Apparently I should delete this thing since I don't know how to work it...

So obviously that last post was written (and I thought published) about three weeks ago. Maybe I've been hitting 'save' instead of 'publish'? IDK.

Anyhow, I'm already in Miami!!! I get to sign on to the ship tomorrow morning!!! And I couldn't be more excited!!! The last few weeks at home have drained me in every way that I can think of - in good and bad ways.

I love so many of you back home, but I was climbing the walls! As much as the people at 'Home' mean to me, I'm not at home there anymore. The reason I'm so excited to get back to the Majesty is because I'm happy there! That ship and the life I live while I'm on it suits me better than anything else I've found, and I feel so blessed to get to make this return instead of a new adventure on another ship. (Not that I'm against moving ships: in fact I definitely want to do that. However, getting to take a breather from my ambition and just enjoy my job... That right there is a dream!!!!)

I am half a day away from leaving the hotel to go... well home. Or at least returning to where my heart feels at home. Ship, Sweet Ship! In the past fews months there has been moments I will love and cherish, and others that I'm much less ecstatic about. But what all those moments have in common is that they have been leading up to this. When I learned that I would be returning to the Majesty, I started a countdown - not to my sign off day, but instead to the day that I would sign back on. Many people would claim I'm insane, that nobody should be as excited as I am... But, for possibly the first time ever, I've found a life and lifestyle that I couldn't be happier with. So of course I'm going to be downright giddy!

And who knows, maybe going to a different ship won't change my love of my job... but maybe it will. As always, it depends on the people you get to work with - and returning to these people puts my mind at ease. I know what to expect. I know how far I can push without putting my foot in my mouth... It's relaxing despite the fact that it is work.

With that, I'm going to go keep up with that journal, and make sure my luggage has bee properly rearranged now that I don't have to worry about flight restrictions... lol. And to make sure that this actually posts!!! lol

Maybe I can keep up with it this contract,
Yeah right - LMAO.
All My Best
~Elle~

(Oh, and for the record, I did gain back about half the weight I lost. But I made a hell of a turkey for Thanksgiving! :-P)

playing catch up here yet again...

So it has crossed my mind to just delete this whole thing since I never seem to update it... especially since the last post I wrote didn't actually make it to being published - I somehow saved it as a draft instead... (though in a moment of nifty-ness it still published under the date that I saved it as a draft!)

BUT... I'm gonna try to just pick up and not forget about this blog. And I think I may have a chance since I've been keeping a journal since just before... that last entry here actually. And (with the exception of this week which has been a mental/emotional obstacle course for me)
I've written daily. Which is a feat no journal I have ever kept has accomplished.

So when I left off there were plenty of women that I was working with - which was of course driving me up a wall because I haven't been used to working with women for years. And being in such a close environment totally threw my hormones out of whack as well... but that shall be averted in the future... :-)

Wasn't too long after that last post that I learned that I am going back to the Majesty. Which put a grin on my face for sure. It'll put off progress on the track I've set myself on, but it won't keep me from reaching my goal within the time limit I've given myself. Besides, after some of the things life has thrown at me, I think I deserve a moment to stop pushing myself so hard forward and enjoy a good thing while I can.

The last couple months onboard were just fine, and things started to slide back to normal with David's return and as I adjusted to the crazy hormone thing... I'm pretty sure I didn't make it to the ship with that much crap, nor did I buy/inherit it - but somehow I came home with two suitcases (one was a carryon rolling duffle though...) and still managed to leave a suitcase for when I return.

I've been home for a little more than a month at this point. It's been nice to get to see everybody, though I think the honest highlight was the short time I got to see my baby dog Shadow. I miss her a lot. I think that's going to be a running issue.

I've had plans, or multiple plans, every weekend I've been home - but the weeks themselves seem pretty dull... guess I forgot to take into account that I'm on vacation, but that doesn't mean anybody else is... People have real jobs which has only made it that much harder to get to see everybody. And has also lead me to spending way too much time at home with my parents/holed up in my room. It makes me feel like a teenager again: no car, no job to escape to, and way too much of my parents. And damn that's frustrating after not having to deal with that for years.

As much as I love everyone here: going out to eat, random adventures, the AOA, and getting to be just an audience member for once! I really can't wait to get back to the Majesty. Three weeks from tomorrow is my flight, and I'm excited.

I should be signing on with the newest Majesty cast, so I'll probably meet them on the way TO the ship, which is gonna be fun too. I know that the whole team I'm returning to will be the same with the exception of our sound tech who will be on vacation, the guy that replaced me, and the guy I'm replacing. Well that's not entirely true... the light tech when I left isn't there any longer, but Danny returned - so that's probably even better. ;-) I love that I'm returning to a management I know I work well under!

So with that I leave you with the timer from the countdown app that I put on my phone for this very purpose:
22 days, 15 hours, 20 minutes.

All My Love,
~Elle~