Australia....I am coming for you!
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Why Should We Travel?
I absolutely love this man, Jason Silva's words are just incredible. I am in love with this man's mind!
Sunday, October 09, 2016
The journey....
2.5 months, 25 500 km, 11 countries and my journey has brought be back home......how lucky am I to have had this opportunity to see and experience a part of our beautiful world. I am forever thankful for being able to do the things that I have dreamt of and for being able to learn new things.
What I am most grateful for are the amazing people that I have met throughout my life and the beautiful souls that were a part of my journey. I am forever grateful that I have been blessed with such spectacular friends and family. I am unbelievably lucky and the richest woman on earth. Thank you all for your kindness, hospitality, generosity and precious time, till we meet again friends!
#wanderlust #gratitude #journey
To travel is to take a journey into yourself.
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Religion and Spirituality
A friend sent me this, author unknown.
RELIGION and SPIRITUALITY
Religion is for those who want to continue rituals and the formality.
Spirituality is for those who want to reach the Spiritual Ascent.
Religion is for those who are asleep
Spirituality is for those who are awake.
Religion is for those that require guidance from others.
Spirituality is for those that lend ears to their inner voice.
Religion has unquestionable assembly of rules that
need to be followed without question.
Spirituality invites you to reason it all, to question it all and to decide your actions
and assume the consequences.
Religion speaks of sin and of fault
Spirituality encourages "living in the present" and not to feel remorse for which has already passed - Lift your spirit and learn from errors.
Religion is instilled from childhood, like
the soup you do not want to take.
Spirituality is the food that you you seek,
that satisfies you and is pleasant to the senses.
Religion is not God
Spirituality is infinite consciousness and all that is - It is God.
Religion invents.
Spirituality discovers.
Religion does not investigate and does not question.
Spirituality questions everything.
Religion is based on humanity, an
organization with rules.
Spirituality is DIVINE, WITHOUT rules.
Religion continues the teachings of a sacred book.
Spirituality seeks the sacredness in all the books.
Religion lives you in your thoughts.
Spirituality lives in your conscience.
Religion is in charge of the "to do".
Spirituality is in charge of the "to BE".!!!
Too much
What a great article!
I have always been "too much" from the very beginning. It's who I am and the older I get the more I love who I am. I don't want to change. I am who I am so cheers to being "too much"!
Saturday, July 23, 2016
What a great book.....
Just finished this amazing book one of my besties recommended to me. "You are a bad ass; how to stop doubting your greatness and start living an awesome life" by Jen Sincero. Let me tell you how this book could not have come to me at a more appropriate time (everything happens for a reason, the universe does work in mysterious ways). Slowly I started doing again all the things that I love again; working out, meditating, reading and eating clean. I was mastering my thoughts, my mind, my anxiety and it felt like I was becoming like myself again. Still here and there I would stumble into the darkness of my mind and work myself up full of anxiety. But progress is progress. As I am here trying to glue myself back together after a crappy contract this book just landed in my lap. It was just what I needed. I read the book from cover to cover, re-read all the quotes, mulled over the concepts and reflected. Some concepts were known to me and others I really needed to work on. But this book just completed it all for me. Jen Sincero must have written this book just for me.
I must stop doubting myself, I must stop worrying about my future, I must stop over thinking and over analyzing, I must stop assuming things and just be mindful and present and in the now. I want everyone I know to read this book!
Now all I have to do is manifest and visualize my life exactly how I want it to be. I must keep Jen's words and concepts close to me as I pack for my solo Euro Trip and my Mom yammers in my ear about terrorism and how Europe is about to be at war (not exactly sure with whom). But I refuse to live my life in fear. I will live my life exactly how I want to live it. I will make my dreams happen one by one and no one and nothing will stop me. I will trust in the Universe and all will happen in due time.
I an Natalia, I am once again Happy and I will make all my dreams come true.
Friday, July 22, 2016
Set my soul on fire....
There is nothing that sets my soul on fire more then traveling.... I have bought a one way ticket to Amsterdam (where I'll be celebrating my Name Day) and will be traveling Europe over the next little while. I have no concrete plans and I am off work for the next 3 months. Everything is subject to change, nothing is confirmed and I go where the wind takes me. Time to live a little and breathe a bit deeper.....
Thursday, July 21, 2016
What happens when you give up western meds....
This goes out to anyone that I've ever spoken to about acupuncture, eastern medicine, self healing, visualization, law of attraction, to anyone that has helped me along the way and to anyone that is looking to better their physical or spiritual health.
My last contract as T&D Manager I was losing my voice weekly. Turns out I had acid reflux so severe that it formed nodules on my voice box. I was put on some stupidly expensive meds. Half a year later I still had the acid problem, my voice was still shot and my physical/medical showed that my liver enzymes were through the roof. I saw ENTs and Gastros all over the US and they insisted I stay on the meds and eliminate tons of other things from my life including vitamins. I was feeling worse and my liver became the subject of the specialists at the Galveston hospital that I now needed to see every 2 weeks. My liver enzymes were 25 times the norm (ALT should be around 45, mine was over a 1000), I had a liver biopsy and every kind of scope done that you could think of. I felt worse and worse and I was told I would need a liver transplant in 20 years.
I made a decision to give up the meds, I was certain they were harming me although the Doctors did not agree with me. A friend suggested I contact another friend who studied Chinese Medicine, she analyzed everything and recommended some lifestyle changes and acupuncture. I have given up all meds entirely and replaced them with acupuncture and Chinese herbs for acid reflux and any other ailment that has come up over the last three years.
I've just returned from the hospital where I had a whole array of tests done. Without any western medicine, my acid reflux is almost entirely gone, my liver is fully restored, there are no more nodules on my voice box and my voice has returned nearly back to normal. I attribute everything to acupuncture, chinese herbs and positive thinking.
So for those of you that are struggling with any health issues, I urge you to try acupuncture. It has done wonders for me and it can for you too. Best of all, I don't need a liver transplant in 20 years anymore! :)
A big shout out goes out to all my acupuncturists that I have had on my ships and also to the Your Health and Wellness Centre in Oakville that has been taking such good care of me when I am at home in Canada.
My last contract as T&D Manager I was losing my voice weekly. Turns out I had acid reflux so severe that it formed nodules on my voice box. I was put on some stupidly expensive meds. Half a year later I still had the acid problem, my voice was still shot and my physical/medical showed that my liver enzymes were through the roof. I saw ENTs and Gastros all over the US and they insisted I stay on the meds and eliminate tons of other things from my life including vitamins. I was feeling worse and my liver became the subject of the specialists at the Galveston hospital that I now needed to see every 2 weeks. My liver enzymes were 25 times the norm (ALT should be around 45, mine was over a 1000), I had a liver biopsy and every kind of scope done that you could think of. I felt worse and worse and I was told I would need a liver transplant in 20 years.
I made a decision to give up the meds, I was certain they were harming me although the Doctors did not agree with me. A friend suggested I contact another friend who studied Chinese Medicine, she analyzed everything and recommended some lifestyle changes and acupuncture. I have given up all meds entirely and replaced them with acupuncture and Chinese herbs for acid reflux and any other ailment that has come up over the last three years.
I've just returned from the hospital where I had a whole array of tests done. Without any western medicine, my acid reflux is almost entirely gone, my liver is fully restored, there are no more nodules on my voice box and my voice has returned nearly back to normal. I attribute everything to acupuncture, chinese herbs and positive thinking.
So for those of you that are struggling with any health issues, I urge you to try acupuncture. It has done wonders for me and it can for you too. Best of all, I don't need a liver transplant in 20 years anymore! :)
A big shout out goes out to all my acupuncturists that I have had on my ships and also to the Your Health and Wellness Centre in Oakville that has been taking such good care of me when I am at home in Canada.
Friday, July 15, 2016
Ottawa 5k Color Run
So in the spirit of trying to motivate myself (and my friends) back into a fit lifestyle, I signed us all up for the Ottawa 5k Color Run. Our team was Team Tumbleweave (for a weave I found in the parking lot of the gym a couple of years back that followed me around the city) and we made some kick ass shirts. What the run turned into was more of a saunter. It poured a good half of the run which turned us and the ground into a hot colourful mess.
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Tuesday, July 05, 2016
Stress
You always hear people say and read articles on stress and what it can do to your body. Stress; the silent killer.
Somehow I have always thought that I was immune to this stress everyone kept talking about. I practiced yoga, lifted weights, ran, meditated, practiced gratitude and used Buddhist philosophy and the law of attraction on a daily basis and everything seemed so positive and good to me. Stress never affected me and I was always able to see the silver lining and the positive side to everything.
Until this contract.
The year did not start off on a positive note. I joined the ship with a heavy heart and personal and family issues that weighed me down. And lets face it, I don't have an easy job. I have 1200 employees from 60 countries and I deal with their problems and conflicts for a living. Over the next four months things got tougher at work; audits, inspections, pilot projects, special projects, conflicts and more family and personal problems. I noticed that I was getting more tired, too tired to go to the gym or do yoga or anything for that matter. I started to care less about what I put on my plate and spent more time at work. I stopped running, I stopped meditating, I stopped reading, I stopped socializing.
I became so tired and anxious at the same time. I kept telling myself I can manage everything I am just temporarily lacking motivation. No big deal, this happens, I fell off the band wagon and I can get back up. Except I wasn't getting back up, I was falling deeper. My acid reflux got worse, I started drinking coffee again and large amounts of it. I started to get sad and when the heat would turn up at work, I would just start crying and sometimes even in public. I didn't have time to go for acupuncture weekly and my anxiety and acid reflux got worse. I was always frazzled, unable to relax and I could feel that my resting heart rate increased. Things got busier at work and I was working insane hours. I got really sick one week and I didn't go to the Doctor because we had an audit and it was my audit and no one else could take my place. I knew if I went to the Doctor I would be put off work and I just couldn't afford that. I was going from sweating profusely to being very cold, I lost my appetite (which never ever happens) and my stomach was messed up, I lost 10 lbs in one week. Then the insomnia came. I could fall asleep but I couldn't stay asleep. I averaged 3-4 hours of sleep a night for the remainder of the contract. Acupuncture usually fixed my sleeping problems but this time it didn't. I tried all my regular tricks. I consumed half a bottle of melatonin over a period of one month. I didn't want to resort to sleeping medication as I can get calls at night from security and I need to be coherent enough to answer the phone. I felt like a zombie. I started drinking 6-8 espressos a day just so I could function. I stopped smiling and I started to hide from people. I had no patience to deal with anything which is not so great when you deal with people and conflict all day. I would hide and eat on my own and as fast as I could so I could avoid people. I stopped going off in port an when I did it would be on my own, then everything would annoy me and I would go hide in my cabin. I noticed my joints were hurting and my hands and feet were swelling, this didn't happen before. Every unorthodox situation had me in tears.
This is not me. This is not the Nat i know, this is not the Nat that people know. I am always the positive force wherever I go and now I am a shadow of who I was. I didn't recognize myself.
I was teaching a class on stress management and it's physical effects. It's funny how good I am at faking that I am cool and collected when I am really a hot mess underneath, I guess 4 years of Drama class paid off. I realized that his frazzled and anxious Nat is the result of accumulated stress. Stress from work, stress from my personal life and stress that has accumulated over the last year that I didn't properly deal with. It was manifested itself in this horrible way that it made my physically and emotionally sick. But how is this possible? I never let anything bother me. But I thought I was invincible and stress is for the weak? But I am so strong! I don't understand.
Well I guess I am human after all and I am not always Super Nat. I am strong and I am capable and I am confident (some say cocky) but I can't forget that I am human too. My job is a lonely job. I take in a lot of information I can not share with anyone. I don't have the same support system that I do at home, I can't share my burdens, I can't bare my soul on the ship. It all accumulated and caught up to me. I forgot about taking care of myself. I got so caught up in taking care of everyone else but little ol' me.
Lesson learned.
I am human. I need to take care of myself first. I need to tell people that I need help when I need it. I am not immune. I don't always need to be Super Nat.
I am at home now. I have been at home for a few days now. My priority right now is me and putting myself together again, from scratch.
It's never to late to have a new beginning. I am back at the gym now. I start each morning with a quiet reflection period in my backyard and each day I think of something different that I am grateful for and I write about it. I meditate. I have cleaned up my diet. I surround myself with beautiful people and things that bring me joy. I am reading. I am talking to my friends and family and being open about my emotions. I am beginning to heal myself again.
It's never to late to have a new beginning. I am not broken, I am Natalia and I am human.
Somehow I have always thought that I was immune to this stress everyone kept talking about. I practiced yoga, lifted weights, ran, meditated, practiced gratitude and used Buddhist philosophy and the law of attraction on a daily basis and everything seemed so positive and good to me. Stress never affected me and I was always able to see the silver lining and the positive side to everything.
Until this contract.
The year did not start off on a positive note. I joined the ship with a heavy heart and personal and family issues that weighed me down. And lets face it, I don't have an easy job. I have 1200 employees from 60 countries and I deal with their problems and conflicts for a living. Over the next four months things got tougher at work; audits, inspections, pilot projects, special projects, conflicts and more family and personal problems. I noticed that I was getting more tired, too tired to go to the gym or do yoga or anything for that matter. I started to care less about what I put on my plate and spent more time at work. I stopped running, I stopped meditating, I stopped reading, I stopped socializing.
I became so tired and anxious at the same time. I kept telling myself I can manage everything I am just temporarily lacking motivation. No big deal, this happens, I fell off the band wagon and I can get back up. Except I wasn't getting back up, I was falling deeper. My acid reflux got worse, I started drinking coffee again and large amounts of it. I started to get sad and when the heat would turn up at work, I would just start crying and sometimes even in public. I didn't have time to go for acupuncture weekly and my anxiety and acid reflux got worse. I was always frazzled, unable to relax and I could feel that my resting heart rate increased. Things got busier at work and I was working insane hours. I got really sick one week and I didn't go to the Doctor because we had an audit and it was my audit and no one else could take my place. I knew if I went to the Doctor I would be put off work and I just couldn't afford that. I was going from sweating profusely to being very cold, I lost my appetite (which never ever happens) and my stomach was messed up, I lost 10 lbs in one week. Then the insomnia came. I could fall asleep but I couldn't stay asleep. I averaged 3-4 hours of sleep a night for the remainder of the contract. Acupuncture usually fixed my sleeping problems but this time it didn't. I tried all my regular tricks. I consumed half a bottle of melatonin over a period of one month. I didn't want to resort to sleeping medication as I can get calls at night from security and I need to be coherent enough to answer the phone. I felt like a zombie. I started drinking 6-8 espressos a day just so I could function. I stopped smiling and I started to hide from people. I had no patience to deal with anything which is not so great when you deal with people and conflict all day. I would hide and eat on my own and as fast as I could so I could avoid people. I stopped going off in port an when I did it would be on my own, then everything would annoy me and I would go hide in my cabin. I noticed my joints were hurting and my hands and feet were swelling, this didn't happen before. Every unorthodox situation had me in tears.
This is not me. This is not the Nat i know, this is not the Nat that people know. I am always the positive force wherever I go and now I am a shadow of who I was. I didn't recognize myself.
I was teaching a class on stress management and it's physical effects. It's funny how good I am at faking that I am cool and collected when I am really a hot mess underneath, I guess 4 years of Drama class paid off. I realized that his frazzled and anxious Nat is the result of accumulated stress. Stress from work, stress from my personal life and stress that has accumulated over the last year that I didn't properly deal with. It was manifested itself in this horrible way that it made my physically and emotionally sick. But how is this possible? I never let anything bother me. But I thought I was invincible and stress is for the weak? But I am so strong! I don't understand.
Well I guess I am human after all and I am not always Super Nat. I am strong and I am capable and I am confident (some say cocky) but I can't forget that I am human too. My job is a lonely job. I take in a lot of information I can not share with anyone. I don't have the same support system that I do at home, I can't share my burdens, I can't bare my soul on the ship. It all accumulated and caught up to me. I forgot about taking care of myself. I got so caught up in taking care of everyone else but little ol' me.
Lesson learned.
I am human. I need to take care of myself first. I need to tell people that I need help when I need it. I am not immune. I don't always need to be Super Nat.
I am at home now. I have been at home for a few days now. My priority right now is me and putting myself together again, from scratch.
It's never to late to have a new beginning. I am back at the gym now. I start each morning with a quiet reflection period in my backyard and each day I think of something different that I am grateful for and I write about it. I meditate. I have cleaned up my diet. I surround myself with beautiful people and things that bring me joy. I am reading. I am talking to my friends and family and being open about my emotions. I am beginning to heal myself again.
It's never to late to have a new beginning. I am not broken, I am Natalia and I am human.
Sunday, July 03, 2016
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Miami HR Conference
Just finished a wonderful week in Miami for the conference. It was so amazing to catch up with old friends; friends that no longer work for my company, friends that I trained before who have risen through the ranks and other Directors who I have handed over to and from. Aside from that, it is so nice to be able to talk to people that face the same challenges and struggles as I do. Being at the top can be lonely and you can't talk about any of the things you deal with to anyone else. Lets just say we are a rowdy and talkative bunch! We have to be so reserved and proper onboard, it was really nice to let loose and be ourselves.
Some people I knew for a decade and some people I met for the first time but it was such a pleasant experience. Our department has grown tremendously from it's inception and so many more incredible things are on the way. We did a lot of learning but we also did some fun team building activities. I spent a week in Miami and it was pretty busy.
The hotel was pretty nice and close enough that I could uber to see my favorite peeps; Brandon and Kyle.
The first night I got in, seven of us headed down to South Beach. I've been to SoBe a million times but for some of the new joiners it was a first time event. I always love it there!
And this is my twin; polish-canadian-latina Blondies who set ships on fire (well not literally but each one of us were on our respective ships when they had unfortunate incidents that led each one of us to be stranded at sea for 5 days).
Spent some quality time with my faves; had an amazing day at the pool and barbecue. These are the things you never get on the ship.
We did 5 days of full learning and I won't lie, after a busy contract it was tiring. But we also did some amazing team building activities. One of them was a top chef cooking event and another was dinner at Smith & Wollensky's in South Beach.
and my lovelies cooked my a nice dinner in their downtown apartment, then we watched the day turn into night on their balcony. What a view.
At the end all I can say this; I am Natalia. I am Carnival.
Some people I knew for a decade and some people I met for the first time but it was such a pleasant experience. Our department has grown tremendously from it's inception and so many more incredible things are on the way. We did a lot of learning but we also did some fun team building activities. I spent a week in Miami and it was pretty busy.
The hotel was pretty nice and close enough that I could uber to see my favorite peeps; Brandon and Kyle.
And this is my twin; polish-canadian-latina Blondies who set ships on fire (well not literally but each one of us were on our respective ships when they had unfortunate incidents that led each one of us to be stranded at sea for 5 days).
Spent some quality time with my faves; had an amazing day at the pool and barbecue. These are the things you never get on the ship.
We did 5 days of full learning and I won't lie, after a busy contract it was tiring. But we also did some amazing team building activities. One of them was a top chef cooking event and another was dinner at Smith & Wollensky's in South Beach.
and my lovelies cooked my a nice dinner in their downtown apartment, then we watched the day turn into night on their balcony. What a view.
At the end all I can say this; I am Natalia. I am Carnival.
Friday, June 24, 2016
Spent
I am absolutely and completely spent!
After 4.5 months I am off the ship and in my hotel in Miami for the next 7 days for a conference. This is the shortest contract I've done and the hardest and busiest so far. I am completely spent and exhausted. Audit after audit, drama and more drama and HR disasters.
Now I have 7 days to recuperate and then I am off to cruise as a passenger with my family. Most of my friends have signed off now so the last few weeks have been just me and my insomnia.
It's been a while since I posted but here are a few photos to catch you up.
The Entertainment Director and I headed the Oscar Committee and we put together a most epic night. We organized an Oscar Night for the crew. It took us a whole month to do it but the event was epic and I am sure no one will forget it.
The rest of my contract was spent battling insomnia and trying to deal with all the audits and office visits. Truth be told that I had very little time for social activities this time around. We did have a Bollywood party which by the way I totally rocked in my gorgeous sapphire blue sari.
I also finished teaching the College of Management. It is so much work but so rewarding and I just absolutely love facilitating classes!
After 4.5 months I am off the ship and in my hotel in Miami for the next 7 days for a conference. This is the shortest contract I've done and the hardest and busiest so far. I am completely spent and exhausted. Audit after audit, drama and more drama and HR disasters.
Now I have 7 days to recuperate and then I am off to cruise as a passenger with my family. Most of my friends have signed off now so the last few weeks have been just me and my insomnia.
It's been a while since I posted but here are a few photos to catch you up.
The Entertainment Director and I headed the Oscar Committee and we put together a most epic night. We organized an Oscar Night for the crew. It took us a whole month to do it but the event was epic and I am sure no one will forget it.
The rest of my contract was spent battling insomnia and trying to deal with all the audits and office visits. Truth be told that I had very little time for social activities this time around. We did have a Bollywood party which by the way I totally rocked in my gorgeous sapphire blue sari.
I also finished teaching the College of Management. It is so much work but so rewarding and I just absolutely love facilitating classes!
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Distraction
My Dad is out of the hospital now and recovering at home. I am so relieved. But it was so difficult to be here not knowing what is happening back home. I tried to stay as positive as I could but my mind was wondering too much. The only way I could distract myself was to go out in port. I visited some friends in San Juan, Puerto Rico and went to a resort in Curacao. I also threw myself into work, a little too much I think and co-created the Oscars. At the end of it all I got sick and felt pretty bad but that's a whole other post on its own.
I also celebrated my 10 year anniversary at sea. I can't believe it's been 10 years already!!! My team was so sweet and they threw me a surprise party. I also accepted the 10 year pin from my favorite Captain. I feel so accomplished!
Here are some shots from San Juan, PR:
I also spent the day decomposing in beautiful Curacao. What a pretty little Dutch island:
I also celebrated my 10 year anniversary at sea. I can't believe it's been 10 years already!!! My team was so sweet and they threw me a surprise party. I also accepted the 10 year pin from my favorite Captain. I feel so accomplished!
Here are some shots from San Juan, PR:
 |
| my favorite: mofongo |
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| with my Puerto Rican family |
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