A New Destination, an Ancient Land

July 23, 2012

First stop, Thessaloniki! Just the name of that ancient city with its New Testament connection is enough to stir the imagination. The entirety of this trip from Greece to Macedonia speaks of ancient times and places. All I could remember of Macedonia was that it was the home of Alexander the Great, modern Macedonian history not being a forte of mine. So, I was to fly from Athens to Thessaloniki where I would be met by a driver who would take me on the 2 ½ hour journey to Skopje.

For such a adventurous trip in my life, the flight was remarkably routine, reminding me more of a simple trip for San Francisco to Los Angeles. When I arrived in Thessaloniki, though, I now faced the hurdle of finding my driver. Consistent with my recent travel experiences he was not there when I arrived. I circled the terminal a few times looking to find where he might be and then planted myself in front of the most obvious entrance. After another 20 minutes, my driver arrived clearly identified by my name on his sign and we quickly returned to his car for the long ride to Macedonia. Fortunately, he spoke some English but was not overly conversant so after a polite conversation I was able to contemplate the scenery.

Oddly, the area around Thessaloniki reminded me a lot of South San Francisco. The gentle rolling hills, turned brown by the summer abutting a shipping port brought back memories of home. The drive to Skopje would consistently have that affect. We started to climb into the mountains, ones I know that Hannibal and his elephants probably crossed, and I pictured the passes in Colorado. When we completed the border crossing I saw vineyards stretching before me in Macedonia, reminiscent of the hills of Sonoma. I dozed for awhile and when I awoke we were within an hour of our destination and I was very interested in seeing what charms the capital of Macedonia had to offer. My driver and I talked for awhile and I found, much to my surprise, that driving business and holiday visitors around was the entirety of his occupation. In high season he was often making the long trek into Greece. In low season there was a lot of free time. Soon we arrived in Skopje. The city had an older southeastern Europe vibe to it, but I could see a lot of construction going on. There was an earthquake 50 years ago, and they were continuing to slowly renovate and rebuild their city.

My host, Zoran, met us on the outskirts of the city and we followed his car to the hotel where I would stay for the next two days. Zoran is a very impressive man. He is not only kind and very hospitable, but seems to have business connections with everyone he sees. One of two mobile phones is constantly raised to his ear. He runs the company who is our hiring agent in this area, but also has several other divisions in his company which show his strong entrepreneurial bent.  He quickly got me settled in a very nice, small business hotel in the center of the city and offered me some time to rest before we joined my Celebrity shore side co-worker Ante for dinner and to plan the days ahead. Before he left he told me that if I felt the urge to walk around and explore to feel completely safe to do so, as Skopje had one of the lowest crime rates in Europe! And if for no other reason, I was liking Skopje already.

But there were plenty of reasons to like Skopje still to come!

And the adventure continues . . .

Walk On, Walk Off

July 22, 2012

As I considered the day ahead I couldn’t get the advice of Mr. Miagi, from the Karate Kid, out of my mind. “Wax on, wax off,” he told Daniel. For me the day would be similar, only it would be ‘Walk on, Walk off.’ Today I would catch a cab from the hotel in Athens to the port in Piraeus where I would join, albeit temporarily, the Celebrity Silhouette. It was with great anticipation that I looked forward to seeing her again. And yet, I knew the reunion would be brief. The six hours on her decks would be far too short for an effective reconnection.

The intense familiarity with which you return to a ship on which you’ve served is stunning. Because I was not joining on a normal embarkation day I was one of the few who were coming onboard. Before I even reached the gangway several members of the security team recognized me. They called out the friendly ‘Welcome Home,’ which we traditionally use with all returning crew members. It is appropriate for without question our ship is our home. In minutes, our Crew Admin Lavern had bounded down the gangway to meet me, and after an enthusiastic hug I pulled my bags back up the gangway onto my ship. My intent was to head straight to my room to begin to unpack, but first I towed my bags with me to my office to meet my new manager, Peter. Unfortunately, he wasn’t there but my office was open and I immediately slid into my desk and began to check what work was waiting to be done. Once in my office there was no escaping it as office neighbors began to poke their heads in to add their greetings. Eventually, I broke free and headed to my cabin, bags in tow. This was a good feeling since the first time I joined the ship I was without my main bag, so having both bags was very reassuring.

As small as my cabin is, it was great to return. However, given that my vacation replacement had lived in it in my absence there were things that reflected her occupancy and not mine which first had to be set back ‘in order.’ Once done, the unpacking of all I would need for the next four months took virtually no time at all. Knowing in advance the exact configuration of the storage had actually directed my packing. So, the unpacking was predictable and quick. It was time for lunch and I headed up to Ocean View to grab a bite where Peter and Lavern were waiting. It did feel a little strange sitting in the OVC in civilian clothes, especially with two of my mates in uniform. As other crew members wandered past, their expressions conveyed their confusion, first that I was there and second that I wasn’t properly attired. Yet, the greetings were heartfelt even in the midst of that momentary confusion.

I spent the rest of the afternoon checking in with different people and different departments to get the lay of the land. But I knew that this was not the beginning, only an interlude prior to the contract, and far more time would need to be spent once I returned from Macedonia. All too quickly 4pm approached, and with it my ride back to the Hotel Sofitel to spend the night before traveling to Macedonia. I returned to my cabin and grabbed my overnight bag for the brief two day trip. With little fanfare, so as not to confuse anyone, I headed back down the gangway, already leaving my ship home behind.

Next stop, the home of Alexander the Great!

And the adventure continues . . .

Needing Sleep, Encouraging Dreams

July 21, 2012

When I finally landed in Athens early Friday afternoon I was very, very tired. I had worked a full day on Thursday and traveled all through the night and the morning to arrive in Athens. I have never been good at sleeping for any length of time on an airplane, except during my brief period of traveling International First Class, and those days were far behind me. So, with perhaps an hour sleep in the last 24 hours, I arrived at the Hotel Sofitel at the Athens airport. A great feature of this hotel is it is literally right across the street from the terminal. I walked out the front doors of the airport, crossed four lanes of traffic and was on the steps of the hotel. I couldn’t have asked for an easier ‘commute.’  After checking in I planned to work for a short time, catch up on email and Facebook, and then head to the hotel restaurant for a relatively early dinner followed by what I knew would be a very deep sleep.

The hotel buffet was not fully set up in the dining room when I arrived at 6pm, as that is far too early an hour for most Europeans to eat. However, they invited me in to sample the antipasti and salad bars, and the waiter informed me that the main dishes would be set out in about a half an hour. I grazed slowly and watched the weary travelers begin to straggle into the restaurant, mostly like me having just gotten off of international flights. Despite the early hour the head waiter, Kosmos, gave me great attention, ensuring I knew when the main buffet had opened. I ordered a glass of wine and we began to talk. Although of Greek ancestry, he was born and raised in Canada and had only come to Greece two years ago to explore his roots. He ended up meeting a lovely Greek girl and now called Greece home. As we interacted and I watched him serve the restaurant I assessed that he provided exactly the kind of attentive, quality service that Celebrity strives to offer to our guests. For example, when I went up to the buffet the mixed grill items were not quite ready. Five minutes later Kosmos came to my table with a heaping plate of grilled meats and seafood so that I wouldn’t have to be bothered with a second trip to the line. He also brought me a bowl of soup. I had bypassed the soup when I visited the first courses but he was convinced I would like it so he brought me a bowl, “just to try.”

As the meal progressed I heard one table speaking in far more animated tones than I expected from tired travelers. Two young American women were recounting their vacation memories at a table nearby. They were also apparently listening to the conversation Kosmos and I were having. When they heard I worked on a cruise ship they soon politely interjected themselves into the conversation. In virtually no time I had them sharing their stories. Michelle and Carmella were college friends who had continued their friendship through their first several years in the workforce. Annually, they took vacations together and were just finishing up their Grecian holiday. As we talked I asked them what they did for a living and soon realized that their careers were not a perfect alignment for them. So, I continued by asking them what their dream jobs would be. Speaking as one who had worked in many roles in my life and who was now living the unexpected life of a cruise ship employee, I encouraged them to hold tightly onto their dreams and be bold enough to take the steps to drive them forward. I used Kosmos as an example of someone who had reinvented himself with great results. During this animated conversation, Kosmos had anticipated my every need, bringing me coffee and an assortment of sweets from the dessert table.

As tired as I was, I couldn’t resist playing the role of catalyst for dreamers. I think this is just part of my DNA, and even though my eyes were heavy I stayed in the conversation far past my intended bedtime. However, the carriage finally began its transformation back into a pumpkin and I excused myself for my much needed sleep. Tomorrow would be a big day as I would walk up the gangway of Silhouette for the first time in almost two months, and I needed to be fresh for day ahead.

And the adventure continues . . .

Awaking to Europe

July 20, 2012

I awoke this morning to the sun rising over Europe. I left Miami eight hours ago flying away from the sun and rediscovered it rising over the Continent.  As I look out the window of the plane I wonder, again, at the very different life that I have chosen. I stand in awe of the amazing opportunity that I have received in my life to travel around the world. Very few people have been as blessed with travel as I have. At the same time I scratch my head at the lack of convention in what I’ve chosen to do. Who in their right mind chooses the vagabond life of ships after spending nearly an entire career in a traditional 8-5 office job? But as the airplane tilted toward touchdown in Madrid sunshine flooded the cabin as if the curtain had opened and the stage lights had gone up on the next act of the show.

My second contract had already begun in a most unusual way. I had been asked to spend a few days in Miami to provide input on a new process and support tools to help bring Training & Development Managers, like me, up to speed more quickly. It was wonderful to get to meet and work with many more of our corporate team and to grow in my understanding of that part of our business with which I have little contact. While there, another exciting opportunity was presented to me. In the past year a Celebrity Service Academy had been formed in Skopje, Macedonia to train new assistant waiters and I was asked if I would like to travel there for a couple of days to help teach before returning to my ship. There was no hesitation in my answer. To be able to contribute in an additional way to our company’s success was exciting. Coupled with a chance to visit a country I had never seen before, this decision was a no-brainer. It simply meant that we had to rearrange my return to ship including all the details to get me as quickly as possible in and out of Macedonia.

While business plans were evolving in Miami, I had an excellent opportunity for more fun. My former colleague and dear friend David Alba lives only 40 minutes up the interstate from Miami in Ft. Lauderdale. Although his schedule was equally as busy as mine he agreed to come and pick me up for a bit of an adventurous evening. He suggested that we fit in a kayak trip on the Intercoastal Waterway and then we could grab some dinner. What I hadn’t realized was that his intent was that we actually kayak TO dinner. His apartment is right on the water, so after a change into t-shirts and swim trunks we pushed off in a two person ocean kayak and began to explore the Intercoastal. David is a natural tour guide and the time was not only fun but also informative. Eventually we reached our destination and pulled the boat up onto the lawn fronting the water. We ambled into the heart of Ft. Lauderdale and, wet trunks and all, found comfortable patio seating at XXXXXXXXXXX. After a delectable dinner, we reversed our path and in the dark of night paddled the calm waters until we returned to his home, changed, and made the return trip by truck to Miami. If this evening was any sign of the rest of my contract, it is sure to present lots of memories and more than a few surprises.

But now the ‘surprise’ would route me to Athens, not to join my ship, but rather as a minor rest stop before heading Macedonia, a place I only knew of from my studies of ancient history.

And the adventure resumes . . .