After my interview, I met Patti back in the room so we could get ready for dinner and the evening festivities. I was thankful to have the interview behind me—but then came the “what happens next?” moment. All I could do was say a little prayer, cross my fingers, and hope for the best.
Dinner was fantastic! Our Amelia Rec Director found us another table to join, and it ended up being amazing. Some of these members have truly become lifelong friends and mentors. (more to come about these friends/mentors in a later blog) I even laughed as I told one of them from South Seas Resort that they’d once turned me down for an internship—but that it was okay, because I’d had the best time at Amelia Island Plantation (now an Omni property).
Later, we went dancing, and it was an absolute blast. But somewhere between songs, reality hit—some of the people dancing (and watching) were also the ones who had been interviewing us earlier. Were they paying attention to how we handled ourselves? Watching how much we drank? Staying professional? You know exactly what I mean.
That night, I also met another girl who wanted to work on cruise ships. She mentioned her dad was on the board of directors for the association—and my mind instantly went into overdrive, wondering if that gave her more pull. I had to remind myself to stop overthinking and just let things unfold. If it was meant to be, it would happen.
A couple of weeks earlier, a friend and I had gone to see a tarot card reader. I always take those things with a grain of salt, but she’d said I’d be going on a great adventure and would meet someone who would offer me lots of travel in the future. I tried to be skeptical… but deep down, I thought, This is it. This could change everything.
The next morning, Patti and I left Oregon to visit another former intern friend in Washington. We hit Seattle—saw the floating houses, the troll under the bridge, the Space Needle, and of course, a couple of great breweries. We spent two nights on Bainbridge Island before heading down the coast to San Francisco.
When we got to our youth hostel in San Francisco, it was a little different from the others. No private room this time—just 12 bunks, but only partially filled. We were fine with that and ready to explore the city.
When we returned that night, there were two handwritten messages waiting on my pillow:
- Please call Sally Evans when you get this message.
- Please call your parents after you have spoken to Sally Evans.
For context—Sally Evans was the Norwegian Cruise Line representative who had interviewed me at the RCRA (now REC Net) conference. My heart was pounding. I called my parents first (via the payphone on the hostel wall!), and they immediately asked, “What did Sally say?” When I told them I hadn’t called her yet, they practically ordered me to hang up and call her right away.
I said, “I have no idea what to do”—excited, scared, and shocked all at once—while remembering my professor’s warning that getting a job on a ship wouldn’t be easy (and back then, there weren’t nearly as many cruise ships at sea as there are now). My mom didn’t miss a beat: “Then what in the hell did you go to college for?” LOL.
I called Sally Evans. Sally offered me a seasonal position—one week over Thanksgiving, and three weeks over Christmas and New Year’s. It was my in! But here’s the thing… Patti and I had already planned to meet my parents in Las Vegas for Thanksgiving. So, I asked if I could skip the Thanksgiving week and still take the Christmas contract. The answer was no.
I didn’t hesitate. “Okay,” I said, “I’ll happily accept. Just let me know what I need to do next.”
With about ten days left before I needed to be in Miami, Patti and I set out to make the most of it. From San Francisco to LA, San Diego, and Tijuana… then Mesa, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, and Colorado (where we got snowed in for a day) before heading back to Illinois. In 19 days, we put 7,000 miles on my car—and loved every single one of them.
When I got home, a packet of mail from Norwegian Cruise Line was waiting for me with all the details—what I needed to do, what I needed to buy—before my first cruise ship assignment. It was finally happening. My dream was coming true. I would be heading to the M/S Seaward for my first contract.
I’d been on two Princess Cruises before with family and friends, and as a passenger, I thought it was the ultimate vacation. But now it was time to see if that magic held up from the other side—as a crew member—and to find out if I’d love Norwegian Cruise Line as much as I did Princess.
As I’ve said before—whether you’re a student hunting for a recreation internship or a professional chasing your next job—the networking at these conferences is absolutely priceless. In just three or four days, you can meet new people, line up potential interviews, gather fresh ideas (because sharing really is caring), and discover concepts that might not work exactly as-is at your property but could inspire something bigger and better. You never know what could spark.
So, find a way to make it happen—host a college fundraiser, pick up a side gig, stash a little extra cash throughout the year—and give a conference a try. And if you can turn it into a road trip with a friend or two along the way, even better. The journey itself can be just as unforgettable as the destination.
A little biased shoutout because I truly love these conferences… The Recreation Experience Community Network (REC Net) is hosting its annual National Conference November 8–11, 2025, at the stunning Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina. You can even preview a sample of the program on their website: https://rec-network.org. Hope to see you there!
Looking back: I still can’t believe I actually asked if I could skip the Thanksgiving week and just do the three weeks over Christmas. I mean—this was my dream job! Someone should’ve smacked some sense into me… let’s just say I’ve never made that mistake again.
Favorite Quote: “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says “I’m possible!” -Audrey Hepburn
Next up: Let’s Go Cruising
Great memories! Thanks for sharing.