Ships and the Caribbean

It's that time of year for me. The company that I rep for gives away a big trip to those who earn it every year. When I started doing this 8 years ago, these trips were not on my top list of things to accomplish. But I did earn my first one in 2003, and haven't not earned it. These are the kinds of trips that people save up their whole lifetime to go on, and I have had the honor to attend five and look forward to my sixth.

This year, it is a Caribbean cruise. This will be serendipitous for me. My first trip was a Caribbean cruise. Since then, we have gone to Mexico, Hawaii, Aruba, and the Paradise Island Resort in the Bahamas where we saw a lot of celebrities. It has been an honor.

One bummer, if I can say that. My husband can't always go. These trips are always prescheduled. They usually come around the third week of May. He is a college professor. So, unless the timing is right, he usually has to do final grades, administer tests, etc. that he just can't get out of.

Many years I have taken family members, and that has been fun. The year I went to Hawaii, I took my dad. That was completely God putting that together. We had just had our third adoption completely bomb, and I was a wreck. Sitting with my dad on a raft in a lagoon for hours and hours just talking through that garbage was better than any therapy. He gave me the emotional boost to try adopting again. I honestly wanted to stop trying. Well, thanks to him BH is in our family. In fact, it was while I was standing in the lobby of the hotel getting ready to depart, that an agency called me, "Can we show your profile to this family?" I said, "Sure, whatever." That was BH's birthfamily.

So, I am excited for this year. I am taking one of my best friends who will never get an opportunity to go on such a trip. Her husband hates cruises. That alone will make it so she never goes. She has never gotten to go on such a purely relaxing, don't make breakfast, do laundry or clean the house sort of vacation.

We will be leaving the third weekend in May and returning during Memorial Day weekend. Why do I put out this little brag? Honestly, many people out there say to me, "You still doing that candle thing? Why don't you get a real job?" Well, I make more money doing this than I ever have at a "real job". I have never been offered a huge travel package like this on an annual basis from a job. And I haven't found one yet that allows me to stay home with my kids during the day. I'll consider it when a gig that can compete with that comes along.