hey all

hi everyone,

not much to report, same old same old. we are at sea today so i have work pretty much 9am-10pm but my boss and i are getting dolled up and going to the crows nest for drinks after work. ooh la la..

how is everyone? was the trip fantastic? i have decided to extend one extra week till june 9th because its going to be really busy and they need the help. dont worry ill still be home soon!

okay well this is short and sweet, just wanted to say hi. love you all!

amy

Buenas Dias Mi Familia

Hi everyone,

A lot of you are on vacation right now so I'm not expecting a whole lot of comments for a while but I figured an update was in order. Today we were in Costa Rica and of course, I went to the beach. It's the cheapest form of entertainment and I really do love it. We went to playa bonita, the usual, and had lunch at restaurant quimbamba, also the usual. I went with Steve, my beach date. (You see him in many pictures, he is the tall guy with dark hair.) It was kinda overcast today and rained a little but was still really warm and the water was fun, lots of waves. I suppose being so close to the rainforest you are bound to get rained on. Everything is going really well here, same as always except we have 52 kids on board this week. We had only been expecting 30 so you can bet we are really really busy. Three staff is really not much for all those kids. I have been working 14 hour days on sea days, but I was off all day today and don't have to work till 8pm. Tonight is "Mysterious Spy Night" and the kids will be going on a photo scavenger hunt. I like it because I get to send them off and hopefully have some peace and quiet! :) A few of my friends will be leaving the ship this week in Ft Lauderdale, but another friend of mine, Brandon, the guy who helped me get the job, will be coming on...so that will be nice. I have been keeping up the running, but I did slack a little this cruise because I've been working so many hours. I got back into the gym today though so hopefully I'll be back on track now. One of the spa girls told me I have gained weight since coming on board!!! I didn't think I had, but maybe it's true...I don't have a scale so I have no idea. Oh well, what do you expect with all-you-can-eat buffets for three meals a day!

Exciting news...Rob is driving down to visit me this Ft. Lauderdale. It's about an 8-9 hour drive so I think he is a little crazy considering I'll only have a few hours off, but it will be really nice to see him. I can't believe its been almost 2 months since I left P'cola! We will be going to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch, my FAVORITE! (Don't be jealous GVC girls!)

PACE friends, I hope you are still reading the blog, I miss you all and look forward to seeing everyone in August. I've heard that school has been kinda rough lately...hang in there. Email me whenever you have a chance and let me know whats up! (amythorn14@hotmail.com)

Sister, I hope you had a super fun time in the DR and are very tan. I'll call you when I get to Ft. Laud on Saturday, I think you will be home by then.

Hugs and Kisses to all!!

Amy

Half Moon Cay Photo Shoot

Am I a tree? A firework? A swimsuit model? How about all of the above? Today was our Half Moon Cay photo shoot. We worked the camera for about 40 minutes and these are some of my fave shots from the day. I'll prob post a few more later, there were so many and we had fun acting like idiots...we posed as all the holidays...including Canada Day in which my Canadian friends showed off their maple leaf tattoos and I pouted...Oh my. What a day.
Okay folks I gotta get to bed, I have a LOOONNNGG day tomorrow. We have about double the amount of kids on board than we expected and we will be working our tails off this cruise. Love you a lot, have fun on your respective vacations!

Love, Amy

Hi Friends! I know you are dying to see more of travel teddy so here he is...sitting on a ledge with our ship in the background. I'm doing well and have nothing major to report. We left Ft Lauderdal today and are headed to the Bahamas. More soon...promise! Love you all a lot!

Amy

Travel Teddy Goes to Curacao

Hi Guys!

Today was a busy day for travel teddy and me. We went to Curacao and were supposed to go to the beach but it was overcast so we ended up in town. We walked around with our friend Shanna, had some McDonald's for lunch and GOT A NEW TATTOO!! (Sorry Granny, I know you don't approve but it's really cool!) As you can see in the photo it's on the inside of my wrist like Linny and my mom. It is the Kanji symbol for "older sister". I really like it. Anyway just wanted to show you all my latest decoration. Love you to bits and pieces!

Amy

Helmet Hair

Like our new hat??? A few nights ago someone brought a helmet to the OB (officer's bar) and by the end of the night I'm pretty sure everyone had a turn wearing it. Silly? Yes. Funny? Absolutely. Who knows what kind of pror could show up next??? Things are good here, I only have one teen on board this cruise so I'll be bouncing around between teens and kids for next ten days. Should be fun. We were in Half Moon Cay today and it was really gorgeous. I'm getting tanner by the minute, if tanner is a word. We got underway a little while ago and now are on the way to Aruba. We will get there the day after tomorrow. Sea tomorrow so that means lots of hours of work, but the group of kids this cruise is really cute and I think it will be a lot of fun. We are getting an extra Club HAL staff next cruise so I'll be sharing my room for 20 days, then she leaves and I'll be on my own for 30 days, then we will get extra staff again when we get to Alaska. I like having my own room, but hopefully Christine will be nice and we'll get on well.

Last night was a fun night, we all went up to the cruise director's cabin and watched RENT. It was great! (RENT is my favorite musical, I have seen it seven times on stage!) The cast, myself and two cruise staff all went. The CD had all kinds of food for us, drinks, desserts, it was quite a little party! She is leaving in a few days so it was sort of a send off for her as well.

I'm taking a week off from going to the bar. I've been running 3 miles a day, but then drinking and eating all those calories right back on my behind, so I think a little healthy living is in order for a while. Next cruise four of my friends will be leaving so there will be plenty of partying to be done. Better save up my energy for then.

Well family, a lot of you will be cruising soon too, too bad not on HAL with me! Hope you have an awesome time, take lots of pictures!

Sister, I love you a super lot and hope you're having a good day at school today, I think it is Monday. Have fun with MB this weekend!!! Okay I'm sure I'll talk to you before then but just in case. I heart him for you.

Alright that's all I've got for now. What's up with everyone else besides packing?

xoxo

Amy

Playa Bonita

Hi Friends!

I look like I'm in pain or on drugs or something in that picture! I think it was just really sunny. These are hot off the presses, from the beach in Costa Rica today. I'm with Rachel, Steve and Brianne. What a fun day! We were there from 11-3 and had a nice lunch at Restaurant Quimbamba. It's 4pm now and I don't have to work till 9! I'm not used to having such a big block of free time so I don't know what to do with myself. I think I will go work out. I worked out twice yesterday, ran 30 mins in the morning and 30 mins in the evening. Have to counteract all the calories I eat here! Well, still not sorking very hard, the teens aren't showing up. But next cruise we have VIPs on board with a lot of kids so it will be plenty of work. We have two sea days ahead of us which will be busy, then back to Ft. Lauderdale. I think I get to go off the ship this week, so Brianne and I are planning on going to Cheesecake Factory for lunch. MMMMMMmmmmmm....

Okay wish I had more to say but life here is same as always. Love you all a lot!

Amy

Photorama!

I have nothing important to say, just thought I'd post more pictures. This is me, Laura and Laurie (cruise staff) at the beach in Costa Rica. I'm going back there in two days. Wait till you see how tan I get! Okay gotta go play pictionary. I love my life.

xoxox

Ame

Happy Carnival

Hi all,

Yesterday it was Carnival in Aruba! I went to the parade and it was a LOT of fun. The costumes were really elaborate and there was lots of music and dancing, very festive. It seemed like everyone in Aruba had come out to celebrate. I had been seasick the night before and that morning, so I felt a litle out of it, but mostly had a good time with Rachel, Brianne and Adam. After the parade we went to Hooters for dinner. Hooters in Aruba?? you say? Yep and it was delicious. I had wings and curly fries. Last night was movie night with the teens but none of them came so I read my book for an hour and a half and then closed up and went to the OB. Today we are in Curacao but I have IPM so i can't get off the ship. I'm working in the internet cafe/library right now (the EC) and then I have a ping pong tournamant at 5 and "Scene It" at 9pm. Not a bad day. I had planned to get some laundry done today but it never happened.

Dad and Vladee, I'm glad you figured out how to post, but let's post some real comments...not jibberish, yes? I get really excited to see I have new comments and then I open it and I see "a;lsdkfj;alsdkfja;lsdkfj" ?? That is a let down :)

Well kids, internet time is money so I'll say bye for now. How are things at home today? See you all in three months!

Love,

Me

P.S. I heart sister.

Tired with a capital T

The Pic is me and Rachel, my dancing friend. She made up a fun scholarship line dance for me when I found out U of Chicago is giving me a boatload of money to go to school there! So now it is 3am. Why is Amy up at 3am? Was she up partying and drinking and dancing the night away??? ...NO! She was playing Phase 10. It's some kind of mutant game of "uno" and supposed to take an hour. Three and a half hours later, I finally won! We are either really good or really bad at that game, seeing as it took us all night to finish. I was so tired my eyes were closing, but it's a good thing I stayed since I won. :) I have to work at 10am on the beach, building sand castles and then beach volleyball. Then I'm off till 4pm, so I'll maybe nap on the beach a little. Ship life continues to be good. I was in port today so I got to talk to some of you. That was really nice and made me happy. For those of you I didn't talk to, love you and will try to call next time. I got a package of shoes, a card and some candy from mom and dad today. Getting mail on the ship is SO FUN!!! If anyone wants to send me mail, please feel free. Everyone gets really jealous when you get mail. Heehee. Well I'm beat but wanted to say hey. P.S. Grandma and Grandpa rock the house.

Love you all

Amy

Drumroll Please.......

Dadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadad.....(that is the sound of a drumroll)...I have been accepted to University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration!!! Yippee!!! I will hear about any scholarships I might have received tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Now that I've gotten in to all my schools, I have to make a decision on where to go. A full ride to Chicago would make that choice a LOT easier!

Ship life is good, went to the beach in Costa Rica today and only have to work 9-11pm. Last night was a blast but definitely didn't get enough sleep. I think I went to bed around 4am but really, I have no idea. You lose all concept of time on the ship. The beach we went to today wasn't as nice as the one in Curacao but the water was good and there were fun waves to play in. I went with Laura and Laurie, two cruise staff girls. After that I got a pedicure at this little spa in the market. It was only $15 and they did a really good job. I know I was mopey at the start of the cruise but I'm 100% okay now. The fun has begun and the people are great and the ports are awesome. This is such a cool job. Anyway, hope everything is good at home. Comment when you can, love to hear from you!

XOXOX

Amos bo Bamos

p.s. The pics are a group of us having dinner in Aruba at Iguana Joe's and a pic of the beach I went to in Curacao called Kontiki Beach. Preeetttyyy.

I'm sitting in the Panama Canal

Okay I'm not actually sitting IN the canal, the ship is sitting in the canal and I am sitting on the ship. I didn't go ashore today but there isn't much to see anyway. There are lots of good excursions from here but all are about an hour away. The place where we port has a little strip mall thing and past that looks pretty scary. I'm not planning to spend a lot of time in Panama. Tonight we are having a big crew party on the mooring deck, so that should be fun. I'll download some pics tomorrow and post them. I don't have work till 5pm so I'll have time on my hands. We will be in Costa Rica tomorrow and I think I may go back to the beach. My sunburn is feeling better and I'm ready for another go at it. We will be docked from 7am-5pm so plenty of time for fun. I just realized that I have no idea what day it is today. Not the slightest. On the ship you go by where you are, like today is Panama day. After Costa Rica we have two sea days then back to Ft. Lauderdale. I will try to call a lot of you when I'm in port. I have a lot of minutes to use since I can only use my phone 3 days per month. Now that I'm back into the ship groove I'm feeling a lot better and having a really good time. Still not sure if I'll come home June 2nd or extend longer. Miss you all. Post comments and lemme know whats up at home!

Amy

I'm a lobster monster!

Hi all,

Ship life is improving. Yesterday I was in Aruba and went mini-golfing with a bunch of people and then out to Iguana Joe's for dinner. We were up late at the OB and had a lot of fun being silly. Today Rachel (cast member) and I went to the beach in Curacao and got very sunburned. I used sunscreen but alas...it didn't do me much good. I hate to see what I would have looked like WITHOUT sunscreen. We were there from 11-3, then came back to the ship to get some cash and went to McDonalds for dinner. I never eat McD's at home but today it was the most delicious food I have ever had. I scarfed a quarter pounder, fries and three chicken nuggets like it was my last meal. It was so good. We hadn't eaten all day and were starving. now I feel a little gross, but we swam and walked a lot today so I think it's okay to have a little grease. Tonight I have work only from 9-11, so its a really easy day. We are going to play "Scene It" with the teens. It's a fun game about movie trivia. Tomorrow we are at sea headed towards Panama. It will be a long day, with work from 11am-11pm pretty much. Well, I think I'm going to take a nap since I only slept about 5 hours last night. More to come. Stay tuned.

Amy

I'm a little mopey today...

Hi Guys,

So here I am on day 3 of my contract. We're at sea today so Ill be pretty busy working from 11-12, 2-6, 6:30-7:30 and 9-11. I just have a few minutes before my first activity so I wanted to say hi. So far things are fine, but not the same as last time. A lot of people I kow are still here, but all the other Club HAL girls I worked with are gone. My new boss is nice but very strict and definitely won't be hanging out with me in the OB (officer's bar). It's a very different atmosphere now and not nearly as much fun. I'm kinda homesick. I'm sure it will go away once I get in the swing of things though. I haven't gotten off the ship yet because I won't get my ID till later today. Oh boy, they just announced a crew fire drill. Gotta run. More later.

xoxox

Amy

Welcome to Charlotte, NC

Hi friends and family!

I'm sitting in the airport in Charlotte waiting for my connecting flight. I'm really very tired because sister and I have not slept much in the past week and the past two nights especially. But sisters only get to see eachother once in a blue moon (that has been my saying of the week) so sleep had to be pretty much deducted from the schedule. I slept all the way here, which is great because usually I can't sleep on planes, so now I'm feeling a little better. I'm sitting in the food court and it smells really good. I'm trying to decide which place I want to get some food from. For those of you that I got to see this week, it was so nice spending time with y'all! (trying to keep some of the southern charm I gained in the past year) The week went by incredibly fast but I had one of the most fun weeks ever. It was especially great to spend so much time with Linny, because as you all know, she is my best friend in all the world and I love her a lot. We definitely squeezed every drop of fun out of this week. Woo HOO! I was a little sad going to the airport today, because I will really miss you guys and miss home. But I know that the next four months are going to be such an awesome experience and that makes it a little easier to leave. A lot of you have been asking when I'll be home. My contract is thru June 2nd, but I can extend thru early August if I want. I'm going to give it some time and see how it goes before I decide. I may be really homesick by June, or I may love Alaska and want to stay longer. Either way, I'll be home first week of August at the latest. Okay I have to go get some food before we board...so I'll say adios for now. Keep reading cuz I am going to try to post as much as possible. Comments comments comments!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Me

Sweet Home, Chicago!

Okay THAT'S not Chicago...That is the Dominican Republic...but Chicago is where I'll be in just 2 short weeks! I've been busy packing today. I have a HUGE suitcase/duffel bag thing that is almost full already and I still need to get a lot more stuff in it. Yikes! I think I'm over packing but I'm going to be there for a long time and I'm gonna be everywhere from South America to Alaska so that's a lot of different weather!

Pensacola is rainy and gloomy today, but that't not going to get me down because tonight my friend Tamara and I are going to watch the Miss America Pageant! It's so cheesy and so dumb but I just love it. It's one of those things that you probably shouldn't admit out loud I guess...Oh well. You will love me anyway I hope. So I will be home from the 5th-13th of Feb and I want to see everyone that I can. If you want to get together while I'm home, give me a call or email me at amythorn14@hotmail.com so we can make plans. While I'm gone feel free to email me or send me letters...I think I emailed most of you my address on the ship. If you don't have it and you want it, just let me know.

So on Tuesday I'm getting my implant surgery done (for my teeth). I've heard it's going to hurt. A very lot. Greeeeaaaat. But in just 7 short months, I'll finally have crowns installed and my smile will start to look normal again! Yippee! I'm going to be on really strong pain killers so if you call me Tuesday or Wednesday, I may have no idea who you are. Just be aware. :)

Let's see...not much else going on. I'm finishing up my last two weeks at work and trying to get things ready for the new counselor coming in...my mom is coming down in a week to help me pack my apartment and move stuff into storage...I guess that's about it. Oh, I went bowling last weekend and had the worst game of my life. It was embarassing. Rob nearly doubled my score. It was a total blowout. I need to practice. A lot.

Well readers, thanks for reading. I think you are being a little slow with the comments so let's pick up the pace here people!! I will post a lot when I'm on the ship and post pics whenever I can. Still no word from grad schools yet but I should be hearing in the next month or so. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Love,

Amos bo Bamos

And a Happy New Year...

Hi readers!

I've been home for a week now and am getting back into the swing of things. It was really hard to go back to work this past week. I had gotten used to getting paid to play and while I love my job, it is definitely not play. I've gotten offered a new contract with Holland America and I'm going to take it. I'll be in Pensacola till February 3rd, then home in Chicago for 10 days, then back to the m.s. Zaandam on the 13th for a 4 month contract. We will be doing 10-day Southern Carribean cruises for the first month and a half, then a month long Panama Canal/Pacific Coast run, then a month and a half of 7-day cruises in ALASKA! Wow! It will be nice to go back to the same ship since I already know people there and they were really nice. My mom is coming down here to help pack up my stuff and drive back to Chicago with me and Luce so that will be cool. I know I'd been planning on being in Chicago for longer but I'm lucky to have gotten a full contract so soon, so I've gotta take it. Lucy is going to live with my parents/Linny...probably back and forth between the two. I know Linny is sad that I won't be home for longer, but if all goes well I will get into Univeristy of Chicago and be home for grad school this fall. Keep your fingers crossed for me! I promise to be a better blogger and post a lot more often when I'm on the ship. Let's get the comments flowing again here people!!!

Love,

Amy

Almost Home...

Hi readers!

I'm on day 13 of 14 on the ship and we are docked in Costa Maya, Mexico right now. I have IPM (in port manning) today so I have to stay on the ship. I layed out by the pool for a few hours since I don't have to work until 5pm. I have emailed most of you about ship life so I won't repeat here, other that saying that I love love love it. I have met the coolest people and seen some beautiful ports and overall just had an amazing time. I have loved every minute. I'll be trying to get another contract for spring break as soon as I get home on Wednesday. I'm actually really sad to be leaving and I'm really going to miss all my new friends. The nice thing about ships is that there's always a chance you will meet again on another contract! My Program Director Courtney is going to the Veendam next and wants me to try to get on that ship. It would be awesome to work for her again. She's an awesome supervisor. I've managed to go the entire time without being sea sick...I had a cold for a few days but nothing serious...All in all a very good two weeks. Did everyone have a nice Christmas? I missed you a lot on Christmas but they made it very nice for us here as well. New Years was a total party. I had to work till 1am but then the staff party was just beginning. I think I was up ill at least 5am...luckily I didn't have to work till 5pm on New Years Day. Tonight and tomorrow will be fun since there are 3 of us all ending our contracts...there will be much merrymaking and saying goodbye. Well, I'll see you all soon and I'll post some pics as soon as I get home. XOXOX

Amers

Adios Amigos

Hi Family and Friends!
I'm leaving at 6am for Ft. Lauderdale, where I'll be boarding the M.S. Zaandam for the next two weeks. I'll be working in the youth program but I'm not sure which age group yet. I've told my parents that I'm not sure what the email/phone situation will be, but I will try to call home on Christmas at the very least, hopefully more if I can. I'm really going to miss being home at Christmas, I've never been away for the holidays before. But hey, this is the chance of a lifetime, so I'm ready. Lucy will be arriving at my mom and dad's house tomorrow if anyone is wondering. Linny, feel free to relocate her to your place if you want, just don't let her get out! She runs fast! I'll try to post while I'm gone if I can to let you all know what life is like on the high seas. I'm so excited to see what crew quarters are like and what life is like behind the scenes on the ship. I'd like to send a thank you to Auntie Ronni and Uncle Lee, because if they hadn't brought us on vacation with them last month, I never would have had this chance...I'm so excited!!!!! Okay gotta finish packing. Merry Christmas everyone, see you soon!

Love Me

Picture Time

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Well the people have spoken and the people want more pictures. Acutally I guess "the people" is Linny...but she counts just as much if not more than any other people, right? Here you will see the deer-man being shot with an arrow in mid-leap. Doesn't it just transport you to a Mayan forest? I'll post more later...Have to keep you wanting more, ya know???

Love Me