It's been about a month since I left the ship and jumped back into reality. Life has been...well, let's just say it hasn't been a vacation. I got right back into the swing of things upon my arrival with the 2012 Hospitality Graduate Conference that was in Auburn this year. I presented on a study I did last summer in some Bahamian family islands-not exactly sure how I did that, but I pulled it off and quite well if I do say so myself...
I didn't think I would continue blogging after my internship, but I actually really miss it. In a way it was therapy, whether or not people read it, I never really knew, but writing with the mindset that there was someone out there reading and nodding to your words was enough for me to keep going. On top of that it provides a great release from the hussle & bussle of life and that's more than enough reason to keep going!
The weeks after I got back, it was strange...being on land again, driving my car, having a cell phone. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it all. Being on the ship allowed me to feel so liberated and learn things about myself that I don't think I would have in any other setting. I would sometimes sit on my couch, or the floor, or wherever and just listen to the silence...I felt like I had grown so much, yet the things and all the people around me were the same. This made it extremely difficult to get back into things with enthusiasm. I tried to think back to my time on the ship and what it was that 'changed' me, or how was it that I felt I had grown so much. Because honestly, feeling like you've grown is one thing... but knowing the things that you've conquered is another. So I pondered and over time I realized that the biggest difference between the Alana from the ship and the Alana before the ship was the attitude that I chose to have.
I remember days when I would roll out of bed into pitch darkness after only a few hours of sleep to go to my first of 3 shifts of work, and somehow...I just chose to be happy, I chose to joke around, to smile, to have fun. Working breakfast at 6:30 a.m. may not have been the most exciting thing...but it was, that day, that morning it was. And let me tell you, it made the world of difference to how much I learned, the friendships I made and the experiences I had for the rest of that day.
Not only did I develop a "choose to be happier" attitude, but I also feel like I was way more open to change...to things being thrown at me and taking them head on. It pretty much happened to me every day I was there. Once you work on a ship, you realize that anything goes and your "job description" doesn't really mean anything.
So after all these realizations and (I must admit) a bit of feeling sorry for myself, I've decided, that I'm going to take control of my life, my attitude and the way I handle situations. "Nothing is ever good or bad, it's just the way you think of it" And if you're reading this blog-I give you permission to hold me accountable to this ;)
I didn't think I would continue blogging after my internship, but I actually really miss it. In a way it was therapy, whether or not people read it, I never really knew, but writing with the mindset that there was someone out there reading and nodding to your words was enough for me to keep going. On top of that it provides a great release from the hussle & bussle of life and that's more than enough reason to keep going!
The weeks after I got back, it was strange...being on land again, driving my car, having a cell phone. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it all. Being on the ship allowed me to feel so liberated and learn things about myself that I don't think I would have in any other setting. I would sometimes sit on my couch, or the floor, or wherever and just listen to the silence...I felt like I had grown so much, yet the things and all the people around me were the same. This made it extremely difficult to get back into things with enthusiasm. I tried to think back to my time on the ship and what it was that 'changed' me, or how was it that I felt I had grown so much. Because honestly, feeling like you've grown is one thing... but knowing the things that you've conquered is another. So I pondered and over time I realized that the biggest difference between the Alana from the ship and the Alana before the ship was the attitude that I chose to have.
I remember days when I would roll out of bed into pitch darkness after only a few hours of sleep to go to my first of 3 shifts of work, and somehow...I just chose to be happy, I chose to joke around, to smile, to have fun. Working breakfast at 6:30 a.m. may not have been the most exciting thing...but it was, that day, that morning it was. And let me tell you, it made the world of difference to how much I learned, the friendships I made and the experiences I had for the rest of that day.
Not only did I develop a "choose to be happier" attitude, but I also feel like I was way more open to change...to things being thrown at me and taking them head on. It pretty much happened to me every day I was there. Once you work on a ship, you realize that anything goes and your "job description" doesn't really mean anything.
So after all these realizations and (I must admit) a bit of feeling sorry for myself, I've decided, that I'm going to take control of my life, my attitude and the way I handle situations. "Nothing is ever good or bad, it's just the way you think of it" And if you're reading this blog-I give you permission to hold me accountable to this ;)
"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered."
Nelson Mandela 'A Long Walk to Freedom'
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