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Published: April 5th 2008
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Ecstasy
One of those moments captured... A broken engine propulsion thingy means we get to stay in Cozumel until midnight last cruise, and we all know this means an adventure. At first the day is frustrating, with nothing coming through the way we liked - we went to three different resorts trying to find friends and hang out without an exorbitant entry fee, but no such luck. Finally at 5pm I huff back into my room in a wrecked mood. My roomie Lynne is getting all dressed up for a night out and invites me to join. We get all lovelied up and go to this incredible Italian restaurant. You wouldn’t think that great Italian can be found in Mexico, but I had a pear and pomagranate salade followed by the best prawn risotto ever. Fully stuffed, we walk up the esplanade to an outdoor bar with a view of the sunset. As we watch the pink globe sink below a pristine horizon we are all struck with silence.
I am with a few of the dancers and one of the social hosts. On a whim we ask the waiter if he knows of any gay bars, as our friend would have a great time and
you can always be guaranteed to have a full dance floor and great music at a gay bar. I guess something is lost in translation because the place that our cab drops us turns out to be a brothel! We tentatively go inside and look around, realizing at once that this was not what we asked for. In the bathroom we find a sketchy pair of abandoned red velvet wedge heels. I do my best not to touch any surfaces. The bar manager gives us coupons for free lap dances with a wink, but we haul out of there as quickly as possible. We end up walking aimlessly for another hour before heading back to the ship.
I have to go back to work and deal with 300 probably-drunk teenagers but luckily I organized a movie night, since the night before we had a teen disco and I have never seen so many wanna-be pornstars in my life. For the life of me I don’t understand how these young girls can move their hips like that and not blush. For those of you that know my family, you know that I am not easily disturbed by anything but let
Crew Catamaran Trip
Sea and Sky and great friends me tell you I felt queasy watching the teens on the dancefloor. After that night I definitely needed a quiet evening planned, sans hip gyrating.
I only have 4 cruises left on this ship, including my parents’ cruise and then I get a much-needed vacation. I have been tempted to extend my contract by a few weeks, since I have finally found a group of friends that make me feel at home. I will be sad to leave them but if I don’t get a break after the insanity that is Spring Break on cruises I may crack. My plans are still up in the air - I have been offered the other ship in Europe as a consolation for not getting the Splendor, which overnights in Rome and frequents the coasts of France, Italy and Spain. It’s an incredible opportunity but the effects of ship life are starting to wear on me. I haven’t had a night off since I started. Granted, I get afternoons off in port and spend them on pristine beaches, but I always go back to the ship to work 5 hours every night. Adventures aside, I’ve experienced an underlying loneliness that is hard
Fearless.
Ziplining to overcome.
My birthday went by particularly uncelebrated, but I guess birthdays lose their appeal as time goes on...I woke up with the flu so I basically only went to a light lunch with a few friends. That was the extent of the celebration, though it was nice to spend some quality time with a few good friends. 25 is kind of a biggie but I dont feel any older - aside from an added pressure to get on with the adult phase of my life...
If I take the ship in Europe I will be on ships until the holidays this upcoming winter and then I know that I am done for sure. If I don’t take the ship I will be settling back in the Bay Area in as soon as 3 weeks. I have reconnected with so many lost friends from the past, and I am beyond excited to rebuild some of those forgotten friendships. Either way the future excites me!
As for my upcoming vacation, I plan on multitasking visits across the US, so if you are in the area please let me know! In May I will be heading to New York
to meet my beautiful newborn cousin, and I want to go into the city a few times to see those of you stationed in Manhattan. I also think I’ll be in Boston a few days as well. In June I’m going to Michigan to visit my sistah and to attend a friend’s wedding! I think Austin will have to wait until I am ready to move back home, since I will need to pack up my storage unit and drive everything home (anyone want to join me for a roadtrip?)
I lost my cell when I was last home, but I hope to get a new one when I am back on land. I am checking my voicemail every few weeks for the timebeing. Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes!
Much love,
Alaine
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anonymous
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Alaine sweetie, I look forward to seing you in May - if you get here before May 11. I leave on the 12th for two weeks in italy. If you take the european tour when would that be ? And what's the route ? Love you, nana