Cruising for a good time :)

Ahhh the S/S Norway, originally the Transatlantic Liner S/S France, Norwegian Cruise Lines acquired it and used it for Caribbean cruises when I came aboard in November 1996, I was 23 years old.  I am standing here with one of the Norwegian officer's Robert, and in Miami attire, we were in Port of Miami every week, so I had my car in the parking lot, I would drive home and back like a maniac, almost missing the ship a few times.

Throughout my life I have easily closed one chapter and opened another, loving adventure, having fun, and living life to the fullest.  When I got the job as a Purser, front desk, I dropped everything in Miami, and was ready to have the best time of my life seeing a glimpse into every corner of the world.  I always joke that my minor in college was in International Relations, I got to meet and date a variety of nationalities, and had a ball!  Luckily I had the chance to do a few transatlantic cruises, 4 days at sea, people did go stir crazy, then there were other ships, I got to see all of Europe - Western, Eastern, and the Scandinavian.  When the Norwegian Dream went to Israel and Greece, I had relatives there, they picked me up, and I got to have an amazing local experience.  I made some of the most special friendships of my life, you live in very close quarters, and share everything, including an intense, passionate life.  Thanks to Facebook, I have reconnected with so many people all over the world, as well as friends from high school, and other fun areas of my life.

Thanks to my parents, although they didn't always understand me and did not agree with me, but they always supported my free spirit, and trusted that I would always take care of myself, and were always there when I needed them, and are always there today, they are such a blessing.  They got married in January 1972 and I was born in October 1972, they take care of their health, they look and feel amazing, and are the best example how a married couple should strive to live and love.

I was going insane at the Front Desk, because it is the complaint department, and you can't say $#@% YOU! and you cannot cry, you just have to take it when people have been saving all their lives for the cruise of their dreams, and their bed is too small (because their @$$ is too big) or their potato was cold at dinner.  I applied and got transferred to the Cruise Staff department, where our job was to drink and have fun with the passengers, throw parties, dress fabulous on meet the captain formal night.  This is where I found my love for being on stage, public speaking, running the show, being a star - oh yeah a whole new world opened up to me, and the best part when we were in port, there were no activities for the guests, so we were free to roam all over every fabulous country that we visited.  Favorite country overall - Italy - so full of oomph! Gelato, La Bella Luna (insert Italian pronunciation,) the food, the women, the men, Grazzie Mille!  My favorite place - Santorini, Greece - the whole city is on top of the mountain - the only way to get there is to walk, cable car, or donkey.  Of course I took the donkey :)  All the cute little buildings are white - it was just so peaceful and magical, surrounded by a true blue ocean - Serene.

So my final ship was the Norwegian Sky, we were in Bremerhaven, Germany for a month getting it ready to sail to Canada.  We visited Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, but as we neared Quebec City, we got too close and ran aground, Thank God nothing like the disaster that recently happened, but I decided that after 3 years my cruising career had run aground as well.

While I was waiting to see what they were going to do with us, I took a bus to Montreal, met the first Jewish guy I was ever attracted to, had a great time, but overall at that time I wanted intense, dark and totally not in relationship and rest of your life mode.  But I was happy to know that there was someone out there for me, he did exist, and I just had to trust I would meet him when it was the right time.

Live in the moment, don't worry about the how, trust your gut and dive into life,

Coach Yulia