Daywork and Decisions

Back on land after a month at sea

It has been nearly a month since I returned to Florida from my holiday trip on Mia Elise and I have spent a lot of time reflecting about life on board a yacht. It was amazing in so many ways and I met some wonderful people, a valuable experience I will never forget. However, I feel unsure at this time about continuing on the yachting path for various reasons. Mainly the living conditions make it difficult to enjoy a certain lifestyle I have been accustomed to and I am not sure if it is the healthiest option for me. I knew going into it I wanted to see what it was all about, but I never felt it would be a long term career shift for me it was more of an interlude. I think it may be something I would be interested in doing on a seasonal or temporary type basis but probably not full time. I am so happy that I had the opportunity and took it as I always say I would rather have tried something different then look back years later and regret not taking a chance.

Ahhh back in Florida with a modern day pirate sighting

When I came back to Florida I had the intention of being a crew member on Cuan's new boat, M/Y Sweet Escape a 40m (130 ft) charter boat based out of the Bahamas. The website is currently getting updated but you can take a look at the current site here:

http://www.yachtsweetescape.com/yacht-photo-gallery/

Cuan and I had discussed the program before my return to Florida and I was excited about it and the idea of working among friends. However, my uncertainty about the lifestyle became apparent when I got back and I was feeling conflicted. While the idea of working on Cuan's boat is amazing (I know you are reading this my friend and its true!) I felt it was unfair to him and the crew to not be 100% committed to the project. We had a great chat about how I was feeling and agreed at this time it was best I help him with some temp work on Sweet Escape while I try to find my path. I am lucky to have such an understanding friend who was happy to offer advice and support during this time.

M/Y Sweet Escape

Cuan's boat was recently purchased by new owners who are completely re-doing the interior. The work they are doing is quite extensive and it is pretty amazing to see a boat completely pulled apart. The owners are in the business of flipping houses and the wife is an interior designer so she has a keen eye and is really hands-on. They plan to be in the yard for the next few months for the refit and I know it is going to be amazing once it is finished. Cuan and his skeleton crew have been working tirelessly on this massive project and it is impressive to see him in action and how much they have accomplished so far. My main task while I was day working for him was taking an extensive inventory of items such as the dishes and platters, cutlery, linens, decor and galley items so the new chief stew could see what was already on board and what needs to be purchased or replaced. I worked on board for a couple weeks and in that time already saw a lot of progress and am excited to see how it all turns out.

Refit in progress

Inventory!

Once I decided to look into other paths I decided to take the advice of my dear friend Charles who told me he had recently listened to a podcast about life choices. The podcast basically said instead of trying to make a decision and then put all your energy into that one path, instead put out feelers for various different options you are considering and see what surfaces. Many of my friends and family know I have a hard time making decisions so I decided that was a great approach, and began investigating a couple ideas. I applied for a couple jobs in SF, Hawaii (I have thought a lot about moving to the islands and love the idea) and looked into different retreats in different parts of the globe. Then I waited to see what came back to me.

While investigating various ideas I spoke to many friends including my friend Katie from UCLA who is a fellow traveler, she and I have gone to Guatemala and Australia together in the past. Katie has been traveling around the globe the past few years filming various documentaries, and in an unfair twist of fate she contracted Lyme disease last year and has had to put her life on hold. It is quite scary as you realize how this can happen to anyone and how much it can change your life overnight. She had told me she was hoping to go to Bali soon to undergo extensive Ozone treatment in hopes of getting some of her health and strength back; apparently this treatment is cheaper and has less regulations in Indonesia. Bali happened to be one of the places I was looking into a retreat, and it seemed the universe had sent me the answer. I decided to take some time for self-reflection in Bali while supporting my long time friend through her treatment. Once we decided to go everything started to fall into place and I am excited to take this journey of self-exploration and reflection in one of the cultural and spiritual meccas of the world, Ubud.

Katie and I in Guatemala in 2006 - Visiting an active volcano

Ubud is known as the spiritual and cultural heart of Bali

Once I had decided to depart Florida it was time to say goodbye to my Ft. Lauderdale family who I will miss immensely. We spent the last weekend hanging out and cruising around before I left for Miami for a mother-daughter trip we had planned last month. I have had such a great time with this group of people and know we will see each other again sooner or later.

After a fun filled trip to Miami, I will head back to SF for a brief visit and then it is off to Ubud for 2 months. I plan to immerse myself in the community of a place called the Yoga Barn and seek yoga, meditation and counseling during this transitional time in my life. I am hoping to attend a mindfulness retreat, and have also reached out to the founder of the Yoga Barn to see if there are opportunities for a work exchange program. Ubud is a beautiful and spiritual place that I visited for a few days back in 2013 and always hoped to return and it seems this is the right time. It is incredibly cheap to stay there, and with Katie and I splitting rent it makes it even more affordable. After Bali I plan to head to Thailand for a couple weeks for a visit to my old home town, Phuket. Thailand holds such a special spot in my heart and I could not go over to SE Asia without returning there for a visit as well. After that it is back to California and at that point we will see what else the Universe brings to me. Let the adventure continue!

The Yoga Barn in Ubud - My future home away from home