Off To The Bahamas!
This should really catch a lot of eyes! First of all i want to say that i realize how hypocritical this might seem after reading my last post, but i'll explain as i go.
So today through a tv offer for people in my area, a cruise liner has decided to give away a number of tickets to sail to the Bahamas. All they required was to fill out an online registration form and the first so many to respond would sail for free! Hey, sailing through the Caribbean is something i've wanted to do lately, and about a year or two ago took into serious consideration. I'll explain that once i tell you all that...I'M GOING ON A CRUISE! I jumped online, filled out the form, made the call, and got walked through the steps to securing my place on the liner...did i mention for free?! Then i was told in detail how this offer is possible. It's a marketing technique that the cruise liner is using because they are so sure people will love it and come back that they are offering these free tickets. Of course this whole time i'm wondering if it's a scam...they even had Carmen Electra as credibility to assure you it's not a scam, but any wise person would still be skeptical, and so i was.
The person i talked to over the phone said all i had to do was pay a small, one time fee for the "port fee." After explaining how everything was free, this was yet another red flag that set off in my mind. I started asking more questions, nearly hung up the phone several times, but i finally decided to just do it. I want to see more of the Caribbean. I paid the fee for two people (the deal was for two tickets). Was it a scam? I doubt it, but i won't know for sure until later. It seemed very legit though. The person i spoke with sounded credible, then a supervisor came on for a required check up and to persuade me to upgrade my 2 day, 2 night package for a week's stay but i turned that down and all was well. Then they called back to confirm everything was the way it needed to be, gave me a registration code and password. It looks like me and one other person will sail from Ft. Lauderdale to Nassau, which is the capitol city of the Bahamas, lasting 2 days and 2 nights! I have 18 months to decide when to take the cruise, all i have to do is notify them 60 days in advance :-)
--* This just in *--
I'm watching tv as i'm writing this, and as further confirmation that this is legit, a tv show is covering a Caribbean cruise liner that is hosting a benefit party for United Way -- these people obviously want to participate in the community and for the community to participate back, even if it means giving stuff out :-)
Anyway, i went ahead and paid $118 (the port fee is $59 per person) because i figured if i couldn't go on the cruise or decided not to, i could either give it away or sell them...and i even asked the representative how exactly i could go about doing that. So the way i look at it, if i happen to find a significant other in the next 18 months -- that's the timeline to activate my cruise -- then all expenses were either free or paid for by me already! If there is no significant other, then i take a brother in Christ to enjoy ourselves and relax with God in the Bahamas...or whatever may come, and i'll probably ask for their half of the port fee. Maybe i'll give them to my parents, sell them to a family member or friend, and really who cares if anything happens at all? We all could be using our money for better things, and since i care so little for money i'm not going to breakdown if that $118 went bye-bye, ya feel me?
Why did i decide to go for this?
In the Spring of 2008, on my first mission trip ever i went to Puerto Rico. While Puerto Rico was a beautiful land, i was touched in a way i had not expected. Yeah, the group worked very hard to build a Christian camp right on the sea and we also got to experience a little of the culture there. I had expected much more interaction and socializing with the people there, but what little we had was at one of the small churches made up mostly of youth/teens. There, i casually met a boy who loved to play basketball, to be playful and affectionate, and before the end of the week had stolen a piece of my heart. His name is Antony. It was a delight to play ball with he and his buddy Miguel. I wrote about this trip and about Antony in a previous post, but what i didn't write about was a young man with a sweet beard from Alabama.
We easily became friends in Puerto Rico and later kept in contact through facebook. I learned that he was saving up money to DIY (do it yourself) sail around the Caribbean and eventually split through the Atlantic and make port in Ireland! You can actually view his pictures and journals on his trip here:
http://nepenthesea.blogspot.com/
Make sure you start at the bottom and work your way up, and wait for the pics to load cuz they're worth it. (I'm wondering if this blog will excite Casey cuz honestly, Mr. Casey, you would make a fine cruising buddy...)
Seeing Will's amazing pictures (he loves the outdoors and is quite artistic, makes for easy inspiration for me!) really gelled with my spirit. To know that he was able to do this gave me hope that maybe, if the conditions were ever right, i could do this too :-). It's not something i'm exactly making arrangements for, but as you've gathered by now i don't exactly hesitate either :-}
Wow, i just read Will's entire blog about his Atlantic voyage (except a few late entries he made). And now i feel outta whack of what i was typing and what else i was gonna say, if anything. Oh right, regarding my last post.
I'm trying to hang on to money because i do have loans to pay. But, i'm not really worried about money. God has totally provided before and now it's up to me to be faithful and believe He'll continue to provide. I have yet to figure out my plans for this year, which is just one more reason to be cautious about things like taking a 2-3 day cruise. I feel no matter what happens regarding this cruise, i'll figure it out soon and plan accordingly, and i believe i'll have everything i need; everything will be good.
I'm reading a lot now. I try to spend time with and influence my little brother. Sometimes i write creatively and sometimes i write and record with my guitar.
That fork in the road? I believe it's still there.
Count your blessings :-). One love.
~Jacob
So today through a tv offer for people in my area, a cruise liner has decided to give away a number of tickets to sail to the Bahamas. All they required was to fill out an online registration form and the first so many to respond would sail for free! Hey, sailing through the Caribbean is something i've wanted to do lately, and about a year or two ago took into serious consideration. I'll explain that once i tell you all that...I'M GOING ON A CRUISE! I jumped online, filled out the form, made the call, and got walked through the steps to securing my place on the liner...did i mention for free?! Then i was told in detail how this offer is possible. It's a marketing technique that the cruise liner is using because they are so sure people will love it and come back that they are offering these free tickets. Of course this whole time i'm wondering if it's a scam...they even had Carmen Electra as credibility to assure you it's not a scam, but any wise person would still be skeptical, and so i was.
The person i talked to over the phone said all i had to do was pay a small, one time fee for the "port fee." After explaining how everything was free, this was yet another red flag that set off in my mind. I started asking more questions, nearly hung up the phone several times, but i finally decided to just do it. I want to see more of the Caribbean. I paid the fee for two people (the deal was for two tickets). Was it a scam? I doubt it, but i won't know for sure until later. It seemed very legit though. The person i spoke with sounded credible, then a supervisor came on for a required check up and to persuade me to upgrade my 2 day, 2 night package for a week's stay but i turned that down and all was well. Then they called back to confirm everything was the way it needed to be, gave me a registration code and password. It looks like me and one other person will sail from Ft. Lauderdale to Nassau, which is the capitol city of the Bahamas, lasting 2 days and 2 nights! I have 18 months to decide when to take the cruise, all i have to do is notify them 60 days in advance :-)
--* This just in *--
I'm watching tv as i'm writing this, and as further confirmation that this is legit, a tv show is covering a Caribbean cruise liner that is hosting a benefit party for United Way -- these people obviously want to participate in the community and for the community to participate back, even if it means giving stuff out :-)
Anyway, i went ahead and paid $118 (the port fee is $59 per person) because i figured if i couldn't go on the cruise or decided not to, i could either give it away or sell them...and i even asked the representative how exactly i could go about doing that. So the way i look at it, if i happen to find a significant other in the next 18 months -- that's the timeline to activate my cruise -- then all expenses were either free or paid for by me already! If there is no significant other, then i take a brother in Christ to enjoy ourselves and relax with God in the Bahamas...or whatever may come, and i'll probably ask for their half of the port fee. Maybe i'll give them to my parents, sell them to a family member or friend, and really who cares if anything happens at all? We all could be using our money for better things, and since i care so little for money i'm not going to breakdown if that $118 went bye-bye, ya feel me?
Why did i decide to go for this?
In the Spring of 2008, on my first mission trip ever i went to Puerto Rico. While Puerto Rico was a beautiful land, i was touched in a way i had not expected. Yeah, the group worked very hard to build a Christian camp right on the sea and we also got to experience a little of the culture there. I had expected much more interaction and socializing with the people there, but what little we had was at one of the small churches made up mostly of youth/teens. There, i casually met a boy who loved to play basketball, to be playful and affectionate, and before the end of the week had stolen a piece of my heart. His name is Antony. It was a delight to play ball with he and his buddy Miguel. I wrote about this trip and about Antony in a previous post, but what i didn't write about was a young man with a sweet beard from Alabama.
We easily became friends in Puerto Rico and later kept in contact through facebook. I learned that he was saving up money to DIY (do it yourself) sail around the Caribbean and eventually split through the Atlantic and make port in Ireland! You can actually view his pictures and journals on his trip here:
http://nepenthesea.blogspot.com/
Make sure you start at the bottom and work your way up, and wait for the pics to load cuz they're worth it. (I'm wondering if this blog will excite Casey cuz honestly, Mr. Casey, you would make a fine cruising buddy...)
Seeing Will's amazing pictures (he loves the outdoors and is quite artistic, makes for easy inspiration for me!) really gelled with my spirit. To know that he was able to do this gave me hope that maybe, if the conditions were ever right, i could do this too :-). It's not something i'm exactly making arrangements for, but as you've gathered by now i don't exactly hesitate either :-}
Wow, i just read Will's entire blog about his Atlantic voyage (except a few late entries he made). And now i feel outta whack of what i was typing and what else i was gonna say, if anything. Oh right, regarding my last post.
I'm trying to hang on to money because i do have loans to pay. But, i'm not really worried about money. God has totally provided before and now it's up to me to be faithful and believe He'll continue to provide. I have yet to figure out my plans for this year, which is just one more reason to be cautious about things like taking a 2-3 day cruise. I feel no matter what happens regarding this cruise, i'll figure it out soon and plan accordingly, and i believe i'll have everything i need; everything will be good.
I'm reading a lot now. I try to spend time with and influence my little brother. Sometimes i write creatively and sometimes i write and record with my guitar.
That fork in the road? I believe it's still there.
Count your blessings :-). One love.
~Jacob