Next Adventure

Sorry for not blogging very often at all anymore, I'm trying to be better! Promise!

Where to start?
Well, in February of this year, I made a big move to Los Angeles, California! And I have met some of the most amazing, crazy, supportive, loving friends there. And you might be like, that's awesome! I'm so glad Lindsey loves LA! And I still do, but during my time living in CA I realized that working for Carnival and being on ships wasn't something I was ready to give up just yet. It's by far the best job I've ever had, even with all of the craziness that ensues. So I made the decision to come back to Carnival for another contract which starts next month (September 11 to be exact). And with that decision came a lot of other decisions like, "Do I just keep all of my stuff in CA and it will be home when I'm on vacation between contracts?" or "Do I move back to NC, and visit CA very often and maybe when I'm done working on ships, move back?" And let me tell you I went back and forth about doing another contract many, many times since around March. I found many reasons to just stay where I was, I had a great job, great friends, and lived in sunny SoCal where the weather is pretty much always perfect. BUT, I knew if I did that I would always regret not pursuing my career with Carnival further. Something inside me said, you need to see how far this will take you, and so that's what I'm doing. My heart has always been louder than my head, and will probably always be what I follow. (at least I hope so.)

At the end of July I said "see you soon" to all my my CA loves and my good friend from college flew to CA and drove home to NC with me (talk about a good friend!) Since being in NC, I have been staying with my sister and brother-in-law in Zionville in the mountains. My sister was due August 6 with my nephew, Charlie. He is a little stubborn and decided to come 9 days late on August 15 at 8:45pm. I am so glad I was able to be here for his grand entrance into the world and spend time with all three of them before I leave again. I must say, leaving Charlie is going to be one of the hardest things I will ever do. I am smitten with him, from the top of his head with his beautiful red hair, to the bottom of his wrinkly baby toes. Here are some pictures so you too can fall in love:

He is seriously the most beautiful baby. I know I'm biased, but I was fully expecting him to look like a weird alien, and he's just so perfect!

So, I'm gearing up to start my next 6 month adventure! And this time, my ship is the Carnival Fantasy and my homeport is Charleston, SC! Which is wonderful by itself, because I've never even been there, how sad!  I chose this ship because it's 2.0 which means its the newer updated version of everything entertainment (which is what I helped install on my last ship), I already know a few wonderful people who will be there for most of my contract, and because it's so close to Charlotte! (well like 3 or 4 hours)  and hopefully I can see Charlie at least once in that time.

There is most of what's new. I'll try to post more often this contract with pictures of my adventures and whatnot.

xoxo Linz

6 months later...

Holy Moly, talk about bad blogger... Haven't written anything since August! But I'm not going to apologize, why? Because I spent the last six months living my life, following one of my dreams, visiting new places, and meeting the most amazing people. I can't apologize for spending my time living my life instead of writing about it. Lucky for you though, I'm back home and have lots of free time for now. This will be an attempt to recap the last 6 months. oh boy.


I embarked on a journey with Carnival Cruise Lines that started in August. I accepted a job on a cruise ship for 6 months and I'd never been on a ship in my life. I pretty much knew nothing about ship life or what to expect but I jumped on that plane and just showed up. I completed "host college" and I was assigned the Carnival Ecstasy for the rest of my contract.

One thing you learn about ship life is how quickly people will come into your life and then leave it. Hardly any of the people who were on my ship when I started were still there when I left. But quite a few people have left an impression on me. People who I may have otherwise never encountered in my life, but now that I have, I can't imagine not knowing them. And some of them I may never actually see in person again, but I cherish the time I did get to spend with them.

Instead of writing a huge drawn out post, I'm going to tell you the top ten best things about working on a cruise ship for the past 6 months:

10. Having a job that didn't necessarily always feel like a job. Yes, some days were harder than others, but I got paid to have fun! Can't beat that.
9. How many stars you can sea when we're out at sea. I loved to lay on deck 8 and look at all the stars. In the middle of the ocean with no city lights, it was a spectacular view.
8. Getting compliments from guests. It is such a good feeling when someone recognizes how hard you work. I sometimes felt like a celebrity, "Hey, weren't you on stage last night?" "I saw you on TV!"
7. Visiting Disney World and Universal studios for about 4 hours each. We'd rent a car, drive the 45mins-1 hour to orlando, and have as much fun as possible before we had to be back on the ship. Those were the most exhausting days, (especially since embark days I would have to work until at least 12:30am) but also some of the most fun.
6. Having warm weather all the time! While everyone had wind and snow, I had sunny Bahamas with a nice breeze! I also only saw rain maybe twice in 6 months.
5. Being a minority out of 900 crew members, as there were less than 20 americans on my ship. My favorite guest comment was always, "You're the only American I've seen here! Are you the only one?" This is also how I earned the nickname "Token" because I am the token American on the Entertainment Staff (everyone else is English, Canadian, or Mexican).
4. Visiting places I had never been to like: Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Nassau, Freeport, Half Moon Cay, and Key West.
3. Crew Bar. Pretty much every night after you get off work, everyone goes to the crew bar to relax and have cheap drinks. Its the time we use to unwind from the day and have a good laugh. I can't ever remember being in crew bar and not laughing hysterically at something. Good times were always had there.
2. Being a part of Hasbro the Gameshow. I was one of the assistants for this incredible show, we had hours of rehearsals and prep before we put on the first episode. I did almost every show until I left, and I loved seeing the guests get so into it and the excitement of it all.
1. The best part of the last 6 months was finding how much I'm capable of. My confidence level is so much higher now. When I first started I was always so nervous to speak on a microphone in front of 900 people, or be on camera to later be broadcast on every stateroom TV, but I would do it. I've gotten better and better at my job. I even got to sing with the band quite a few times when the singer was sick. I got to do so many things that I love, and in such a short span of time.

 Playlist Performer friends

 Host Team

 Halloween with the Cruise Director and Assistant Cruise Director

 Overnight in Nassau at Bambu

 Irish Kevin's in Key West

 New Years with Georgeous

 Happy New Year!

 Micah and I. Best roommate ever.

 Enjoying the day in Half Moon Cay

People I love dearly on my last night

I really can't believe how fast my contract went by, it feels like I just left, but it some ways it also feels like I've been with Carnival for a long time.


Now that I am back home in NC, some very exciting things are just around the corner!

I bought a new car! She is a 2011 Toyota Corolla, and I love her. She still doesn't have a name yet.

On February 15th, I am packing up my car with all of my possessions to drive across the country and move into my apartment in LA with one of my best friends. We have been planning this for a while, and I couldn't be happier that it is actually happening! I remember when we were 18 and on tour in California saying someday we're going to live here. Now we actually are! 

So wish me luck!

Cali or bust!

I'll be sure to take lots of pictures on our cross country road trip. 

-Linds