If I Were Not Upon The Sea

A working singer me.  Happy all day long.  And this would be my song...

If you don't recognize the doctored lyrics, then you haven't worked on a cruise ship.  If you haven't worked on a cruise ship and do recognize the lyrics...shame on you.  You've obviously attended a crew show circa 1974 as the "If I Were Not Upon the Sea" skit has been in existence since then, and some old school cruise directors like to bring it back.

Anyway, the point here is that when you work on a cruise ship (a job many people dream of) you are caught thinking about your dream land life.  The one that you get to make food, pay bills, sleep in a human size bed and use a toilet that doesn't try to suck you into a vortex of nothingness when it flushes.  It's the simple things you miss like driving, consistent internet and 24 hour phone service.  Yes, there are perks to the cruise life.  You get to meet people that before they even get to their stateroom, are already requesting upgrades and making demands that aren't even offered on the trip.  

"No Ma'am, we cannot change our itinerary because you've never swam with dolphins.  We're in Alaska, so enjoy the glacier tour."

I wish I was kidding.

Regardless, once on land you begin to doubt your choices.  Was ship life really that bad?  Can I eat another bowl of mystery meat soup and wilted lettuce so I can enjoy the sun and sand of Jamaica?  The answer is yes, it really was that bad.  It wasn't when you were actually there, and that was our livelihood, but since Adam has journeyed back to the Coral Princess for a one month replacement, he's come to realize that our real life, the one we have made on land is really where we are meant to be right now.  The magic of the crew mess and the mayhem of the crew bar have lost their lustre.  Don't get me wrong, we cherish the memories we've had on those ships the past 7 years.  Memories including our best man from our wedding providing First Aid at 3:30 in the morning to a fellow crew member, and the times we would lay on the crew deck for hours with Jamie and Paul watching for dolphins and sea turtles, and of course amazing countless performances with our friends that made us truly lucky to be getting paid to do what we loved to do...sleep and eat.  I sang sometimes too.  

I'll always be a singer, sometimes disguised as a lululemon employee, an Arbonne Consultant, or a poutine eater.  Yup.  I'm a triple threat.

The point is, we did what we did, loved it, and are happy to now be home and doing what we're doing now.  

Whatever that is.