So much to tell... So little time

Per usual, my blog has begun to collect cobwebs as it has been longer than I'd have wished in between entries. As most that read this already know- the Huntress arrived safely to Simpson Bay in Sint Maarten six days before kicking off our season with our first Charter. While we worked through Christmas in preparation for our 10 guests, each of us on board were able to enjoy the offerings of the island to some extent or another. For some, the experience was new and for others like myself, it was nice to be back in a familiar place.
Another Christmas in the Caribbean, however this time around we found ourselves working on Christmas Day, admittedly so, making the holiday away from friends, family and home a bit more tolerable. No Scrooges on this crew! We had a nice elephant swap where I was donned with a new book light and gift card to Barnes and Noble, as well as a creepy little voodoo doll (don't mess with me in other words). After a lovely pre Christmas Eve dinner on board made by our incredible Chef Robbie, a few of us took it upon ourselves to try out another Elephant swap gift: a pocket breathalyzer. Note: trying to see who can achieve the highest BAC is a bad idea. The deck crew saw their fair number of shots that evening. I will say no more. Note: Salsa lessons pay off. even if you only went a few times, You never know when you may find yourself thrown onto a stage and unknowingly providing entertainment for the bar. On Christmas Eve, our Captain and his wife took one for the team and stood watch on board so the rest of the crew could enjoy a day off before partaking in our first guest trip of the Caribbean season. 10 of the 12 of us had a full on beach day, filled with lots of good food and a faaaair amount of drinking. I have to admit, while I didn't think it'd be possible it definitely rivaled last Christmas away from home in St. Lucia when 5 of the crew decided to sneak into a sandals resort for the day! A wonderful day of sand and surf was capped by a delicious sushi dinner at my favorite restaurant here: Bamboo Bernie's, as well as a final night cap at the roof top beach in the sky bar. A bar where you walk upon the sand, complete with cozy cabanas and an amazing view of the ocean.

December 26th: we we all put on our freshly issued (by yours truly) crisp white uniforms and screwed on our smiles for the arrival of our guests: 6 kids, 3 adults and a Nanny. We brought in the new year in St. Barth's, a hot spot for new year festivities for celebrities and the wealthy alike. Even though we worked the holiday, it was still quite the experience being in the midst of all the activity. Nothing like partaking in Fireworks, Champagne toasts and the deafening noise of dozens of boats horns at the stroke of Midnight! While that particular evening was long and my red bull intake was far from normal, there were even longer, more sleep deprived days and nights after that. It's been full on for eleven days now, and just when you think the end is near.... BAM!!! You get hit with the : " we'd like to extend our stay." At around 40K per night whose to argue? So while we thought our charter was coming to a close tomorrow morning- we all will be able to survive an extra 24 hours for a Monday departure instead of the anticipated Sunday departure. What's an extra day really? After 11 continuous days of 16+ hour work days, numerous last minute changes to meal times, head counts and incredible amounts of psychological abuse, what's one more day in the grand scheme of things?

At the end of it all, trips like these are always temporary and it's nothing a little sea water can't cure. Excited to get back into the normal wind and grind for a few weeks before our owners turf up. Sunshine, Sand and Sushi is all one really needs :)