Paradise Postponed

The economic panic is in full swing.

Our company's owner all of a sudden has taken an interest in how well our little organization is turning a profit, and has sent in one of his trusted to whip ASC into shape. Panic ensues, everything is up in the air, and, not surprisingly, we hear that the Safari Explorer's inaugural Hawaii season, to take place this winter 2008-09, has been canceled. Or postponed, more officially. Not especially shocking, as sales had been low for the new itinerary, and it is a long trip over and a long inaugural season, especially for this dismal economic environment.

So, as people panic, stocks crash, food and gas prices soar, and the companies that aren't laying off huge percentages of workers have instituted hiring freezes, my lovely little place of employment is falling back on its defense of seasonal employment, and sending a new little flock out into the unemployment lines and onto the dole.

;-)

For me, this is not necessarily a bad thing, as I have been talking about wanting to put roots ashore. However, after nine months working shipyard in a dreary and drizzly Seattle, followed by a long, cold and wet Alaska summer, I was looking forward to a few months in the sun. Seattle in November isn't the most inspiring place from which to start a new life path. And the word on the street is the world is imploding and there aren't any jobs to be had anyway. But I'm trying to keep a positive attitude.

So, my two general directions of thought are: Seattle - take any job I can get and build from there; or Korea - teaching English. A friend of mine from Argentina (actually, she's from Iowa, but...) has been over there for the past year and will be returning and it is one of those paths that I have explored yet on which I have never followed through. And it would be so nice to do something new and adventurous and challenging, yet not have to start from scratch, completely on my own... A last travel hurrah?

Although, currently, I am leaning towards Seattle. It's a great town: good food, music, bars. Close to the water and skiing and hiking and wineries. Hot springs. And I have friends there. A few even that aren't sailing on boats. And that has been an aspect of life I have increasingly missed over these past five years of being a nomad. So we'll see. I go back and forth, but seem to be falling more and more often on the Seattle side of things.