Shoveling Sunshine in Paradise-
My First Ship · Hawaii · 1994
Shoveling Sunshine in Hawaii
I wanted a different experience. So I took the first job I could get: deckhand aboard the SS Constitution.
The Decision
A Different Experience Was Enough of a Reason
My first extended stay in paradise began with American Hawaii Cruises. I was not following a grand plan. I simply wanted a different experience—and I was willing to take the first job that opened the door.
Answer the Call
The First Job I Could Get
That job was deckhand. We sailed for seven days, and nearly every day brought a new port of call.
The decision was simple: step aboard, do the work, and let the route reveal what came next. Sometimes a new life does not announce itself as destiny. Sometimes it arrives as the first available job.
The Route · Seven Days
Paradise Became a Port Schedule
Foreign Land · Familiar Feeling
The Islands Changed the Temperature of Life
The weather was always temperate, and I had the most energizing and spiritually uplifting time—enjoying the people, the food, the culture, and Hawaii’s ohana, or family, atmosphere.
I have been hooked on these beautiful islands ever since.
The Elixir · A Different Measure of Work
Shoveling sunshine in Hawaii beats a day at the office.
The job was deckhand. The lesson was larger: sometimes the shortest route out of the ordinary is simply saying yes to the first real adventure.