A month of my vacation has already gone by! I've got about a month and a half left here. I've been busy the last several weeks, working on cleaning my room, going through old boxes, and just generally organizing my stuff.
But besides that, I've finally been able to find some work up here in Arrowhead - I am holding down two minimum wage type jobs. I want to make just enough money so that I don't feel guilty about spending everything I made during my contract. But so far I've been working maybe a bit more than I really want to - I want to get a bit of relaxation at some point! I work in a nicer gift shop in the Village called "In The Woods", which basically sells rustic decor. I love the shop, the job, and the owner, and as of today I am all trained up - I got my official key to the store and I open tomorrow all by myself! :-) Ha ha, it felt like I was all grown up.
The second job is at a recently opened coffee shop, also in the Village. It is not quite as enjoyable as the shop, but I do make a little bit of extra cash in tips, which is nice. And I'm actually kindof excited to learn all about making coffee. New skills always excite me, even if if it is as simple as knowing how to work an espresso machine. :-) The great thing is that both of these jobs are fine with me leaving in July for my next contract, so I can work guilt-free. :-)
This weekend both jobs will get pretty busy, as memorial day weekend is a big tourist weekend in Arrowhead. We also have some friends coming up to visit us soon, which I'm looking forward to. Other than that, the plan is just to work, clean, and practice until July, which is coming up fast!
Mont Blanc
Monday, May 19, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Home again! (well, at least California again)
Well, thus ends my second contract with Celebrity Cruises! I can't believe how fast it went...3 months felt like just a few weeks, whereas 6 months felt like a year. :-) Maybe my next contract (5 months) will feel right. Yep, it looks like I will be staying with Celebrity after all for one more contract - they have agreed to get me a higher salary and I really can't wait to experience that itinerary.
My flight was very smooth and all the transitions went without problems. I had a fun and talkative seating partner - we entertained each other for half of the flight (whenever I wasn't asleep). I was met at the airport by my sister, three wonderful friends, and a big sign. :-) I wish I had been more awake at that point to enjoy being home, but I was definitely ready for bed. I spent the night with Chelsea on campus at APU, and then subbed with the APU jazz band the next day at a concert. It was fun to play with a big band again, even if I was jet lagged. I spent last night with my friend Dayna, as she needed to finish fitting my dress for my friend's Sean and Sheena's wedding tomorrow, and she is finishing up as we speak. As soon as she does we'll be off to meet the rest of the wedding party at a hotel for tonight, and then the wedding is first thing tomorrow morning. So it will be tomorrow night before I actually get to go home, unpack, and sleep in my bed. But I figure, I've been away from it for 3 months, whats 3 more days? I don't mind living out of a suitcase a little while longer. It sort of just feels like my contract hasn't quite finished yet - I won't feel that until I get home. Ha ha, during the jazz band concert I had a moment of panic when I realized I wasn't wearing my name badge.
Looking back on the contract, I think it was good for me musically. I got a lot more experience in a couple of areas - especially broadway pit-orchestra style music, and dixieland. It was very different from my last contract, which is really great. I made some good friends that I will be missing, especially the acapella group (Shaun the most), Anabelle (harpist) and Andy, my musical director. Looking back I can realize I had a really great team to work with, good musicians and friendly, competent management. I am glad I got to improve musically in some new areas, and I feel like it was a very successful contract. I'm looking forward to the next one! I'll post a couple times between now and July to let you know what I'm up to - but for now I will say goodbye, and thanks for reading! I appreciate your support and encouragement throughout this contract and the last one. The fun begins again July 4th: Europe, here I come! Goodbye for now, and thanks again!
My flight was very smooth and all the transitions went without problems. I had a fun and talkative seating partner - we entertained each other for half of the flight (whenever I wasn't asleep). I was met at the airport by my sister, three wonderful friends, and a big sign. :-) I wish I had been more awake at that point to enjoy being home, but I was definitely ready for bed. I spent the night with Chelsea on campus at APU, and then subbed with the APU jazz band the next day at a concert. It was fun to play with a big band again, even if I was jet lagged. I spent last night with my friend Dayna, as she needed to finish fitting my dress for my friend's Sean and Sheena's wedding tomorrow, and she is finishing up as we speak. As soon as she does we'll be off to meet the rest of the wedding party at a hotel for tonight, and then the wedding is first thing tomorrow morning. So it will be tomorrow night before I actually get to go home, unpack, and sleep in my bed. But I figure, I've been away from it for 3 months, whats 3 more days? I don't mind living out of a suitcase a little while longer. It sort of just feels like my contract hasn't quite finished yet - I won't feel that until I get home. Ha ha, during the jazz band concert I had a moment of panic when I realized I wasn't wearing my name badge.
Looking back on the contract, I think it was good for me musically. I got a lot more experience in a couple of areas - especially broadway pit-orchestra style music, and dixieland. It was very different from my last contract, which is really great. I made some good friends that I will be missing, especially the acapella group (Shaun the most), Anabelle (harpist) and Andy, my musical director. Looking back I can realize I had a really great team to work with, good musicians and friendly, competent management. I am glad I got to improve musically in some new areas, and I feel like it was a very successful contract. I'm looking forward to the next one! I'll post a couple times between now and July to let you know what I'm up to - but for now I will say goodbye, and thanks for reading! I appreciate your support and encouragement throughout this contract and the last one. The fun begins again July 4th: Europe, here I come! Goodbye for now, and thanks again!
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