Studying and finding direction is one thing but not loving what you are doing means existing and not living. Living to me means pursuing your personal goals and making dreams a reality. My goal was to achieve my MA in Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science and thereafter explore the world.

I applied as sports staff to Royal Caribbean International Cruises and have been working for this company for just over two years. I am currently on the biggest cruise ship sailing the big blue ocean, the Oasis of the Seas. It has been a blessing to step foot onto the soil of most of my dream places such as Mexico, Japan and Hawaii. And there are places that I had not dreamt of seeing, yet have fallen in love with such as Brazil, Buenos Aires, Alaska and Seattle.

Working on a cruise ship suits me as I enjoy interacting with people from different countries and experiencing part of the lifestyle of each city or island I visit.  However, living on a cruise ship can be a challenge especially being away from home and identifying with so many nationalities. The realisation is that we are not that different from one another.

Although most people conclude that working on a ship is not a stable career path, to me it is definitely my chosen career path for now. I have learnt to be more assertive and have gained more self confidence. Not every contract may be a great contract, but there are always lessons to learn.