So got passed over for the job on Wild Thing for a friend of the captain. Awesome. But had another interview yesterday, which I think went very well. It will definitely be a challenging job but I know I'm up for it. Should find out in a week or so whether I got that one or not. The Skipper and the purser are both very nice and we talked easily. They caught me off guard with a few questions though, and my nervousness almost got the better of me. I know they have other people to consider too. That boat, called Freedom, is 125 ft. and a sailboat, with 5 crew. It is privately owned, but does charters also. Hopefully despite my lack of experience, they'll take a chance on me. If I don't get that job, I might just give up on it for this year. Sucks, but what can you do. I really don't want to go back to the Mooring though, or work in a kitchen. I applied at the Spiced Pear and I'm almost positive he'd give me the job if I wanted it. We'll see though. Maybe I'll try to get a job as a waitress or in customer service, or just some job that will give me benefits. I mean hey, it's money right? In other news, been looking up possible places to move in the future, and Portland, Oregon is definitely top of the list right now. But I guess we'll just have to see what happens.

I'm horrible at updating

Of course it all had to be too good to be true. OF COURSE!!!!!! So a week before we were scheduled to set sail for Ft. Lauderdale, I get a call from my Captain, letting me know EVER so gently that we are both out of jobs. Apparently, since the owners have another boat (110 ft long) they don't need the smaller boat anymore, so they let the captain know that they were shutting the boat down early so as not to spend more money on it. After hearing the news, I didn't know how to react right away. But once it sunk in, I decided I was still going to do everything in my power to spend the Winter on a boat regardless. First, I got a nice professional looking resume together, then headed down to Ship to Shore, which is the crew placement agency. Sarah Baines, the president of the agency, has been incredible thus far. She's helped me get day work and interviews, and taken an interest in helping out my situation. For a brief period, I was doing some daywork on a boat in Portsmouth, but ended up coming down with bronchitis, and the captain of that boat found new people. Then I interviewed for what would have been my dreamjob, if I had only gotten it. 110 ft custom built sailboat, GREAT pay, sailing all over the carribean, couple is only on the boat 10-12 days at a time and only a few times per season, free healthcare, paid vacations plus airfare. After getting turned down for that job is when I started getting depressed. With all the plans I had made for the future and what doing something like this would allow, I really got my heart set on it. I interviewed for another job recently on a Little Harbor 75 out of Antigua, and I got a follow up call today about that one, so here's crossing your fingers for me! I really don't want to get my hopes up again though, like I did with Amneris (the original boat) and Tristan (the 110 ft DREAM job). I just really hope I find another job on a boat. Sarah and Alex seem to think I won't have a problem, but it's still scary not knowing what's going to happen. I REALLY don't want to go back to the Mooring right now. Plus I think I could use the change of scenery and the experience of truly being responsible for not just myself, but other people as well. Other than that though, aside from a serious lack of income and being sad way too much, things are going well. I've been doing some work on the garage apartment for my dad, and it's fun and definitely a learning experience. I'm excited for him to get home on Thursday. I'll try to update more after this. It feels good to write.

Background

So I got this incredible job. My dream job, actually, as a chef on an 80ft sailboat doing charters out of Florida. The boat is beautiful, the captain's great, and the pay better than I could have hoped for. Sounds awesome on paper, but I'd be away from my boyfriend, my home, my friends, and my family for seven months, without even the chance to come home for Christmas. I've never been away from home like that before. But it's such an incredible opportunity, there's no way I could pass it up, and if I had? especially out of fear" It would have eaten me up inside. I am finally starting to get excited about it, trying to push through the guilt I feel for putting this all on my boyfriend who I love to DEATH, and see it as the positive experience and adventure it will be. I'll be getting paid to travel! In the Carribean! So wish me luck.