People often ask me, 'what is the hardest part of your job?'. I'm often stymied however; over the last few days I've been thinking about this quite a bit and I have an answer....with a caveat.

Currently, the hardest part of my job is the unpredictable schedule. I'm almost 60 days into my vacation and I literally Do Not Know When I'm Going Back To Work.

Here's the caveat: this is more of a problem on this particular ship - a container ship, a tanker, or a car carrier would have a much more defined schedule. Granted, even on these types of vessels it can be difficult to commit to an event. Perhaps your relief misses his flight, perhaps your relief quits at the last second and they can't fill the position, etc.

Regardless, I currently don't know when I'm going back to work and it has turned me into a little stress ball. There are so many things that require a schedule. More importantly, there are so many things that require a BUDGET!

Ummmm....Hold Up! What happened to: What would Beyoncé do?

Okay.....fine.

I'm keeping my eyes and ears open for new opportunities. I'm embracing the everyday. I'm working on some projects that I had previously put on the back burner. I'm enjoying Hawaii. I'm chatting with friends. I'm drinking coffee. I'm reading trashy romance novels. I'm listening to Beyoncé's new album on repeat. I'm eating as many fresh fruits and vegetables as I can stand. I'm joloking (this is a new word...it means jog, lope, walk...). I'm channeling my inner Beyoncé.

Sunny and Windy!  Power and Phone Lines down all around town.... — Sunny and Windy! Power and Phone Lines down all around town....