  I worked as a receptionist for a few months while I learned the ballroom curriculum and techniques.  I was soon teaching private and group classes, professionally competing and practicing for the bi-annual show that the Fred Astaire Franchised Dance Studios put on every year.  Besides the travel (up to 3.5hrs a day), long hours and a few other details, I was loving my job.  I loved the people I worked with, I loved learning new material, and I loved teaching and seeing my students grow!  Eventually, the little things get to you though.  I wasn't making enough money for all the hours I was putting in (and all the expenses- oye, have you ever had to buy a ballroom dress!? ouch!). 

I had spent roughly 8 months with the company when a casual friend from the ship invited me to move to Mexico with him- he had a spare room.  I laughed at first, but a car wreck the day before had me even more frustrated with my situation.  It actually took very little coaxing to convince me I'd rather be broke on a beach than broke working my life away for someone else.  I talked to my boss (who tried his best to convince me to stay), and then decided if I was unhappy, I should just go.

I ended up flying to Playa del Carmen 2 weeks later and quickly fell in love with that casual friend.  Funny how quickly life can change- how one situation will lead you to the next and one moment morphs into another.  I can't imagine where I might be one year from today, but I bet it's someplace worth traveling to.  I can only hope that everyone reading this blog will realize the adventure that is their life and take a moment to reflect how it is just one big amoebic adventure.