I’m doing better today. Like I said, the first cruise or so is a battle of riding the ups and downs and finding a good place of routine and semi-stability as much as you can find in this atmosphere. Part of finding that “at home” feeling relies a lot on the people you surround yourself with. Good ship companions as I have found out, can make or break a contract for you. While I tend to try and be on the independent side and not need to constantly lean on someone, an emotionally driven person such as myself does, embarrassingly at times, rely on those stable relationships. One of the downfalls, and charm of this life is the seemingly magical way that important people filter seamlessly in and out of your existence on ships.
This has been the case for a few friends who have woven their way back into my ship life world this week. The first, has been Alison (not me speaking in 3rd person….an actual dancer named Alison) who was on the Paradise with Chris and I almost 2 years ago now. A light hearted, care free Australian girl who is much younger than me (as most dancers on ships are which leads me to feel more mature than I should at 28) but has a quirky maturity about her that has always been endearing. I knew she would be here when I accepted this ship and was one of the reasons I did choose this ship. To have someone who knows and loves both me AND my boyfriend is very reassuring and her presence has been very comforting as she is in a similar situation being apart from a boyfriend as well. I spent a good long while sitting with her on the floor of her room talking and laughing and enjoying a nice feeling of “family” yesterday, which is a very nice luxury close to the holidays and in this environment where you can feel very easily isolated. I am very grateful to have someone just down the hallway that I know I can steal a hug from when I need it. Unfortunately, you don’t always have that on every contract.
The other enormous friend luxury I have been provided docked next o me in Grand Turk today. When Chris signed off the Paradise and left me to finish my contract over a year ago, a girl named Katie Schultz had signed on to be the singer in the new cast of performer on the ship. Katie is also American (which on ships is a rarity…..no one can throw the minority card at me after my time in this lifestyle) which is a common bond right off, but even more so, the common thread of similarities in personality we share cannot be overlooked. Chris had met her first and immediately “picked her out” for me and told her to take care of me when he left the Paradise and that she did. She was almost literally my saving grace (her and her Australian at the time boyfriend Matt who also was on this ship visiting her this particular day) and we have shared a friendship bond since that has stood contracts and vacations apart for over a year now which also, in this lifestyle, is something to be said for. So it was with much happiness that both our ships today happened to dock in the same port and I was literally the first person to run off the gangway and nearly tackle Katie who was standing on the pier with Matt waiting for me. While I will not get into everything talked about or all the catching up shared, the fact that I have the opportunity to be around people that I care very much for and value in my life is priceless. I get wonderful opportunities in my line of work…..just the fact that I stepped off a CRUISE SHIP (where I LIVE) into a port like Grand Turk and this is a normal occurrence is special. But having that on a regular basis reaffirms to me constantly the importance of people like Katie, Alison and Matt in my life who feel like a family when I am far away from any stable sort of family or my boyfriend. It’s them who love and accept me when I need a person to trust and talk to or laugh with or show vulnerability when a lot of this lifestyle depends on your strength and independence. Their friendships, when SO many relationships in the life of an entertainer are just fly by acquaintances, are so valuable to me and worth working at to keep in contact and stay connected to. I am so happy and so grateful this contract that I have that. It’s going to be a lot of what keeps me sane so far away and with so many unknowns at this moment and so close to the holidays. And for me, that’s saying a lot.
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