catching up...

So somehow, Shannon has found the time to post everything making me feel like a total slacker! Haha!

Here are my two cents. I miss you all!

Last night I looked at my calendar and came to the realization that I have six weeks left of my contract here. Six Weeks. And only two blog entries. Haha. Ooops. The truth is that I am exhausted. Not in a bad way, but definitely in a way that prevents me from sitting down and recounting everything that happens around here. I'm very sorry for this. Not just because I feel like I've disconnected myself from the world back at home, but because it's made this whole experience seem like a blur since I haven't takeN the time to document it. It's been a great one though.

Here's a quick recap: The first month and a half were spent in the Oceaneer Lab. This is the children's area for 7-12 yr olds. It was fun, but a little boring. We're counselors all day in there. Sometimes we're scheduled for specific activities/games other times we're just on the floor entertaining kids. It can be a lot of fun but to be stuck in this space for 10 hours a day gets old pretty quickly. From the second I got here I let management know that I was interested in working with the Teens or the Tweens (Out & About). The teenagers have their own space called Aloft. The ship has two big smoke stacks but only one of them is actually a functioning one, the other has a lofty space in it and that is where the 13-17 yr olds hang out. It's pretty awesome. I wouldn't mind chilling up there. They have 2 big plasma tvs, a bunch of smaller screens for video games, karaoke, a smoothy bar, and DJ booth, bean bags galore, couches, guitar hero & rock band, etc etc etc. My big pull to the teens is that on Disney's Castaway Cay they get to go to the "Wild Side" for kayaking, snorkling and bike riding around the many bike paths on the island. There are three counselors for those kids but I was told that to get up there I'd need to be on my second contract, have tons of experience and bladee bla bla. The Tween program is called "Out & About". The kids have the option of going to the Lab and playing around in there or do activities all over the ship. For example: Dodgeball on the sports deck, Karaoke in Studio Sea, Disney Game Shows on stage, scavenger hunts, making their own pizza at one of the restaurants, Pool parties, PJ parties, etc. It's also a team of three counselors and they pretty much have the sweetest job in Youth Activities. Again, I was told that I wouldn't get to do that until next contract.

About a month into my contract, I got my first review and was told that I was doing really well. Way better than expected for a newbie. Yay :) About two weeks later my manager called me into the office and told me that I would be starting with "Out & About" the next cruise. One of the girls was moving up to Teens and they chose me to replace her. I was so excited :). Two weeks later I was chosen Counselor of the Month. Woo! Those were a really good couple of weeks.

I've been in "Out & About" since then. It's been amazing. It can get kind of stressful because we don't have the same sort of support they have in the Lab or Club, but there's really not much I can complain about. Our little team consists of two awesome boys and myself. We've made a few changes and the feedback we're getting from management and especially the guests has been very positive. Joey is 29 from California and Daniel is 23 from England (Nottingham, no less). They are my brothers in crime and have become my little family on the ship along with some other very amazing people.

So there you go. I'll catch up on everything else soon :) Like our ports and Castaway Cay.

:)