Granted it has yet been a while since I last updated, and granted I said I would make the attempt to update more frequently, recent family issues have unfortunately delayed updates until now.
I have been back in Texas for a month now. My second contract on the ms Oosterdam was quite tumultuous both on the home and work fronts. I enjoyed Hawaii, the Mexican Riviera and a third summer in Alaska to the best of my ability. I visited the somber site of Pearl Harbor, flew over Haleakala via helicopter in Maui, went whale watching a total of three times (once in Cabo, once in Honolulu and the other in Maui), visited the amazing Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu (and had a tour guide who had long rants about 50 First Dates, the Karate Kid 2 and other somewhat useless information on the way to there)...
...okay, on that note really quickly, some people would love to hear about the cinematic flare of Hawaii (we sold a tour on Kauai dedicated strictly to that). But these are senior citizens, many of them thinking that "wax on, wax off" will make you blind and/or send you to hell. Back to the post...
...flew over the beautiful Misty Fjords via floatplane (finally) outside of Ketchikan, saw Sitka for the first time and many other great experiences. It was good to see my Juneau friends as well.
In approximately three weeks, I will be boarding the ms Maasdam and repeating the Atlantic Adventurer cruise I did last fall, followed by six weeks in the Caribbean, an amazing 49-day Amazon and Carnival itinerary to Brazil (including two nights in Rio de Janiero), ending with another six weeks in the Southern and Eastern Caribbean and mostly likely continuing on to New England and the Canadian Maritimes for the encore (we shall see about that). I am scheduled to return home April 22nd but if they want an encore expect me back home sometime mid-late May.
I also recently picked up an affordable camera lens add-on kit featuring a small wide angle lens add-on and a small telephoto lens add-on (this one increases the zoom x 2.2). It's obviously not the high-end professional equipment but I want to build up to that. Besides, just because my Nikon D3100 isn't what you would call a "pro" camera, it can more than take professional-quality photos (just without some of the real fancy stuff). I am in the market to purchase another actual lens, most likely a 55mm-300mm or some variation of that but a nice f/1.8 for night shooting is also being considered. I will say, though, that my 18mm-55mm lens kit is very sufficient for night shooting as is, so I might decide to go for a 24mm f/2.8 or some variation like that.
I'm also deciding which photos I've taken in the past couple of years to have printed out and hanging in my house. I'm considering having three or four large prints and four smaller ones to hang up, and then all of the "finalist" photos printed out on 8x11 for portfolio purposes. My skills are nowhere near professional quality yet (I still have a lot to learn about proper exposure) but hopefully in due time this will change.
So here's to another summer, this one being flushed down the toilet as quickly as humanly possible. A very rocky road is ahead, so all I can do is try to go with every bump and pitfall regardless of the bruising that will occur.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Our String of Destiny
Everything happens for a reason. Where we are meant to be at specific times, the trials we encounter and the tribulations that inject us with copious amounts of character are all part of a grander plan. Or so many have said.
How much control over our own destiny do we truly have? We have the freedom to make decisions yet sometimes the consequences of those decisions are completely out of our control. It is also through those decisions we see a world full of uncontrollable variables play out before our eyes, a play that has a legion of outcomes with only one string attached to our very finger to manipulate a fraction of what is going on. And yet, that fraction can make or break an entire scene.
This contract has been trying for a variety of reasons, all of which have tested the virtues of patience and perserverence. This summer is gearing up to be among the toughest yet, and the only string I have to pluck is that of prayer. But maybe one pluck can resonate a note so breathtaking and hopeful that equilibirum will, once again, be reached in my mind and harmony in my heart.
Our current Alaska itinerary is far from perfect. There is no Glacier Bay, no Skagway or Vancouver, no evening stay in Juneau, no beautiful sail through the Johnstone Straights and Seymore Narrows (both featuring some of the best whale-watching on the Pacific Coast), no College Fjord or beautiful calls to Seward. I was spoiled last year in every way. However, upon returning this Sunday refreshed, I will chart out a new outlook for our repeating 7-day Seattle-Seattle itinerary. After all, how can it be possible to have a bad Alaskan itinerary? It's possible, but it can still be enjoyed.
But that is the least of the problems, and it's really a correction that must be made on my end. An attitude adjustment is needed, and with that will come a very enjoyable time. During my nine-week experience in Bermuda last year, I know that a positive attitude, a great working environment and surrounding oneself with great people will bring out the best of what seems like a boring itinerary. This will also greatly help with the far more serious issues looming, but those will not be discussed at this time.
Right now, I must focus on returning to work better than ever, and finishing the final two-and-a-half months of my contract on multiple strong notes, one pluck at a time.
How much control over our own destiny do we truly have? We have the freedom to make decisions yet sometimes the consequences of those decisions are completely out of our control. It is also through those decisions we see a world full of uncontrollable variables play out before our eyes, a play that has a legion of outcomes with only one string attached to our very finger to manipulate a fraction of what is going on. And yet, that fraction can make or break an entire scene.
This contract has been trying for a variety of reasons, all of which have tested the virtues of patience and perserverence. This summer is gearing up to be among the toughest yet, and the only string I have to pluck is that of prayer. But maybe one pluck can resonate a note so breathtaking and hopeful that equilibirum will, once again, be reached in my mind and harmony in my heart.
Our current Alaska itinerary is far from perfect. There is no Glacier Bay, no Skagway or Vancouver, no evening stay in Juneau, no beautiful sail through the Johnstone Straights and Seymore Narrows (both featuring some of the best whale-watching on the Pacific Coast), no College Fjord or beautiful calls to Seward. I was spoiled last year in every way. However, upon returning this Sunday refreshed, I will chart out a new outlook for our repeating 7-day Seattle-Seattle itinerary. After all, how can it be possible to have a bad Alaskan itinerary? It's possible, but it can still be enjoyed.
But that is the least of the problems, and it's really a correction that must be made on my end. An attitude adjustment is needed, and with that will come a very enjoyable time. During my nine-week experience in Bermuda last year, I know that a positive attitude, a great working environment and surrounding oneself with great people will bring out the best of what seems like a boring itinerary. This will also greatly help with the far more serious issues looming, but those will not be discussed at this time.
Right now, I must focus on returning to work better than ever, and finishing the final two-and-a-half months of my contract on multiple strong notes, one pluck at a time.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Luckenbach Jaaaaaa!
The frigid chill of the Texas Hill Country air added the bluesy feeling to the 5th Annual Blues Festival in Luckenbach, TX. What's more interesting than it actually being cold in Central Texas is the fact Luckenbach isn't technically, well, a real town. It encompasses a general store, one beer stand, several portapoties, another loo and a concession stand all in existance because of a dance hall. Eight bands over the course of eight hours engulfed the hall with various blues-influenced sounds, yet many didn't even flinch so much as dance.
Beck Beckendorf featured a six-piece band, half of them guitarists. There's nothing wrong with having three guitarists when it's for a purpose, but somehow I didn't see the purpose of it with this group. Nevertheless, their contemporary blues sound was very enjoyable, and it was cool to see a member whose sole purpose was to kick ass on the harmonica.
My favorite act of the day was an Austin-based three-piece band called Porterdavis. With a beatnick-like appearance, they played a non-pretentious blues style with more depth than the other acts featured. The drummer relied only one a kick drum, a stick and a tamberine. Another member was strictly a harpist like in Beck Beckendorf, and of course, the guitarist/vocalist.
W.C. Clark and his backing band played a more blues-jazz fusion with 60s-style keyboard thrown in for good measure. While a very good set, a few of the songs felt a bit too long, which isn't a problem with the music itself but rather reveals my sometimes lack of patience when it comes to extended jazz and blues songs. Then again it was also getting quite chilly by this point so that didn't help my patience any.
Guy Forsyth brought out a more polished country-blues fusion with catchy hooks, while Band of Heathens slanted more towards an outlaw country-blues combination. Both were very enjoyable, and in fact, Band of Heathens was the only band I had even heard of in the line-up before today.
Unfortunately, the cold forced us to retreat to warmer areas of the grounds during two of the other acts, and we left as the final act was starting.
It was nice to hang out with Josh and Amanda, and it was nice to get out of the big city for the afternoon and evening. Tomorrow, I think a nice morning bike ride around the neighborhood and a good core workout is in order before a pleasant rest before lunch.
The U.K. blogs will be posted soon.
Beck Beckendorf featured a six-piece band, half of them guitarists. There's nothing wrong with having three guitarists when it's for a purpose, but somehow I didn't see the purpose of it with this group. Nevertheless, their contemporary blues sound was very enjoyable, and it was cool to see a member whose sole purpose was to kick ass on the harmonica.
My favorite act of the day was an Austin-based three-piece band called Porterdavis. With a beatnick-like appearance, they played a non-pretentious blues style with more depth than the other acts featured. The drummer relied only one a kick drum, a stick and a tamberine. Another member was strictly a harpist like in Beck Beckendorf, and of course, the guitarist/vocalist.
W.C. Clark and his backing band played a more blues-jazz fusion with 60s-style keyboard thrown in for good measure. While a very good set, a few of the songs felt a bit too long, which isn't a problem with the music itself but rather reveals my sometimes lack of patience when it comes to extended jazz and blues songs. Then again it was also getting quite chilly by this point so that didn't help my patience any.
Guy Forsyth brought out a more polished country-blues fusion with catchy hooks, while Band of Heathens slanted more towards an outlaw country-blues combination. Both were very enjoyable, and in fact, Band of Heathens was the only band I had even heard of in the line-up before today.
Unfortunately, the cold forced us to retreat to warmer areas of the grounds during two of the other acts, and we left as the final act was starting.
It was nice to hang out with Josh and Amanda, and it was nice to get out of the big city for the afternoon and evening. Tomorrow, I think a nice morning bike ride around the neighborhood and a good core workout is in order before a pleasant rest before lunch.
The U.K. blogs will be posted soon.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
5...4...3...2...1...Rebooting. 2012 Begins!
Yes yes, it's been nearly a full Gregorian cycle since last updating. Part of the reason was due to the lack of sufficient cheap internet during my first lucrative contract for Holland America Line.
Picking up where the story left off, I not only successfully worked the first three months of the Alaska season onboard the ms Statendam but I was blessed with, at first, a three-week contract extension provided I transfered to the ms Veendam to finish the final two months of their NYC-Bermuda run. At first, I wasn't exactly jumping for the beanstock when I accepted the transfer, but I figured that working what is arguablly the most boring of our itineraries would show my flexibility in placements and that I would land something lucrative afterwards.
I was correct.
Disembarking the Veendam in mid-October, I came home for a brief one-week break before boarding the ms Maasdam and embarking on a 45-day Western Mediterranean and Morocco cruise. The thrill of tasing exotic lands and peaking into the cultures that defines them reminded me of why I chose this path to begin with. Not that Alaska or Bermuda aren't exotic in their own right. But with the Mediterranean offering the best itinerary, it's important to realize that a lot of fun adventures emerged from both the Alaskan and Bermudan runs.
For me, my time on the Statendam in Alaska was an equal mix of both about the destination and the people I met. For the Mediterranean and Caribbean, while I met wonderful new friends, my time was spent more focused on the destination, largely because of needing to know many different excursions in many different ports. But it was the Veendam in Bermuda that focused heavily on the people rather than the destination, as well as providing the most challenge concerning customer service and flexibility. Combining my experience on in Alaska and Bermuda prepared me for Europe. So in short, my first contract not only exposed me to many new places, but also different work environments and what is necessary to succeed in those environments.
There is so much to be said, so many memories made that it wouldn't be feasible to post everything here. However, I will make the best effort to be more consistant in updating this year. I also purchased a brand new camera, a Nikon D3100, back in August that has served me well and will continue to do so. I will also try and be more consistent in posting photos, although with a slower internet connection and the fact it costs money, photos may have to wait until free time in port. Speaking of that, I will be boarding the ms Oosterdam in mid-February to work Mexico and Hawaii for the first three months, and, starting in May, return to Alaska. Unfortunately, Skagway and Haines are not on our itinerary (but Juneau is!). Plus, I will get to experience Sitka's charm for the first time.
Last year was a blast, and I look forward to continue serving Holland America and exploring our wonderful planet.
For next time, I will post about the New Years exhibition to the United Kingdom, starring Ross Ramirez and myself. Hopefully, that will come sometime this week.
Welcome to 2012, and let's live like the world is going to end.
Picking up where the story left off, I not only successfully worked the first three months of the Alaska season onboard the ms Statendam but I was blessed with, at first, a three-week contract extension provided I transfered to the ms Veendam to finish the final two months of their NYC-Bermuda run. At first, I wasn't exactly jumping for the beanstock when I accepted the transfer, but I figured that working what is arguablly the most boring of our itineraries would show my flexibility in placements and that I would land something lucrative afterwards.
I was correct.
Disembarking the Veendam in mid-October, I came home for a brief one-week break before boarding the ms Maasdam and embarking on a 45-day Western Mediterranean and Morocco cruise. The thrill of tasing exotic lands and peaking into the cultures that defines them reminded me of why I chose this path to begin with. Not that Alaska or Bermuda aren't exotic in their own right. But with the Mediterranean offering the best itinerary, it's important to realize that a lot of fun adventures emerged from both the Alaskan and Bermudan runs.
For me, my time on the Statendam in Alaska was an equal mix of both about the destination and the people I met. For the Mediterranean and Caribbean, while I met wonderful new friends, my time was spent more focused on the destination, largely because of needing to know many different excursions in many different ports. But it was the Veendam in Bermuda that focused heavily on the people rather than the destination, as well as providing the most challenge concerning customer service and flexibility. Combining my experience on in Alaska and Bermuda prepared me for Europe. So in short, my first contract not only exposed me to many new places, but also different work environments and what is necessary to succeed in those environments.
There is so much to be said, so many memories made that it wouldn't be feasible to post everything here. However, I will make the best effort to be more consistant in updating this year. I also purchased a brand new camera, a Nikon D3100, back in August that has served me well and will continue to do so. I will also try and be more consistent in posting photos, although with a slower internet connection and the fact it costs money, photos may have to wait until free time in port. Speaking of that, I will be boarding the ms Oosterdam in mid-February to work Mexico and Hawaii for the first three months, and, starting in May, return to Alaska. Unfortunately, Skagway and Haines are not on our itinerary (but Juneau is!). Plus, I will get to experience Sitka's charm for the first time.
Last year was a blast, and I look forward to continue serving Holland America and exploring our wonderful planet.
For next time, I will post about the New Years exhibition to the United Kingdom, starring Ross Ramirez and myself. Hopefully, that will come sometime this week.
Welcome to 2012, and let's live like the world is going to end.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Leaving on a Cruise Ship
Herro all!!!
It's been a few months since updating, and a few things have taken place since the last update.
While the five-week Contiki training trip was a fun learning experience with a few nice anecdotes to emerge from it, I ultimately didn't get the job. Twelve hours after arriving in New York, the final stop of our training trip, I was on a plane back to S.A., feeling disgraced with failure deafening my confidence . And, once again, I saw next to nothing of NYC besides a somber, snowy drive through Times Square at 3 AM in a foul state of mind.
But even though what was perceived to be a shiny golden door slamming shut in my face, another one opened in the nick of time, and I couldn't be more thrilled.
May 12th, providing I pass my physical, I will be flying to San Diego to board Holland America's ms Statendam for a five-month gig as an Assistant Shore Excursion Manager. I'll be traveling to my stomping grounds from last summer in addition to other areas of Alaska that I've both visited on my way back from Skagway and locales I've yet to experience. It's a great opportunity and I look forward to the experience and memories. The Statendam will set sail the 13th, and my seasonal contract will end on September 25th in Vancouver. AND, there's the possibility of getting on board a ship for the fall and winter as well!
So you're probably not wondering, but I'm gonna tell ya anyway, what were the great times had on the five-week trip through America? See below!
Whew! Quite a few great times! I'm stoked for my next adventure, so stay tuned! Oh yeah, and Tony did win the bet.
It's been a few months since updating, and a few things have taken place since the last update.
While the five-week Contiki training trip was a fun learning experience with a few nice anecdotes to emerge from it, I ultimately didn't get the job. Twelve hours after arriving in New York, the final stop of our training trip, I was on a plane back to S.A., feeling disgraced with failure deafening my confidence . And, once again, I saw next to nothing of NYC besides a somber, snowy drive through Times Square at 3 AM in a foul state of mind.
But even though what was perceived to be a shiny golden door slamming shut in my face, another one opened in the nick of time, and I couldn't be more thrilled.
May 12th, providing I pass my physical, I will be flying to San Diego to board Holland America's ms Statendam for a five-month gig as an Assistant Shore Excursion Manager. I'll be traveling to my stomping grounds from last summer in addition to other areas of Alaska that I've both visited on my way back from Skagway and locales I've yet to experience. It's a great opportunity and I look forward to the experience and memories. The Statendam will set sail the 13th, and my seasonal contract will end on September 25th in Vancouver. AND, there's the possibility of getting on board a ship for the fall and winter as well!
So you're probably not wondering, but I'm gonna tell ya anyway, what were the great times had on the five-week trip through America? See below!
- San Diego is awesome.
- "Elvis" "marrying" Jack and Hannah in Las Vegas.
- Exploring various casinos in Vegas, and catching the Mirage's volcano show.
- Helicopter flight over a somewhat snowy Grand Canyon.
- A jeep tour in the snow in Sedona, AZ.
- Hannah and the "one-armed son-of-a-bitch".
- The immense beauty of Monument Valley and very educational tour of Navajo Nation.
- In Durango, driving a snowmobile into a five-foot snow bank and subsequently getting it stuck.
- Santa Fe is still awesome.
- Ryan's successful completion of the Big Texan challenge.
- Except for Deep Ellum, the 6th Floor Museum and Hotel Indigo, Dallas still blows.
- Using Tony as cannon fodder in the haunted house in Dallas. Also, the fire alarm going off and us not evacuating the building because we assumed it was part of the show.
- Homeless dude in Memphis being scared of Eileen and using me as a shield to block her from his sight. She then peaked out from behind me and scared him again.
- Eating BBQ at Rendezvous and Neely's in Memphis (deeeeelicious!). That was the best I ate the entire trip.
- Graceland, The Rock 'N' Soul Museum and wandering Beale St. It's safe to say I love Memphis.
- Missing the motorcoach in Memphis due to oversleeping. Luckily we weren't leaving town that day.
- The horrific stench of Bourbon St. in New Orleans during Carnival.
- Jack's pimp ways during the jazz cruise in New Orleans.
- Watching people ride tractors and ATVs out to watch Mardi Gras parades in the Louisiana Bayou when they were mere 20-30 feet from their houses. One man even hooked up a flat bed to his tractor, put a couch in it and his family sat on the couch as he drove them around.
- The Bayou tour and getting to hold an alligator.
- Cajun and Creole cuisine, of course!
- Opinion of the Orlando area would have been slightly higher if I had the money and time to hang out in Universal Studios. The jaded attitude of many people there didn't help either. Tallahassee and Kississimmee were rather forgettable as well.
- Miami - Little Havana, dancing the night away on a party boat and Mango's in South Beach.
- The tandem bike ride with Andy in South Beach. We were total rock stars that morning. The art deco buildings and the beach in South Beach were beautiful as well, but I can do without the rest of it.
- Tony and the astronaut suit. At the Kennedy Space Center, after the Shuttle Launch Experience, myself and several colleagues made a bet with him. We would all pitch in for a $100-souvenir astronaut suit for Tony on the condition he had to wear it everyday in public for the remainder of the tour. If he took it off, he had to pay us our money back. What happened? Continue reading to find out!
- The ghost tour in St. Augustine. While on the tour, a group of kids passed by, one of them shouting "Who are you gonna call? Ghostbusters!" to Tony. Also, while researching St. Augustine, a guy drove up and shouted "douchebag!" to him.
- Pizza on the beach in Cocoa Beach.
- Eating delicious pub food on a rooftop restaurant in Savannah.
- The green fountain for St. Patrick's Day in Forsythe Park in Savannah.
- Charleston was pretty interesting; just wish we had more time there to explore.
- Tony fooling a couple of girls at a bookstore in Raleigh into believing he was an astronaut from Massachusetts with his JFK impersonation.
- Impressed with what little I saw of Richmond.
- D.C. still rocks - gotta love the Air & Space Museum and the National Museum of American History.
- Wandering all of the memorials at night in D.C. and the great history discussions I had with my colleagues.
- Wishing we had more time in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
- The snowy drive through Times Square in NYC.
Whew! Quite a few great times! I'm stoked for my next adventure, so stay tuned! Oh yeah, and Tony did win the bet.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
No Sleep 'Till Brooklyn
As noted on my Facebook page, I have officially been invited to train with Contiki Holidays starting on February 14th. The first few days will be at Contiki's offices in Anaheim before we set out on the open road. The training tour schedule is, as of now, as follows:
2/16 - Depart L.A., head to San Diego
2/17-2/18 - San Diego
2/19 - Phoenix
2/20 - Grand Canyon
2/21-2/23 - Las Vegas
2/24 - Grand Canyon
2/25 - Cortez, CO
2/26 - Albuquerque
2/27 - Amarillo
2/28-3/1 - Dallas
3/2-3/4 - Memphis (with what seems to be an excursion to Nashville during this time)
3/5-3/7 - New Orleans
3/8 - Tallahassee
3/9-3/10 - Orlando
3/11-3/13 - Miami
3/14 - Cocoa Beach, FL
3/15 - St. Augustine, FL
3/16 - Savannah
3/17 - Raleigh
3/18-3/20 - Washington, D.C.
3/21 - Pittsburgh
3/22 - Philadelphia
3/23-3/24 - New York
3/25 - Return to L.A.
From there, we get two days off before another week or so of in-class training and pre-season meetings. April 5 is the last day of training and meetings. I'm really excited about this opportunity!
Also, I plan to start up another blog that will be my official travel blog/travel photography portfolio. This one will revert to one where I'll talk about, well, random things. I know, I have a difficult enough time keeping up with one blog much less two. When will I start up the new one? I have no idea right now, but I'm hoping sometime this year.
Once February 14th rolls around, there will be no sleep 'till Brooklyn...literally. Exciting times ahead!
2/16 - Depart L.A., head to San Diego
2/17-2/18 - San Diego
2/19 - Phoenix
2/20 - Grand Canyon
2/21-2/23 - Las Vegas
2/24 - Grand Canyon
2/25 - Cortez, CO
2/26 - Albuquerque
2/27 - Amarillo
2/28-3/1 - Dallas
3/2-3/4 - Memphis (with what seems to be an excursion to Nashville during this time)
3/5-3/7 - New Orleans
3/8 - Tallahassee
3/9-3/10 - Orlando
3/11-3/13 - Miami
3/14 - Cocoa Beach, FL
3/15 - St. Augustine, FL
3/16 - Savannah
3/17 - Raleigh
3/18-3/20 - Washington, D.C.
3/21 - Pittsburgh
3/22 - Philadelphia
3/23-3/24 - New York
3/25 - Return to L.A.
From there, we get two days off before another week or so of in-class training and pre-season meetings. April 5 is the last day of training and meetings. I'm really excited about this opportunity!
Also, I plan to start up another blog that will be my official travel blog/travel photography portfolio. This one will revert to one where I'll talk about, well, random things. I know, I have a difficult enough time keeping up with one blog much less two. When will I start up the new one? I have no idea right now, but I'm hoping sometime this year.
Once February 14th rolls around, there will be no sleep 'till Brooklyn...literally. Exciting times ahead!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
The Waiting Game
Happy New Year to everyone! Hopefully, it's going well for y'all.
My interview with Contiki Holidays in California seemed to have gone well. I learned quite a bit about the job and the training course required for it. One huge positive is I won't have to move out to California. This will allow me to save up a LOT more money, despite the fact I am financially responsible for paying my own way to the starting point of each tour I'm assigned to. While that might not seem like a fair deal, it's still much cheaper than moving, and, much of the time I will have about two days to a week off between tours, which will allow me to stay in L.A. instead of dropping the cash every time to return home. There may be a few instances where I will have several weeks off in a row. Depending on how much money is in the bank during those times, there's a strong possibility I will use this time for travel purposes. Where to, I don't know, but that's part of the fun!
Of course, I have to not only get invited to the training course and pay for it first, I have to then be offered a position after successfully completing training. I am confident I did well, but that will remain to be seen in about two weeks when I should hear back from them.
If I'm invited to train, I then fly back to L.A., and we begin a grueling eight-week training course February 14, and ending on April 7. It starts out in L.A. and we then head down to San Diego before punching east into Arizona. Phoenix, Sedona and the Grand Canyon will be visited before we head into Las Vegas. From Vegas, we head eastbound once again, through the four-corners into Santa Fe and Albuquerque, then into northern Texas and going through Little Rock, Memphis and New Orleans. From there, it's a one-week jaunt through Florida before heading northward through Savannah, Charleston and into Virginia, D.C., Philadelphia and finally ending in New York. At this point, we know if we're hired or not.
If they fly us back to L.A., we're in. If not, we must pay our own way back home from New York. After returning to California, we then participate in a welcome-back meeting with the returning Tour Managers, and finally a week of paperwork training before we're ready to go. New recruits won't start leading tours until June, so I'll have most of April and all of May before heading out. IF indeed this all comes to pass, I'm going to see if I can return to Skagway in late April and reprise my role as Moosejaw Dave for the month of May before flying back to California and preparing to embark on my first tour as a Tour Manager.
Unfortunately, there's virtually no chance for me to lead international tours for Contiki since all of their international tours are handled through their respected departments. But that's alright. I'm still pretty excited (and nervous) about what could possibly happen. I'll be leading tours with people in my age bracket, learning more about America and having a good ol' time in the process. It's a one-step-at-a-time sort of deal at the moment, so hopefully the next step of being invited to train will come to pass.
My interview with Contiki Holidays in California seemed to have gone well. I learned quite a bit about the job and the training course required for it. One huge positive is I won't have to move out to California. This will allow me to save up a LOT more money, despite the fact I am financially responsible for paying my own way to the starting point of each tour I'm assigned to. While that might not seem like a fair deal, it's still much cheaper than moving, and, much of the time I will have about two days to a week off between tours, which will allow me to stay in L.A. instead of dropping the cash every time to return home. There may be a few instances where I will have several weeks off in a row. Depending on how much money is in the bank during those times, there's a strong possibility I will use this time for travel purposes. Where to, I don't know, but that's part of the fun!
Of course, I have to not only get invited to the training course and pay for it first, I have to then be offered a position after successfully completing training. I am confident I did well, but that will remain to be seen in about two weeks when I should hear back from them.
If I'm invited to train, I then fly back to L.A., and we begin a grueling eight-week training course February 14, and ending on April 7. It starts out in L.A. and we then head down to San Diego before punching east into Arizona. Phoenix, Sedona and the Grand Canyon will be visited before we head into Las Vegas. From Vegas, we head eastbound once again, through the four-corners into Santa Fe and Albuquerque, then into northern Texas and going through Little Rock, Memphis and New Orleans. From there, it's a one-week jaunt through Florida before heading northward through Savannah, Charleston and into Virginia, D.C., Philadelphia and finally ending in New York. At this point, we know if we're hired or not.
If they fly us back to L.A., we're in. If not, we must pay our own way back home from New York. After returning to California, we then participate in a welcome-back meeting with the returning Tour Managers, and finally a week of paperwork training before we're ready to go. New recruits won't start leading tours until June, so I'll have most of April and all of May before heading out. IF indeed this all comes to pass, I'm going to see if I can return to Skagway in late April and reprise my role as Moosejaw Dave for the month of May before flying back to California and preparing to embark on my first tour as a Tour Manager.
Unfortunately, there's virtually no chance for me to lead international tours for Contiki since all of their international tours are handled through their respected departments. But that's alright. I'm still pretty excited (and nervous) about what could possibly happen. I'll be leading tours with people in my age bracket, learning more about America and having a good ol' time in the process. It's a one-step-at-a-time sort of deal at the moment, so hopefully the next step of being invited to train will come to pass.
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