Bermuda

[LukeJ]

I agree whole heartedly with you on that. I've had some jobs that I've hated, but believe it was more important to provide for my family more than doing my own things. Now we've become more comfortable with our lives and it's finances, there is more of a wiggle room for me to try and do the jobs that I've always wanted to do. I still put my families needs first,and make sure everything is good for them, and then do what I need to do as a side line.

[3Sisters]

@rindybar What else do you think you would do instead? I agree those prices are too high, but I'm not sure if there are any other options. The prices are crazy there, regardless of where you go.  Bermuda is a niche little stop that cruise guests will continue to visit. Unless you stay on the ship, you have to expect paying astronomical prices in order to enjoy a nice day on the beach/excursion there. 

@LukeJ It's such a tough call. We all want to do what we love, but we all want tot make enough to afford a cruise every now and again too. In order to do that, sometimes you have to work overtime or do things that you don't enjoy to make it happen. It's really hard to get to a point in your career where you are doing things you love everyday. Sometimes doing the things you love for work makes you burnt out or overly exhausted (particularly if you own the business). I wish life was simpler, but you have to do what you got to do to get by! 

[LukeJ]

There is a well known saying that says Find a job that you love, and you'll never work a day in your life. I believe it was Mark Twain that made the comment, not sure though. However he did have a point. The phrase means to the idea that if you are passionate about your work, it won't feel like a chore or a burden, but rather an enjoyable and fulfilling experience in which you want to take part. I sometimes envy people that feel this, and have always tried to take positives away from the jobs I've done. A more positive mindset, and it works at times. I've also have jobs that I've thoroughly enjoyed, and even though it's been longer hours, it didn't feel that much of a chore.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@LukeJ Mark Twain was so talented! If he said it, I trust it. It's true that if you love your work, you want to keep doing it! I love what I do now, and I'm so thankful for the opportunity to do things I enjoy with the best flexibility! I know if I didn't have a partner that wasn't as supportive financially I wouldn't be able to do it, so for that I am thankful. Now that I have enjoyed what I do for work. It will be hard to go back to anything less than that. Mindset is important too. Knowing that you will do what you are doing now to get to where you want to be in the future can help see the light at the end of the potential tunnel too.Everything on earth is temporary; things will come and go. I try not to get too attached to anything because it's all just short-lived and temporary in the scheme of things. That's another good reason to make life fun and live it up to the fullest without taking everything so seriously. 

[LukeJ]

Yes I can certainly see the light now. It was always well known that I would chase the money. My family and friends for a long time would try and warn me that at the end of it, there will only be regrets. Now for the last two years, and as I've got older, I can see what they were saying. I still maybe work a bit too much for their liking but im definitely going in the right direction. And I can see that too,which is why I'm beginning to enjoy it more and more. I've always been someone who likes to keep busy, and when I work then I will. But now, I do prioritise things better.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ As long as you do what you love, you will have more satisfaction and gratification for life. I want to do what I love and make enough money doing it to cruise! I feel so blessed I can have the opportunity to cruise and love what I do. It doesn't get much better to take such incredible vacations. I feel the need to save annually for a cruise because it truly makes life worth living. I don't have the finances for the most extravagant cruises, but just the basic experiences and that still brings me so much fulfillment. I have yet to have a vacation on land that compares to a cruise. The price of cruising can be so reasonable too if you know how to book affordably. A perspective of appreciation and thankfulness for everything is really important too. You can find joy amidst any situation with the right mindset!

[LukeJ]

The thing is @Kendall James-Vargas I do enjoying working. It really depends on the jobs, but I love keeping busy with all different types of things. My ideal job I believe would be lots of different things where I can earn money from them all rather than just the one main one. It's not ideal I guess but it works for me. It's unpredictable, and you don't know what you would do next.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ I enjoy working too! I love to stay busy, and I am not a sedentary person. My husband would love to sit on the sofa all day if I let him. That's his personality type. I have trouble sitting inside all day and prefer to go out and be productive. I love to volunteer my time doing things I love when I have the time/capacity to do so. I can't imagine wasting my life away, not doing things that I find to be impactful and important to myself/those around me. You sound to be a high-energy person. You also seem to have the capacity to tackle multiple projects at the same time. I end up doing many things at the same time, but I prefer to focus on one task at a time. It allows me to perform at my best for each activity versus diluting my attention to multiple facets at the same time.

[LukeJ]

We are all adverse to spending a day on the sofa watching TV at some point. Even then, I would have switched it off at some point and gone out, even for a walk for an hour just to stretch. But I do like to do something worthwhile. People joke that I've done everything, but I like the idea of trying something at least once. It could be the most random or even boring to some, but I've tried it. It's better than sitting around doing nothing.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@LukeJ Words of wisdom are powerful! Many people have more wisdom than me, and so much of that wisdom just comes from living and learning life lessons. Take a teen for example. You have to run a couple of stop signs and get a couple of tickets to realize driving irresponsibly or to show off will cause you nothing but agony. It just takes a couple of driving years to realize following the road rules is important and worthwhile, particularly if you don't have the fund to pay high priced tickets and higher priced car insurance. 

You do sound like you have done/tried everything. You also sound quite brave. It's easier to stay complacent and comfortable in your situation. Branching out and trying new experiences takes a lot of bravery and courage! Your personality type typically fuels success. It's really because you are flexibility, adaptable, and resilient to change. I try to be that way, but sometimes it's hard. My car was destroyed by hail damage (baseball sized hail) and I was just told it needs to be totaled. I loved that car, and planned to keep it forever. Now I have three days to say goodbye and find a replacement. Now is a good time for me to be flexible and resilient! 

[LukeJ]

Thank you for your words, and I'm sorry for you loss.😔 I love trying different things, you never know what you may end up enjoying or taking up as a hobby. I love sports, being part of a team, and having something special that you are part of. I coach the rugby for kids, and majority of them can't be bothered. There is no right way for them. They just simply may as well not be there. What I don't want is in further years down the line of life is have any regrets. It's scares me, that I hadn't tried everything that I wanted to try and fear it be too late to do anything about it.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@LukeJ I don't want to think of it as a loss, because it's an object, but it's been a headache searching for something with comparable value. I take great care of my vehicles, even though my kids can be little destroyers at times. Sports is a great way to get involved and make an impact. I love volunteering in the hospital setting. For a time I volunteered in the pediatric oncology/hematology unit and that was so impactful. I really enjoyed being able to volunteer at the children's hospital and I would do it again in a heartbeat. You are impressive. In fact I think you are more ambitious than most. I see the value in trying/achieving to your greatest capacity during your lifetime. When you are older, you won't regret trying all that you tried. You may regret the opposite, not doing more in your younger years. That's what you hear most often. 

That's how I feel about cruising! Never once have I ever said, "I wish I didn't take that cruise vacation." 

[LukeJ]

That's the only way to look at life. As long as there is no regrets at the end, then you have had a good life in my opinion. Everyone must have something that they've always wanted to do, no matter how small it is. I always wanted to try wood turning, as it fascinated me to see people making wonderful objects from a simple log of wood. So I gave it a go for a few years, and became quite good at it, and ended up making and selling numerous pieces. Even volunteering for something is fulfilling as you rightly say. To do something for someone else, and seeing that come to, is marvellous feeling. Is there anything that you've always wanted to try?

[Cruising Caribbean]

@LukeJ You can't look back in life and regret. I completely agree. If you don't try you will never know if you would have succeeded. My husband and I are feeling that now. We can get so sedentary in our ways and forget how ambitious we really are. Sometimes we get so caught up in the day-to-day we forget what we are working towards or loose focus of our goals. 

When you say you have tried it all you weren't kidding. I haven't ever heard of wood spinning until you mentioned it. To be honest I have like 200 more things that I'm interested in trying and that was not even close to on the list! It's every impressive you were able to try it, enjoy it, seemingly master it, and then find much success doing it. I think that's pretty rare. What is the difference between wood spining and wood carving? 

Edited June 11 by Cruising Caribbean

[LukeJ]

By trying different things keeps your mind active and sharp too. Some people don't understand why I do it, it's because it keeps me active, busy and gives me a positive mindset. 

Wood spinning is done on a lathe, a spinning machine, and you use different spindle tools to make symmetrical forms—bowls, vases, etc. Woodcarving is essentially sculpting a form in wood using a knife

[3Sisters]

@LukeJ You surely have lots of unique experiences! Where are some places you would like to visit via cruise in the coming years? I was looking into Brazil, but I also have aspirations of visiting Canada and Alaska in the coming years. I would prefer to cruise to these destinations as that's my favorite way to vacation. The less time I have to spend flying and the more time I can spend cruising is ideal. Bermuda's prices are on the rise, but I wonder if it's just the beginning. I may want to get over there and visit before the prices go even higher. 

 

Edited June 14 by 3Sisters

[LukeJ]

Cruising to Canada is on my wish list. I've always wanted to go there. Maybe one day, I will get that opportunity. I also would like to go to Australia on a cruise too. It looks such a beautiful country, I'd be happy to give either a try. If not, a river cruise through the Danube sounds magical to me, stopping off in Germany, Hungary and places like that 

[Cruising Caribbean]

@LukeJ Based on your location I would say Canada is much further away from you than it is for me! Canada has so many places to explore, it would be hard to see it all and narrow those prime destinations down into one trip. Australia would be a dream too! I think Canada would be more feasible for me than Australia at this point in my life. Wood carving sounds like a blast. You definitely have to have a steady hand for that! I'm not sure if my hand is steady enough for wood carving. A river cruise sounds awesome! Which cruise line would you choose for a river cruise though the Danube? 

[LukeJ]

Yes it's quite a distance to travel too, but as a one off destination, then maybe it will be worth the effort. One ticked off the bucket list as they say. As Europe is closer to me, the river cruises is a better bet that I could do in the next few years. I've looked into it many times and Viking river cruises looks like my favourite. 

Wood carving does require a steady hand but such a satisfying thing to do. I could sit there for hours and see what occurs.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@LukeJ I agree it would be worth the effort! How long of a flight would that be for you? To cut down on flight times you could potentially find a transatlantic cruise. I look into these options more and more lately to spend more time at sea and less time in the sky. Which rive cruise line do you like? I have read many great reviews on Viking River Cruises. It sounds like a totally different way to cruise, but you get to those niche destinations that an ocean ship wouldn't be able visit. I'm not really if any other river lines compare to Viking River Cruises. Have you seen those 5D wood printers? Our local library has one and they are so incredible. They can basically make anything! What's even better is anyone who reserves it can use the machine free of charge! I haven't even attempted to reserve a time slot because I have no club how to work the machine. Have you worked with a wood working machine like that before? It sounds like you would likely prefer to work with your hands versus a machine. 

[LukeJ]

A flight would roughly take 10 hours to fly to Canada, and I think that would drive me mad travelling so long, but I'm sure there are ways around it. And as a one off, I'm sure I could manage it. The river cruises do look appealing, and I do enjoy visiting cities, especially around the Christmas period. 

I have seen the 5D printers online but not in reality. How lucky are you to have one in the library, we would never have anything as cool as that in our libraries. I'd like to give it a go, but as you say I'd rather do it by hand, surely that's half the fun.

[3Sisters]

@LukeJ Honestly, it's a long flight but not that long. I feel like a flight to Australia or Asia would be exceptionally longer and more costly for me. A river cruise would likely be simpler to take first. For one they are located closer to you and you could avoid a costly flight, and secondly those niche destinations are pretty amazing. I wish I lived closer to an area where river cruises were popular. Unfortunately, it's all about the ocean cruises near me. I enjoy them, but a change of scenery would be lovely. I guess you can say I have exhausted many of the cruise destinations near me. I would have to look into longer itineraries to try new cruise destinations, but my family's work schedule wouldn't allow. It's not a real cruise vacation if you have to work anyhow. Have you tried to work on vacation? It's not the same, particularly for my husband. He struggles to disconnect from work.

Edited June 19 by 3Sisters

[LukeJ]

I tend to agree with your husband. I have worked onboard before, and I found it very frustrating. It's impossible to disconnect, as you are on vacation and the last thing you want to do is work, and all you think about is doing the work, rather than relaxing and enjoying yourself in the moment. I find it hard to switch off the best of times, and think it's a wasted vacation otherwise.

[3Sisters]

@LukeJ There is almost no point to go on vacation if you have to work. It's so distracting and you don't really get the full unwind affect. The point of vacation is to be able to disconnect from the everyday hustle. If you are paying lots of money to do that, but then don't get the full experience it's not worth paying for the experience. You can either pay and get the full experience or don't bother. We certainly agree on this. I want to see my husband enjoy the vacation he paid for. It's one reason people pay the new Bermuda prices. People will pay big bucks to enjoy their vacation. Some people (possibly most people) don't think twice before spending $20 per person on a beach lounger. Many of these cruise guests don't even know any better!

[LukeJ]

It's the age old argument of, if you have the money to do so, then carry on. My wife enjoys vacations and I'm not really a big fan as such. What we both agree on however, is that if we do go on vacation, then it's a cruise. Once you've been on a cruise, I don't think you will ever not go on a cruise again over the land vacations. There is something different about cruises and it's of no surprise that it's getting popular each year.