No Wonder

London. December 2003.For reasons I can’t explain and, despite the fact I had gotten myself a brand new job, I could not come to the fact I had to face yet another long, dull and miserable winter. It was while moaning to my colleagues, that one of them suggested I looked for jobs onboard cruise ships, Disney in specific - since he had worked there and had absolutely loved the whole experience.

Never before had crossed my mind to do such a thing and I thought it would be a perfect way to spice things up in my life. The interview was a joy: everyone was so friendly... I felt right away I was right for the company. And so the answer came back positive.
As I had no clue I had yet to wait for a joining date before flying out to USA (where I would board the ship from), I decided I deserved to take some serious holidays before I took my body to its limits. Without further communication, I contacted my auntie who lives in Florida and arranged to stay with her until a position become available.

It was only when I was held by the immigration officers in Miami for longer than 2 hours while they tried - and succeeded - contacting the company to confirm that I would, in all truth, be joining one of their ships, that I was told I should have waited, at home, for an official offer letter to come through.
Confusion solved - and with my auntie still waiting for me at the arrivals - I was given only a 15-day visa, which ended up working in my favour, since it put pressure on the company to find me a position as soon as possible.

While I waited, my auntie showed me around. She took me to Kennedy Space Center where you could see NASA’s buildings and its launching platform - I actually saw a rocket being launched from the sands of Cocoa Beach- to Downtown Disney, Miami Beach, Universal Studios, etc.
I was having the best holidays ever, when one day while sunbathing in the garden I’ve received a phone call that would change the course of my life, for ever: the sea life was calling me.

A week of training in Miami - where I stayed at the All Sports Resorts within the Disney World Complex and had the chance to visit all Disney parks - I was completely brainwashed (if there is actually a good use for this word, this is the case for it) and ready to take everything onboard.
The ship wasn’t that huge - but when you work in the F&B department you have got the impression you are serving three times the number of guests due its military operation. It is valid to point here that I am not - and have never being - a girlie girl but, men! That was hash.

I pulled it off, with a lot of support from fellow colleagues who made me see that no matter how hard and how much you work, you will always find time to enjoy yourself and what’s more, you will learn to make better use of your precious time.
So I did as I was told and, from that day on, I have tried to live a different life and have not been able to.

I’d been bitten by the bug... no wonder.

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