From our private oasis

Matty and I are sitting at an almost empty resort in Ensenada, Mexico. It’s a getaway for crew members who know about it. After three days of being sick following a week of Matty being sick, we felt up to finding our oasis. It’s a gorgeous courtyard of outdated pool furniture and Mexican stucco artwork. The pool has a simple waterfall coming off one end that mimics the sound of our fan that we sleep to. I would be asleep if it were not for the father and daughter just now using the one innertube that has been slowly drifting back and forth in the pool for the last hour with no inhabitant.

This is a very rare peaceful moment for Matty and I since our arrival on the Carnival Paradise in April.

Matty is reading a Rolling Stone magazine and I’m quickly writing an update at the request of Stephen Sharkey as our computer battery dies with no outlet in sight.

I just watched a video of Chloe opening an inflatable cruise ship replica that we mailed her to give her a tangible idea of what and where her uncle and aunt were on and doing. She just said over and over, “it’s a boat” as Jenn did her best attempts to get a “thank you kris and matt” said into the camera.

I’m wondering daily what my life is “supposed” to look like amidst that choices I’ve made and what it actually looks like.

How random this last year has been with all of it’s “adventures” and adversaries. My hope is that in the still moments between calling Bingo sessions, hosting trivia games and running the ping pong tournaments that God will speak some wisdom into my life. How is God speaking to me through this experience? And what am I to learn and grow into when it’s all over.

My fellow crew members come from 57 different countries and at most times it feels like an international college where getting wasted at night makes up for super long shifts cleaning state rooms and washing ship stairwells. It is normal for strangers to find comfort in several nights meaningless sex with other workers and go back to service with a smile to the 2600 guests the next day who mostly come from Southern California. Matty and I make up 2 of about 15 Americans working on board the ship and although we are well liked, it’s incredible to watch the American guests through their eyes.

Where do Matty and I fit amongst these fellow entertainers who are at an average age of 24. We are the “nice” married people who everyone seems a little boggled by. But in its funny way, “boggled” is good. It’s a sign that we’ve stuck with who we are in the midst of one of the stranger environments we’ve yet found ourselves in.

Looking forward to a wonderful week with our folks on board. If nothing else, it will be a chance for us to show members of our family exactly what things are like here for us.