A Snapshot of My Life 10 Years Ago
I am always pensive and contemplative at the start of a new year. This one is special; 2020 is a new decade AND exactly ten years ago was days away from my life being forever altered when I met a certain guy… but that’s jumping ahead in the story! Here’s a fun look back at what my life was like 10 years ago!
I lived on a ship.
I loved the sea, travel, bright wild colors and big hats. I did then, and I do now and probably always will!
While others like beautiful sunrises and sunsets, my favorite is watching the moon rise. Some things haven’t changed.
This bunk was the extent of my personal space and all my worldly possessions fit in two suitcases.
My 2-year mission commitment on MV Logos Hope was half over. Our December port of Curacao was idyllic for reflecting on life. I was learning who I was and deciding who I wanted to be. I was gaining clarity with relationships in my life. When I look back on January 2010, it stands out as a turning point in my life.
I wanted to live life with NO REGRETS!
Serve.
Love.
LIVE!
Face my fears.
Make the most of every opportunity.
Learn new things.
Expand my horizons.
Be independent.
Work hard.
Cherish friendships.
Dream about the future.
I was a blend of cultures from my background in Asia and living with 50 different nationalities on board. I had a weird accent-blend from my Aussie and British, German, Irish, etc. friends. My passport and vibrant personality were my identity. I was supported and loved by my home family in the States, and family and friends around the world!
Hang on. This is getting all sorts of sentimental. I don’t want to bore you with my reflective thoughts as I get caught up reliving the memories of 10 years ago. Where was I in the story? Ah, yes. I was living my dream!
From even before my first day onboard, I knew that for these unique years of my life, I wanted to do something I wouldn’t have the opportunity to do elsewhere. On a ship, this could be only one thing. A sailor.
In a miracle twist of my life story, I had recently been able to change jobs to where I REALLY wanted to work: deck department.
Not that I didn’t like cleaning…
But I’d gotten to do that for 7 months and it wasn’t much of a challenge.
Sure, I might have been only 110lbs. sopping wet and stretching the truth… Sometimes dreams don’t follow common sense ‘rules’.
What I lacked in height, size, strength, and skill…
I tried to make up for in work ethic, passion for learning all things maritime, and enthusiasm for the job!
Basic Safety Training was my FAVORITE week onboard. I know, I know, I’m weird like that! I loved being a pair of helping hands for each new group, partly just so I could relive it over and over. š
I was living. my. dream.
I learned new skills.
It was challenging.
Sometimes we even helped our rivals in the engine room.
And whether insulating pipes or celebrating Christmas together, I loved my family from around the world.
I’d been so blessed to have family visitors that fall! Grandma and Grandpa, if you read this, know that your trip to visit me in Barbados meant the world! <3 I’m so glad you got to see this sailor piece of my life!
In my free time I liked swimming in the ocean, walking along the beach or quayside, doing puppets, swing dancing, hanging out with friends, and stargazing on the top deck during sailing. I lived life with arms (and my mouth! :P) wide open. I was a bit of an adrenaline junky, and there was that time I jumped out of a porthole into the sea, and also that time we swam through the bow thruster with the captain… but I never did anything too crazy. I’m afraid I was that person standing at the bow during rough seas, yelling into the wind, “Bring it on!!!” I was old enough to drink alcohol but chose not too. I had been to nineteen countries on 4 continents in my life. I was 19 years old.
10 years later…
Mostly just the background in the pictures has changed. I live on the prairie, which is pretty far from the sea.
There’s snow. And it’s colder. A LOT colder. I’ve come to appreciate all 4 distinct seasons. Iāve added a decade of life experience which includes learning how to settle down and live in one place.
I love kids! I love teaching kids! Ministry days of visiting children’s homes (orphans), acting for school programs, and other kid outreaches were my favorite! I hosted “sailing story time” for ship kids, where I would read The Going to Bed Book (Sandra Boynton) at the end…
Now we have our own kids! Teaching looks like home schooling and Awana Cubbies. We’ve got our kids laughing at Shaun the Sheep which I was first introduced to on deck 3 in the mess hall where us adolescents watched it in German (I totally thought it was only a German show). And on a nostalgic evening when the fiery sun has gone down through the trees in our backyard, reminding me of ocean sunsets, I just might pull out a worn little blue board book and read The Going to Bed Book to my own kids!
And I realize something beautiful.
I’m living my dream! Sure, it’s not the same one as in January 2010… maybe I just had a lot of dreams, and God’s been gracious to let me live more than one of them!
I’m still the same me; I like to be wild and free. I love the sun, the sand; the snow, the land. I’m living and learning. Learning that ADVENTURE can be so much more than just travel. It is my hope for this new decade that I would be joyful, thankful and content, and continue pouring out my life as a living sacrifice. After all, I still want to live my life with no regrets!
Carol Baker
It has been a joy for me to āmeetā you online through your dear grandmother, and to see you grow through the years. It makes me, and Iām sure your family too, very happy to see the choices youāve made and follow your lifeās beautiful path. Wishing you and yours many more adventures and blessings.