Costa Neoromantica Cruises: A neophyte's perspective

Cruising. Ahhh that big fat luxurious thing. Three things instantly come to intuition. Rich old pensioners, old and I dare say, old.. That was my predisposed conjecture. Everything changed now. As inspired by the concept of having a bucket list of 20 or 50 or even 100 things that you should do before you die.. Cruising has definitely become a part of it. But that was a long term plan. Twenty years from now. Or even Ten years from now if I am fortunate enough. Imagining myself in a cruise seemed to be a foreign concept to me. So spare me a thought or two of how elated I am when I saw a bargain cruise online (www.idealcruising.co.uk) – a Northern Europe Cruise (8 nights) normally priced at £1500 and now reduced to £399 per person (and that is an Outside Cabin!).

The long term plan was cut short. The time is now. 6 months of vacation drought propels this particular insight of cruising mid-july (perfect time to getaway on a Western European Summer!). A door of opportunity has flung wide – lets do this!

Forward to July 13, I am writing this article and enjoying the bargain I have booked.. Somewhere between Copenhagen and Hamburg. Somewhere between the Little Mermaid and the land of “Hamburgers” (I am still puzzled if hamburgers came from Hamburg. Another one of my foolish thoughts!). Somewhere between the cross-over of luxury and gluttony. FYI: An approximate 10 kilogram of fats has recently taken residence between my ass and my newly acquired love-handles (Tiya Nena as I call – from the beki root word: TYAN).

I am sitting in a posh upper deck where a 180 degree panorama of the sea awaits. The views of the waters are infinite. A refuge of dry land is nowhere to be seen. There is no going away from here (God forbid this ship will capsize!). And yet the serenity of the seas were more than reassuring. Being here enables me to realise how little I am on this circle of life. I felt like I am just a very “tinee-tiny” piece of a puzzle on earth. I am lost in this certain philosophy of vastness. My life is nothing compared to the array of life that the seas (and all the life within it) has to offer. Humility – a virtue that will get you anywhere. A virtue that sitting here certainly has thought me. Whilst luxury is all around me, it gave me an indelible sense that this is just temporary. Our lives are but temporary. Indelible and temporary facets of life – ironic yet undoubtedly true.

If anything, I have no reservations that this whole dream-like state of cruising affirms the veracity that TRAVELLING NOURISHES THE SOUL (A thought that out of nowhere suddenly sprung whilst checking out the Flower Market in Amsterdam). It is an opportunity to calm the mind and find an inner peace that not even the edifications of yoga can defy (no offense to yoga followers!).

Being in a cruise enables you to be on a mobile hotel complete with a bonus of a hop-on, hop off international feature. It is arguably reserved for the financially endowed and socially unchallenged individuals, couples or families. Yes it does come with a huge price tag. But if you're lucky, a £399 bargain is not a far-sight. And I am looking for the next big one.  

Never stand still...

Today, I had an interview at the King's College Hospital NHS Trust. I'm guilty as charged. I have been job-hunting again. Yet again.

At another turning point in my short-lived nursing career, I stood before the "juste milieu" of the Wellington ICU North, took a deep breath and recollect my thoughts. Then, I came to realize that there is not a person in the unit that I would like to swap nursing career with. No offense to my supportive colleagues but I felt like a rock on a surging stream -- stagnant and stale. This has added fuel for my burning hunger to a more challenging and fomenting post.

Everything seems to be routinary and mechanical. It has finally dawn on me that, yes, it is official -- my current work is getting too comfortable to the point of appeasing exhaustion. I felt like I wanted to learn so much more in the field of ICU Nursing. But then I was debilitated by the amount and nonchalance of the cases and the type of patients that I handle.

After a rocky start to my morning, I braved a full hour of confusing and rain-filled travel to Denmark Hill. I was late, but pleasantly surprised that the facilitators did not kick me out -- given the strict instruction on their invitation to interview letter that late-comers would not be even given the slightest opportunity to take on the coveted post.

After a group scenario part of the day take its close, the exams came next. And what better way to do your drug calculations when you do not have a calculator in hand. With hundreds and thousands of microgram per kg per minute in question, I was not really at my best. After all, this was not the hospital I was really keen on taking on.

So on two particular items, my answer was something like this -- " NO CALCULATOR :( ". Nonetheless, I still put on a chivalrous face for the interviews. Then it was over -- I have no expectations since I did not have any objective in the first place.

A call at 1730 hours cleared things away, I DID GET THE POST THAT I APPLIED FOR... They would like to have me on their team. One exciting twist though -- they want me to re-sit the exam, but this time -- with the best reliable calculator I could ever have.

I did not know how to feel -- all the more what to say. I have a couple of interviews coming up but I would like to keep all my options open. I suppose life is all about taking the risk -- "the right kind of risks" though, as the tough lessons in life has thought me.

Maybe this could be the start of something really enthralling. It could propel me to bounds and leaps which I never thought possible. It might surprise me to find capabilities and pressure-bound nursing virtues which I never thought existed. I do not want to stop learning and to refuse to give in to the appeal of the dormant corners of my current employment.

I am still uncertain of where this current job-hunting will take me.

But one thing is for sure, I will not take a long while...

I will not stand still.

NEVER STAND STILL.