WINDBLOWN

Windblown (adjective) - carried or driven by the wind

Being born on September 24, I am categorized as a Libra. A Libra is classified as the cardinal air sign which, for those of you who don’t believe in and/or do not follow the zodiac "mumbo-jumbo", being a cardinal means that a Libra is an initiator and being connected to the element of air means that a Libra channels their mind to navigate through life. Therefore, it is easy for my perspective on life to be modified by new experiences, much like the air you are breathing now and how it is ever-changing. Also, much like the air you are breathing now, sometimes things can get a little unbalanced and thus you experience a Libra when he/she is feeling windblown.

The past week or so, this Libra has been in a windblown phase. I have recently begun a new endeavor due to an employment opportunity with Carnival Cruise Lines and I hope you are able to join and enjoy my journey through weekly posts! For this particular post, I will focus on the beginning. 

Saturday, November 14, 2014 - Thursday, November 20, 2014

The night before my departure could be compared to the many nights I experienced in my youth that came prior to the first day of school. My mind was restless and I wondered many things: What will I learn? Who will I meet? Where will I go? I knew that soon I would be beginning a new chapter of my life and the excitement of this revelation overpowered my desire to rest.

The next morning I woke up ten minutes before my alarm, which was set to ring at 3:45 a.m. I showered, checked my suitcase, brushed my teeth, dressed myself in my pre-planned outfit, checked my suitcase, skipped breakfast, brushed my hair, and checked my suitcase. Finally, the time came for me to fly from the Ozark Mountains to the Caribbean. 

I arrived at the airport an hour early and registered my luggage, which weighed in at 52.5 pounds and (cue promotional plug!) the Delta Air Lines representative kindly excused the extra 2.5 pounds. I breezed through security, made my way to the terminal, chose a seat to patiently wait in, pulled out a book to read, and found a granola bar to snack on (breakfast un-skipped). Every time I am in an airport waiting to board the plane, I cannot help but to think of one of my favorite quotes that is written by my favorite author, Jonathan Safran Foer.

“I like to see people reunited, I like to see people run to each other, I like the kissing and the crying, I like the impatience, the stories that the mouth can’t tell fast enough, the ears that aren’t big enough, the eyes that can’t take in the change, I like the hugging, the bringing together, the end of missing someone.” (Foer, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)

Though I knew there wouldn’t be some spectacular, joyous reunion at my final destination, the quote still resonated. In an airport, you are surrounded by emotional diversity. Some people are uneasy because their plane could go down (highly unlikely), some people are frustrated because their plane is delayed (highly likely), but most people, at least from my experiences, are happy. Happy for that special reunion that Foer describes in his novel or happy to be embarking on a new journey in their life, much like myself.

Around 1 p.m. I landed in Miami with an hour to claim my luggage, hail a cab, be chauffeured to my ship’s port, un-claim my luggage so it could be loaded onto the ship, clear through security, and, finally, board my vessel. Once aboard, corporate orientations and job training would commence. Below this paragraph you will find a selfie of me that I feel can accurately sum up how I felt at times during my first week.

Windblown. This photo was taken after stepping out onto one of my ship’s breezeways during rough seas one evening. Long story short, I may or may not have had two, or eight (JUST KIDDING), too many cranberry vodkas and I may or may not have also been blasted to the ground, as if being sprayed by a firehose trying to put out a burning building, due to the strong gusts of wind. I can promise that the photo doesn’t due justice to my dishevelment in that moment, but it does provide an image of me a little windblown.

Though this process had seemed overwhelming at times, the stresses of starting a new job were overshadowed by all of the insightful knowledge I have been provided with. Secondly, I have been welcomed by all of my fellow crew members, each coming from fascinating cultures throughout the world. And lastly, in the spare time I had this past week, I saw glimpses of the beauty that Jamaica has to offer from my vessel’s top deck.

More or less, that is how this new chapter of my life has begun. Many things have changed and will continue to change, but I am excited to share these changes with those who are interested in reading. I hope you have enjoyed my tangents and I welcome you aboard my journey! Check back for future posts because the questions that raced through my mind and kept me awake before my departure last week still remain open: What will I learn? Who will I meet? Where will I go?