07/07/2026
⚓ 20 years
Exactly two decades ago today, I packed my bags, grabbed my stethoscope, and stepped onto a cruise ship as a ship’s nurse. When I finally returned to dry land five years later, I brought back more life experience than I could have achieved in multiple lifetimes anywhere else.
It was a whirlwind of absolute extremes, breathtaking beauty, and intense clinical challenges. To celebrate this milestone, here is a little look back at a chapter that changed me forever:
The Adventure of a Lifetime
The Wild Geographic Swings: One week I was standing on an Alaskan glacier watching husky dogs sledding through the snow; two weeks later, I was wiping the sand off my face after a surf lesson on Waikiki Beach.
The Horizon-Expanding Voyages: From the epic journey of a transatlantic crossing from Europe to the USA, to that unforgettable moment sailing into New York for the very first time—followed by waking up there every single Sunday for six months
The Stamps on the Passport: Bahamas, Florida, Playa del Carmen, Panama, Costa Rica, Cozumel, Honduras... the list goes on, and the memories run deep.
The True Reality of the Job
It wasn't just postcards and sunsets. The sea has a way of throwing you into the deepest end of human experience.
We did real, heavy, life-altering medical work. I’ll never forget the day we rescued Cuban refugees in the Caribbean after their escape to Miami failed when their boat’s engine ceased. In those moments, you aren't just a nurse—you are a lifeline.
I was incredibly privileged to work alongside some of the most intelligent, phenomenal medical teams in the world. We faced high-stakes emergencies together, and then, because you have to balance the weight of the job, we had the absolute best time together during our hours off.
Friends Who Became Family
When you live and work in a floating city, your colleagues become your family. I am so deeply grateful for the lifelong friends I made from every single department on board, spanning every corner of the globe. Distance and time mean nothing when you've shared an experience like that.
