It's time to wonder

Lately it's felt like some metaphoric umbilical cord has kept me close to the boat. Work and life meld together into routine. After dinner the crew and I melt into sofas in front of movies and bad television. Then sleep comes followed by another morning and another day of cleaning. It's easy to forget that a city thrives, wakes, and moves around us. The yacht club becomes an easy bubble where everything we need is at reach. A grocery across the street, the same three bars, some fellow yachties to share drinks with on the dock. In this way the day to day doesn't inspire much. A reprieve is public radio, the news and some opinions to make my mind turn a little as I in hail rubbing alcohol and vinegar mixtures over miles of marble and wood. All I need to break the cycle is a walk in any direction to get my mind working again. I love to wonder. Taking the roll as the observer, an anthropologist without credentials in the wild unknown urbana. In Brussels I took twisted cobblestone ally ways and navigated by pubs, coca-cola signs, and cartoon murals. Sights, sounds, culture came from every corner. It was easy to be a students and an interested mind in a place so foreign and so beautifully romantic to me. In St. Louis I'd take the metro downtown or to the Central West end in search of something I'd missed as a student living in the University bubble. More often then not I found myself in Forest park walking and watching people observe Olmsted gift to the city. In Charleston the architecture and bitter romance in the air captured me so quickly. Gas lights outside town houses and the sent of tulip trees are enough to capture your soul for an hour or two. There I walked and walked in every direction and the city unveiled it's racial and class divides abruptly. Camden was about simplicity and friendly people teaching me how to be myself again.

Now I find myself in Miami Beach with an easy place to hide and a long list of preconceptions about this place. But I must walk and become that observer again. I know it's good for my writing and my sanity. I can only hide on 130 feet for so long. I have the weekend off and am dedicating most of it to people watching, eating street food, and maybe even meeting a stranger or two. Other things on the agenda are kayaking in the bay and possible seeing the Norman Rockwell exhibit in Ft. Lauderdale. I need culture and I need to wonder. I refuse to be complacent in the land of laundry and polish.

In other news I am happy. We were in the Bahamas last week and had a very nice trip fishing and enjoying the sun and exodus to Chub Cay. Chub is a bankrupt paradise with few boats, beaches, water, and fish. A failure in the eyes of capitalism and development, but a victory that preserved the beauty of the islands. We are in Miami without trips for the entire month of February so I'm concentrating on a few different articles and finding some sanctuary amongst the alien nation of South Beach.

Amanda Mar
Miami Beach, FL

Florida Update

Hello beautiful babbling blogspher. I'm sitting on a sidewalk cafe in Vero Beach Florida. Sipping cappuccino as palm fronds blow in in the wind against an over cast sky. I've got three days off after a week of working on the boat. We will be leaving on Monday for a week in the Bahamas. The itch of uncertainty that followed me around like an unfriendly shadow for the past few months has vaporized. Afte r only 2 days actively job searching in Fort Lauderdale I was hired on a boat docked in South Beach for the winter. The crew and hours are both excellent. After so many unknowns I'm thriving from the routine and certainty of my work days. I'd like to say thank you to everyone who gave me so much support and encouragement during the last six weeks. It took a lot of courage and a little bit of pushing to come to South Florida in search of a yacht job. Constant affirmations from friends, family, professors, career counselors, and strangers gave me the confidence and faith in myself to plunge into this world. I did it! And that my friends feels damn good.

I'm taking the next few days to digest what has happened so fast and mentally prepare for 6 months in South Beach. I'm trying not to judge the glitz, excess, and wealth too quickly. Traveling has taught me you can find your niche no matter where in the world you find yourself. I'll give it time. I'm also finding that the yachties are an instant community along the docks. Free time and sunny days are an opportunity to learn from the cities diversity and characters. I'm hoping the next months will be filled with writing, learning, and new friends.

Alive and happy,
Amanda Mar
Vero Beach, FL

Aboard Magic in Miami

Life seems to fall together once again. I am officially employed, living, and working on a 130' 18 million dollar yacht in South Beach Miami. I was in Ft. Lauderdale less then 48 hours before getting a phone call that eventually lead me to a job. I didn't know what to expect to find during my treck into the unknown South Florida. I've had little time to process it all since there is so much work to be done. I also apologizes for my lack of communication the last few weeks. I've just been trying to desern my own goals, wants, needs, and future. But for now I'm cozy in my cabin ready and able to work with a good crew and captain. We're off to the Bahamas in a week and then back to Miami.I promise I'll write and process all that is happening to me soon. For now this jumbled message to my friends and the universe will have to safice.

Love,
Amanda Mar
Miami Beach, Florida

Day One Fort Lauderdale

After a long trip south in the Euro Van with captain Buck I've arrived in Ft. Lauderdale for the boat show. Checked into the crew house and walked to the canal to gawk at the mega yachts coming up and down the inter-coastal canal. Bow thrusters pushing back and forth as boats wait impatiently for the draw bridge to gain entry up canal. Sitting at a key west salty bar with internet watching them go buy. I'm trying my best to keep my confidence up. Stay strong, be friendly and meet everyone and anyone willing to help me find a paying job. Not sure where to look yet so I'm wide eyed wondering around the water way. The trip down was good. A day and a half in Panama City beach, a day trip to Apalachicola, an over night in Melbourne, a quick trip to see Ben in Sebastian, then two nights in Stuart, and now to Ft. Lauderdale. A lot of miles down and a lot ahead of me. Tonight I'm tired with sore feet and a hard nights sleep last night. Onward through the fog. Wish me luck.

Video: Water Tour of Camden Harbor

This is some fotage I took during Labor day weekend in Camden Harbor. 2 quick minutes of beauty the show what I got to explore during my moth in Maine.
Smiles,
Amanda Mar

Maine to St. Louis

On September 14th after a 4 day wedding affair and a stop over to see some Little Harbour friends in Portland, ME I flew to St. Louis for 7 days of catching up with friends, music, dancing, thinking, reading, and biking. I got every thing I needed out of this trip. Seeing my friends made me realize that 9 months post-grad, school is a lot of work and I’m not ready to jump into it any time soon. There is too much living to do to spend so much time in a library. Watching them learn through the liberal arts also made me see how much I’ve learned simply by talking, walking, traveling, and eating the last 9 months. With an open mind I’ve taken opportunity and life as it came. It turns out my path is pretty beautifully blessed for now. The week in St. Louis slowed me down a little and gave me some time to think about where I’ve been, and what the people I’ve meet, grown with, and loved have taught me during this first stint in adult freedom.

Other highlights of my St. Louis trip were an impromptu bike ride and concert in Forest Park with community member Jim. He literally knocked on Becca’s door and I answered. He didn’t know I was in town so it was a surprise for both of us. We rode over to Forest Park for the St. Louis Symphony orchestras kick off to their fall season. They set up the entire orchestra on art hill and played snippets of all the performances they have planned for the season. Jim and I shared a long and needed update about our lives while eating pastrami sandwiches and cheesecake from the hill. An hour of free outdoor symphony was topped off with a surprise fireworks show in the cool September night. From there Jim helped me through the city streets on a road bike back to campus to meet up with more friends.

On Friday I went to Sulard market and the international food store to gather ingredients for a curry dinner party. The curry was a success and the dancing at Novak’s was fun, but couldn’t compare to colossal nights spent there during my last semester. I miss a certain blonde community member who always keeps me dancing.

The week was full of lunches and coffees with professors, friends, writing sessions, and the career counselor (dun dun dun). These exercises in sharing my story and the millions of ideas and possibilities whirling through my head were needed. Everyone I encountered told me to keep riding the wave (in so many words). Each person reminded me as I often need to remind myself – you are young, free, and don’t need all the answers right now.

Last Maine Message

September 12, 2009 Bath, Maine