Just got back from one of my favorite activities…CRUISIN!  My Aunt and I did the 7 day Royal Caribbean Cruise out of Galveston to Roatan, Honduras, Costa Maya and Cozumel.

In Roatan, we met up with my dear friend Marc in Gumbalimba Park.  This park has it all.  First, we did an amazing nature walk wherein we saw many black iguanas, beautiful flowers, and unusual trees. Then, we had a great time trying to cross the stream on an Indiana Jones style bridge.  Next, I got to play with a spider monkey and parrot. Such an awesome experience!!!

After the nature hike, I could not resist the opportunity to snorkel on the Jolly Roger Catamaran. The azure waters were calling me to come forth — LOL!!! Okay, I only stayed in about 15 minutes – but it was well worth it. I guess I was tired from eating too many deserts on the cruise ship.  A guide was beckoned to ”rescue” me.  He took  me back to the boat where I had a cool drink and then met a fitness pro champ, Nicole.  She has the BEST ABS!!!

We continued to explore the park and had a chance to talk with Olivia, who is excited about her work with the youth on the island.  After that, we were ready for more adventure by taking the clear kayak tour to see the coastline.   These kayaks have a clear bottom which enable you can see clear down into the sea — Amazing!!

Roatan really surprised us. The beaches were warm, the waters were crystal blue, the people were nice, and the variety of activities were great!  My Aunt and I had such a good time that we were trying to figure out a way to stay in Roatan instead of going back to the cruise ship.

More Beautiful Beaches

The next stop on the cruise was Costa Maya. This port is a fairly new development with a party type atmosphere and a variety of shopping options. We actually got a taxi to the downtown area and lounged on the beautiful beach for the whole day.

I continued lounging on the beach in Cozumel to get more “sabbatical rest”.  It was great!! We met up with Nicole and just did absolutely nothing…loved it!

Inspiration - Try not to become a (wo)man of success but rather try to become a (wo)man of value. (Albert Einstein)

Be Blessed!!

~A

Starting out – This cruise adventure started in Ft. Lauderdale, making the first stop in Jamaica.  Here, we  had the opportunity to really talk to the locals and get an understanding of their lives.  After touring the island, the driver took us to a nice beach and we got some jerk chicken.   But to my surprise, it tasted like BBQ chicken – not authentic as I imagined…still good though and I ate every bit of it (LOL)!!!

Costa Rica – We got off the boat and secured a taxi to take us on a tour of Port Limon. The highlight of the tour was going on a jungle boat ride.  As we sailed through the swamps, we saw sloth, iguanas, and other creatures along thick foilage of the jungle.  What a treat!!

TIP – This same trip cost about $75 per person on the boat, but we got it for $20! When going on cruises, the excursions offered by cruise lines tend to be way more expensive. Plus, they leave too early in the morning for me. I suggest negotiating with a local taxi or tour driver at the port. Just ensure that you settle a rate before you begin your ride.  

Colombia – We landed at the Santa Marta port and got a taxi to take us to Tayrona National Park. Check out the pictures of this park to see the most beautiful coastline and beaches ever!   Once we got to the park entrance, I started to get a bit uncomfortable. The “guards” at the gate wanted an extreme amount of money to enter the park. Thank goodness our fellow cruiser was fluent in Spanish! 

We then went to Cartegena. I love this place! The culture, beaches, people, and architecture were just amazing. One thing about Colombia – it was HOT!! You definitely need a hat, sunglasses, and water.

Panama – The ship docked in Colon, Panama. We got a taxi to take us through the city and onto Panama City,  but not before seeing the Panama Canal.  Actually seeing a ship go through the locks was interesting. By this time, we were all running out of money.  One good thing, most of all the cities we visited took the US dollar. Panama actually uses our currency.  But, things were just a little bit more expensive.

 Fin – The trip ended with an overnight stay in the Panama City Marriot. The hotel was really nice. It had a huge gym – which I didn’t use of course. But, I did get in the hot tub!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inspiration -  Don’t let disappointments, strained relationships and job challenges tell you who God is; let His Word speak for Him. (Joel Osteen).

Peace & Blessings!!

-A

 

 

 

Inspiration – Thank you Jesus for all that you have blessed us with!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

The Journey Begins…

We landed in Rome and quickly found the train route that would take us to the port city of Civitavecchia.  From there, we boarded the ship for a 12 relaxing days around the Mediterranean Sea.  The days were filled with taking advantage of learning new languages (I think Spanish is easier than French), eating, relaxing in the hot tub, meeting our fellow cruisers, listening to great jazz music, and dressing up for exquisite dinners.

Oh, I must mention, aside from the exotic ports of call, one of the most exciting part of the cruise was the broadway style show after dinner. In Cirque style, there were aerial performers (which I LOVE) and other dancers in flamboyant costumes.  This show was world-class!  Our voyage was definitely off to a great start.

First Stop – Athens

The weather was slated to be clear and hot for our  first stop - Athens, Greece.  Boy, was the weatherman ever wrong!! On our way to the Acropolis, it started to drizzle.  But that didn’t stop our adventure.  The taxi dropped us off and we were headed up the steep pathway to see this ancient wonder of the world. Finally making it to the top, we were also treated to a spectacular overview of Athens and the Parthenon. At this point, it started to POUR!!!  There was no place to take cover.  Luckily, we saw friends with umbrellas who gladly escorted us down the hill.  From there, we got a taxi and went back to the ship…So much for a day in Athens.

Onward we go to Ancient Empires

Words cannot express the awe I felt traveling through the Holy Land and following in the footsteps of St. Paul in Ephesus, Turkey.  Imagine my excitement seeing the magnificent Pyramids of Giza and standing right next to the Sphinx!  On the Nile River, I actually envisioned the baby Moses sailing down the river in his basket.  This was definitely an impressive journey.

Here is a challenge…Can you name the site/location of each photo?

New Friends

Allow me to introduce some new friends. The scene – downtown Cabo. The place – Starbucks (go figure). While shopping around, I happened to meet a very motivated and handsome young man, Modu. This highly educated, finely sculpted and interesting man recently took a step of faith and moved to Cabo to pursue his dream of fitness training, modeling, and launching a clothing line. He does it all! Check out his site and see for yourself http://www.moduvatedtobefit.com/. In his own words, he gave me some great advice for this season of my life “Never look back. Do what you love because we only live once. It will pay off soon or later.” Modu is indeed very wise.

While mustering up enough courage to zipline for the first time, I also met a very inspirational family from Arizona. Rebecca, Jeff, Gabby and JJ. Especially brave JJ! He was such a trooper as we climbed high in the canyons of Cabo. Check out the pictures from our adventure. Although it was fun, Lord knows I probably won’t be doing any more ziplining again!!

Ziplining Friends

More Cabo Photos

Inspiration – A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles. – Tim Cahill

My sabbatical is also teaching me that life is so much bigger than what goes on in my world.  It is so easy to get caught up in a daily routine that we hardly ever take time to really live and experience life. For me, traveling, being active at church, trying new things, and connecting with others challenges me to step out of my small world and become more engaged with life.  So, my journey continues…

Inspiration – “Every man dies. Not every man truly lives.”  Braveheart

Ciao!

Inspiration - “Maintaining a complicated life is a great way to avoid changing it.” Elaine St. James

Be Blessed!

-A

It has been just over a month since my sabbatical started…and I have no regrets! You might be wondering how the finances are coming along. Well, it has been interesting not having an actual check being automatically deposited into my account. My main concern lately has been ensuring that I am getting the most for my money. For example, my homeowners insurance was up for renewal and the policy increased. This was unacceptable.  So, I started to rate search and found a better policy for far less money. It pays to shop around.

Other bills are pretty much the same. I did have some unexpected purchases to help my nephew out with his college expenses. Thank God I set aside a little for events such as this from the beginning.  One thing for sure is that I wish I could find a better option for tv. Seems like out of all the channels, there is never anything on worth watching! Bummer. They need to have an “a-la-carte” option. In any case, I am still watching what I buy and monitoring my accounts accordingly. So, planning is still key.

Oh – I forgot to mention that Cabo is back on for October. WOO HOO!!!!

Last week was busy as well. I spent it preparing for my Wall of Honor induction ceremony.   In addition to being inducted, I was also selected to give a speech at the ceremony.  Being pretty shy and quiet, this was a huge step out of my comfort zone.  But, I believed God gave me the right words to share with those present.

As it turned out, everyone loved the speech! I was so excited.  Having my friends and family there made the night so special. Several friends even placed notes of congratulations in the ceremony booklet – making the event even more spectacular and memorable. Thank you all! I love and appreciate each and every one of you.

Here is a picture from the ceremony.

Wall of Honor

 Inspiration – “It’s time to start living the life you’ve imagined.”  Henry James

Be blessed beyond measure!

-A

http://yoursabbatical.com/blog/2009/08/27/itll-be-no-small-sabbatical-for-angela-petitt/

Thanks,

-A

A mentor and friend of mine, Darlene, was laid off from her job as an engineer with an MBA several years ago.  She was introduced to a business a few months prior, but didn’t really take it seriously. When she got laid off, things changed. With only a little in savings, this smart classy woman decided to make the business work. It had to work! She stepped out, never looked back, and became a very successful insurance entrepreneur.  This week, Darlene passed away.

After high school, my younger brother Kevin, took a job as a night security guard. But he knew that he loved big trucks as a child and that God had a plan for his life. Kevin did something radical. With no money, he gathered his stereo equipment and sold it all to get tuition money for truck driving school. He graduated the top driver in his class, with many accolades and kudos from the instructors! Furthermore, God used his time on the road as a venue to inspire and encourage many people he met along the way. Kevin also became an ordained minister.  He passed away at the young age of 30.

Rev. Kevin A. Petitt

As I sit here and think about these wonderful inspirational people, I just wanted to spotlight each of them as an example to illustrate that life is precious and can be so short. They were each faced with a decision that propelled them to the next level in their lives.

Being on sabbatical is giving me an opportunity to really focus and gain clarity on things that are really important to me. Not that I didn’t know before, but to really take some time to be free of stress and the daily grind. Some people have a balance without leaving their jobs. I applaud them. For a long while, I would be at work dreaming that I was somewhere else. Finally, I was at a point wherein I was virtually compelled inside to leave. So, I left. This is so out of my comfort zone, but I know this is a defining moment in my life.

Inspiration- “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven…What do people get for all their hard work? God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end…And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God…God’s purpose in this is that people should fear him.” Ecclesiates 3:1-14

Be blessed!

-A