Dear Aimery Keith Lewis #11
Getting into a routine...
Happy new week, Aims! I hope you’ve had a wonderful week. For me, this week was mostly about establishing an efficient routine. Deciding to take working in the sailing industry more seriously has been quite rewarding so far. I have been making a lot of new friends and learning a lot as well. As bumpy as the road has been over the past few years, I finally feel like the pathway of my life is getting a bit smoother.
On Monday, I got my hair retightened. It had been almost two months since my last hair appointment, so it was much needed. It was quite a long day, but I always feel better once it is done. It is nice to look a little more put together, even if it takes almost 8 hours for the service! I also enjoy the hair wash when I go.
On Tuesday morning, I had a meeting with Second Star Sailing in Jolly Harbour. The goal of the meeting was to get more information about their apprenticeship program, as well as to find ways for me to be helpful to their organization. The meeting seems to have been a success! I will be starting to help out at Second Star Sailing on Tuesdays and Thursdays, in the mornings, starting next week. I am quite excited about the addition to my weekly routine.
After the meeting, I was skateboarding around Jolly Harbour to try and look for the office to get myself a PO Box here (which I did get), and on the way back to my car, I got some delicious food from Linda’s Cafe (the food there is always so delicious, and reasonably priced too!). I also took the class and test for my Food Handler’s Certificate on Tuesday afternoon. It was relatively straightforward, but I am happy I did it. With the certification, I can legally serve and prepare food in Antigua and Barbuda! This also means I can cook and serve food on sailboats for the guests.
On Wednesday, I took a day to relax. I went to the beach and swam for quite a while. I also brought the soccer ball to the beach to juggle a bit. I also took time to continue working on my Day Skipper Theory course with Ardent Training. To be honest, I have been working on the course all week, and I hope to be complete by next Sunday! So, hopefully I have that to share in the next letter.
On Thursday, I continued working on the Day Skipper course in the morning, then took a little nap before getting some spinach from the garden and gathering a bunch of mangoes from a nearby tree. It was a great recovery day. I talked to Nana for quite a while as well, and made it to the beach in the late afternoon for a quick dip. I feel so blessed to be able to just go to the beach whenever I want, even if it is just for a quick 5-minute swim.
Friday was relatively relaxing as well. I got up pretty early and went for a walk to the beach in the morning. I was really sweaty when I got there, so I jumped in quickly after the walk before heading home. When I got home, I worked on the Day Skipper course a bit more and spent the day resting for what I knew was going to be a busy Saturday. Friday was also the day that Nana got the pictures from her wedding! They came out so well. I only posted some of my favourites above, but one day I hope to show you the rest.
As I thought, Saturday was busy, but it was also quite wonderful. I started the day attending an event at the local equestrian center, and got to spend some time washing a horse named Rain, and I took a short walk on a horse named Legacy. (Rain is the black one at the top and Legacy is the brown one at the bottom.)
I had such a great time with the horsies and I can’t wait to go back and wash/feed them again!
Then, I went to lunch with a friend nearby. It was definitely the highlight of my week! Friends and family make life more enjoyable, and I even got to meet her pet mongoose. I was stuffed, full of love and delicious yummies, before rushing off to the AYC docks for club racing. I was on the boat “High Tide” again this week and had a new job on the crew as well. I had fun and learned a lot. After racing, we went up to the clubhouse for some refreshments and then came the long drive home.
I meant to get up this morning early to head out to Bolands and play some footy with the locals. I went to bed a bit too late (it was too hot to fall asleep, so I ended up listening to an audiobook for a while), and so I decided to take it easy this morning. So far today, I have watched a few Day Skipper lessons, watched some anime, and fed the donkey Oscar some leftover mango peels I had from last night. After I post this, I plan to head to the beach for a little while so I can get myself moving a bit.
I have also decided that I would like ot take cooking lessons and to become a PADI licensed diver, so I guess more will be getting added to my routine soon!
I love you so much, BuhBuh. I am so blessed with the life that I get to live, but I still miss you every day. No matter how much is going on in life, you are still, and always will be, my number one priority.
Love Dada