Life is an Adventure - Travelling and Cruising

Life is an Adventure - Live it

"We travel not to escape life, but life not to escape us"

Are you living your life or just existing? Life is hard and no one has told us that it will ever be easy. 

Life can throw you a curveball which normally comes unexpectedly and you have to deal with these bombshells to survive. But sometimes life throws you a lemon and it is here that you find the optimism for a life of adventure, for a life of inner peace and growth.

You may decide that you want a complete overhaul of your life. Perhaps you already have something in mind and you are just waiting for the right time to pursue your dream. Or perhaps, like me, you already have something you enjoy and can offer, that could work towards your dream of adventures.

When life threw me a lemon I learnt so much about myself, the people I wanted in my life, the place I wanted to be, the boundaries I needed to establish and the strength required to create this new life. Once I caught that 'lemon' I started to plan my life of adventure and travel. I still have responsibilities and bills to pay so it was a case of finding my work/life balance and pursue it.

My first year went well. Working onboard cruise ships, travelling around Cyprus and working as a Yoga Instructor on a retreat in Greece. So what has the "lemon" taught me so far:

"When we experience adventure, we find ourselves in the present moment and savour all the beauty that life has to offer"

I have always loved the working cruise-life but this adventure is very different from the 10 years of cruising I have been used to. I am a freelancer now, meaning I have to find my own work rather than work onboard as crew under contract. There are positives and negatives as always if you work for yourself, but overall I much prefer having control over where I work and the jobs that I do. I feel this has been a great lesson for me. Without the 'lemon' I may have gone back to working as crew and missed this more meaningful working life, more suitable for the adventures I have been looking for.

Working as a freelance Fitness/Yoga Instructor onboard, I have a cabin in the passenger area (rather than the crew area) where I can store all my fitness equipment and spend any downtime I have during the cruise. I have been so lucky to have a large spacious cabin at the forward of the ship with a huge picture window. Some of my downtime would be to watch the 'sail in' and 'sail out' from this window. These are the moments that make beautiful memories. 

I guess as a freelance instructor, if being alone is an issue, this would not be a suitable job for you. There is a sense of 'loneliness' as you are not classed as crew and neither are you a passenger. You can feel 'lost' at times, so it is up to you to be sociable, kind and accommodating to the passengers, officers and crew onboard. There will of course, be days when you don't feel like it, but it is part of the job if you wish to be successful. 

My job onboard is to teach fitness and yoga. My day consists of early morning walking the decks and a morning 'Chair Fit' class. After lunch I walk the decks again and following this is a yoga class. After this it is more of a social working life with cocktail parties and fine dining. On the port days I escort passengers on their tours ashore, usually I am on the full day tours which is a great way to see the world and have a lot of fun with the passengers.

"The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams" Oprah Winfrey

I had forgotten how much I enjoy teaching older adults and chair fitness classes. I fell in love again with 'movement, strength and flexibility' classes and the students that look to live a better life. These types of classes help students to enjoy their daily lives and activities with more mobility. These classes are fun and lively. I bring resistance bands and Pilates balls with me for strength and movement and I add methods of relaxation to end the classes. I have so much enjoyment teaching these types of classes and the passengers are eager to learn about movement and mobility. I have fun teaching these passengers and I have fun socialising with them too. 

I also teach Zen, Gentle and Yin Yoga for older adults and this is an afternoon practice for the passengers that are able to get down onto their yoga mats. This is an opening for me to teach meditation for inner peace and calm and bring an understanding to exploring and noticing sensations within the body. I am normally onboard for 3-4 weeks which is enough time for passengers to practice sequences to help ease some emotional and physical ailments. It's a great way to introduce slower, spiritual types of yoga that they can continue when they return home.

"The best way to experience the World is by going outside and exploring it"

The best way to explore is by going on a tour ashore. When cruising, it is more than likely you will find there is only one day in a destination port. For me, I am lucky enough to have this as part of my job, escorting the passengers on tour for the whole day. I have seen so much in a year. It has been 8 years since I was last cruising, so even revisiting destinations has been a pleasure. As an instructor, I never get to meet all the passengers and this is another way I can talk to those who have never joined my classes. I have met some really interesting people this way and I enjoy the time I get to spend with them. There are times that I join them for tea or dinner to continue our conversations. Another great way to meet new and interesting people.

Cruising is a fabulous way to find adventure and to travel the world. You choose your itinerary and visit places perhaps you would never have even contemplated on a single journey. These at times, can be those little 'gems' on a cruise. 

Fitness and Yoga are a big part of my life and I have been lucky enough to incorporate these into my new adventures and my happy life. This is definitely a good place for me and one I am pursuing to continue.

Life is an Adventure - Travel and Teaching Yoga

I was lucky enough last year to find a 10 week Yoga teacher position in Greece. It was a quick decision I made and I am really glad I agreed to work here. 

I have always wanted to teach Yoga outside by the ocean for many reasons. Being outside in the warm sunshine connecting with nature is a positive and healthy way to start and end your day. The sound of the ocean is both rhythmic and meditative, just perfect for Yoga. The day starts with the rise of the sun and sun salutations then ends with the setting of the sun and meditation. 

The Yoga studio was elevated above the ocean and set in a bay where the view of the sea was panoramic. The sound of the ocean filled the entire studio during the practice and the vibrant colours of the sunrise and sunset appeared like a huge cinematic screen. The students would become mesmerised during the meditations in awe of the scenery and the sounds of the whispering waves. It was magical!!

"Every sunset is an opportunity to reset" Richie Norton

I don't think I have ever experienced such peace and calm as I did here in these perfect moments. There are many Yoga students that return to this retreat just to experience this tranquillity over and over again. 

I did many activities whilst I was here and I will be forever grateful for this. I had my first experience of paddleboarding (SUP) in this beautiful bay. I enjoyed the three hour SUP activity with a 30 minute break at a private beach, swimming in the crystal clear waters of the Ionian Sea. I was also able to take students hiking to the local villages, a 4 hour activity to see some of the most beautiful views across the coastline with coffee stops in the local Taverna's.

This beautiful place, full of amazing memories and unforgettable moments will always have a place in my heart. 

The positive side of travelling and working in one place for a length of time is that it enables you to learn about the local people, local traditions, local foods and lifestyles. You also meet a lot of people from all walks of life with interesting stories and each day is different. This lifestyle is not a 9-5 ordinary day, it comes with many challenges as well as gifted memories.

I love Greece and the Greek people, the Mediterranean lifestyle and the beauty of the islands. I feel at home in both Cyprus and Greece. I feel safe here and I have the time now to plan new adventures in these countries.

Life is an Adventure and so it Continues:

Working and travelling gives you an income and adventure. This is finding my working life balance. As long as I am able to earn enough to pay my bills and put some aside for non-working travel, I will be a very happy person. I have planned my year ahead in the hope that every new day brings new memories and special moments. My working and travel itinerary for the year is now in place and my hope is that this will work out as scheduled.

I have two months off at home which is a good amount of time for me to catch up with friends and family and to do the things I enjoy when I am home. I have four working cruises ahead, a visit to see friends in Cyprus (having once lived and worked here), a holiday in Madeira (an island I love and yet to fully explore) and some more work in Greece albeit a new adventure this time.

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