work work work

This job isn’t exactly what I pictured it would be. I expected to work and travel at the same time but it’s been like 100% work and zero travel so far. Well, if you count my first glimpse of Sydney, Canada earlier this morning when I had to participate in a boat drill, then I guess maybe I have travelled a bit?? I’m too tired to really know for sure. Anyway, the drill today was we had to get into warm clothes, wear our life jackets then go to our muster (aka assembly) stations as if we were abandoning the ship.  It was done out on deck so I saw a couple of random buildings by the seashore, and it was pretty but c’mon, I totally wanted to get out there and eat some Canadian food! I still had work to do though. Fyi, the workload here on the ship is insane!! On my first day, I literally felt like I was going to faint 10 hours into my shift. I kid you not. There’s so much heavy lifting, hardly enough equipment and a constant goosechase for a specific ingredient you need.   

 The work day for me starts at 8am. I work on some breakfast items like cookies, pound cakes, and energy bars that go to some of the ship’s restaurant outlets, and I work on that until I go on break at around 11:30. Back to work at 12 then (the highlight of my day!) a two hour break from 2-4 where I just lie down on my top bunk, in my really tiny cabin and try to sleep. Sometimes I get lucky. Either way, I’m just thankful for the chance to get off my feet. Then I work from 4 until about 11:30 at night or until the last of our guests leave Pinnacle, the fine dining restaurant where I work the dessert line.

That schedule doesn’t really leave a lot of room for travelling but I’m still keeping my hopes up. We’re en route to Quebec, Canada and Ian and Randy, two really cool pastry cooks I work with, told me they’ll take me out. Weeee!! Uber excitement!! FINALLY.

Also, I don’t mean to sound like I hate my job, I’m actually digging it. It’s challenging, it’s something I really enjoy doing, I have a great boss, and even though I haven’t been out at all, I relish the fact that I’m on this ship, voyaging through these awesome places. I just keep telling myself that once I start getting the hang of my duties—long work hours and all—I think I might be able to start doing what I came here to do: travel the world, eating my way through the entire journey.

I think my laundry’s almost done (yes, I have to squeeze that into my already crazy work day) so I’ll have to go. Maybe my next entry will finally involve my first Fooooodtrip. Keep your fingers crossed for me. :D