Little Liar

I wrote this still story back in March & just found it on my old iPhone. Enjoy!

Back in the fall of 1996 (I think) I was a spunky first grader at Skycrest Christian School. Grandmother Dvornik was a teacher at our "rival" grade school, St. Paul's. One day I remember her taking me to a volleyball game between our two schools at St. Paul's. The gymnasium was huge and all the players were in middle school so they seemed like the coolest big kids ever. I felt so cool sitting next to her in the bleachers proudly sporting my plaid school jumper.

I don't remember a lot from when I was that young but I vividly remember walking to the car with grandmother after the game and her noticing that a Skycrest player was walking to the car next to us. Grandmother asked if I knew her. I didn't, I only recognized her from admiring the cool eight graders from afar across the playground. But in order to seem cooler to Grandmother, I lied and said of course I knew her. I quickly scrambled into the backseat of the volvo and turned around in horror to see Grandmother walk over to the older girl. She explained that her granddaughter was in the car and wanted to say hi since she knew me. I remember sitting in the back seat so embarrassed as the girl peered through the door and shook her head in confusion that no she didn't know me before she turned and walked away. 

I guess this experience should have taught me not to lie. It didn't. It did teach me that first of all I shouldn't be scared or intimidated by people. Which was an art I didn't master for almost another decade. It also taught me to always be friendly and compassionate to little kids. I can't tell you how many times I've glanced down at a kid I don't know and made a silly face or simply smiled and their grin has lit up the room. This experience plus a million others where I've watched, almost mesmerized , by the "big kids" at church or school has really made me more aware of my interactions with other people. I'm twenty two, a college grad, and I wear stilettos that my mother would never buy me nine years ago. Yeah, I'm pretty cool. The point is, even though I don't feel like a scary big kid, I am, and little kids are watching, and I want them to feel special and noticed. Not scared. 

Most importantly always remember people won't remember what you say but they'll always remember the way you make them feel. 

Week Twenty.

This was the week that a hole opened up in the ozone layer and the entire cast got sunburnt. It was also the first official week of Spring Break!

March 3. Sunday.
The US Cost Guard was inspecting the entire ship that day so before anyone could disembark there was a mandatory boat drill. Luckily, I was not approach by and of the USCD and asked a question about safety. What a relief.

Once we were allowed to disembark, I ran errands with Hannah around the French quarter. Back on the ship we had our usual shows, I worked out, and then used my phone as we cruised towards the Gulf until I lost service.

March 4. Monday.
That day after Jess and I worked the shopping talk, we stuck around the theater to watch the new Magicians magic show. Sophie, Montana, Rachard, and Cameron were all dancing in it so we wanted to show our support! Afterwards I worked all afternoon and then we had our show, Band on the Run.

That night practically the entire cast went out dancing! I immediately spotted a group of spring breakers who were clearly southern and promptly introduced myself. They were sweet Sigma Nu's from Vanderbilt and it was wonderful talking to people who agreed that Sperry Topsiders, seersucker suits, and Ronald Reagan were cool for a change!

March 5. Tuesday.
Costa maya! James, Rosie, and I decided to try out a new restaurant in the beach called the Krazy Lobster. It took 2 hours for our food to arrive. Thumbs Down. I should've known that would be the case because they spelled crazy with a K. I did make everyone laugh though by accidentally falling out of a hammock, so all was not lost. Back on board, I took a nap and went to the gym. Then that night Cameron came over and watched a silly 80s movie, Return to Oz, with Jess and I. They are both determined to make me watch all the bad 80s films they watched as children. Lucky me!

March 6. Wednesday.
Sophie, Montana, Jason, and I sunbathed by the crew jacuzzis in the bow of the ship all day long. They danced around but I focused my attention to blogging. It was a really fun day and by the end of it was all looked like tomatoes.

During "Shout" that night the girls and I dressed up in silly costumes again to make the singers laugh. I decided to take things to the next level and dress us up in those classic ghost costumes you see in old movies. I didn't have sheets long enough to cover our whole bodies, so Montana and I put on white boiler jumpsuits. I put Sophie in a white plastic Macy's garment bag. Then I cut eye holes in three white towels, placed them on our heads, and our look was complete! The singers died of laughter especially since it was apparent that the three of us could not see anything. I might have run into one of the giant magic illusions.

I know what you all are thinking. You're hoping that there are pictures documenting our ridiculous homemade costumes. Of course there are, but unfortunately upon reflection it was agreed that we slightly looked like the KKK. So since there is a possibility that my brother will run for public office one day, I decided it would be wise not to publish these pictures even though it was innocent fun. See Mom?! I am responsible!

March 7. Thursday.
Honduras. Since we had an extra drill on Sunday, boat drill was canceled! A group of us hopped off the ship early thanks to our newfound freedom and hailed a cab. We went to a beach called the West End that I'd never been to before but Rosie and Cameron loved. It was paradise. We lounged on the beach all day and found a delicious Thai restaurant for lunch.

That night Jenna, Rosie, Cameron, and I made plans to watch the classic chick flick "Beaches" in Jenna's room. Instead, we ended up talking for five hours until almost two in the morning. I love those people.

March 8. Friday.
Cozumel. Cameron and I meandered over to the No Name bar, went swimming, and laid out all day. That night, the dancers had their special show and we all got ready together. It really does feel like a college dorm. Everyone's doors are open and people are running in and out borrowing clothes and make-up. I love it.

March 9. Saturday.
Elements day. yuck. I woke up early and got my work done during the tech run. Then I napped, worked out, and we had two great shows. That night I went to Spinnaker and hung out with the Vanderbilt boys!

The Jade.

I've successfully completed two and a half weeks on the beautiful Norwegian Jade! (But it feels like I've been gone for a over a month.) I am thankful for this job but miss my family & friends already. This blog post is a very scattered mash up to update y'all about what has been going on! 

I have been going to the gym a lot and am determined to maintain a healthy lifestyle this contract. I've wasted way too much money on wifi and have watched way too many episodes of Friends. My cabin is much tinnier than my cabin on the Star and I have the top bunk again. My roommate is a beautiful Romanian named Sylvia. She sings with the party band and looks like a character in one of the Bourne Supremacy movies. 

May 30. Thursday. 

That afternoon my lovely parents dropped my off at the airport. Leaving never gets easier. But it helped knowing that I will get to see them at the end of the month! I flew from Tampa to rainy Detroit. Then I sadly kissed cell phone service goodbye and hopped on a transatlantic flight to Amsterdam. 

May 31. Friday. 

That morning for the final leg of my journey I flew from Amsterdam to Venice. I was met at the airport by a driver and taken to a hotel NCL booked for me. I was exhausted and the queen size bed looked so inviting and irresistible. But I could hear Mama Stoney squealing in my head that I was in ITALYto get up and go have an adventure!

I took a shuttle from the hotel onto the island and surprisingly it was pretty chilly. That city is absolutely magical. I wandered up and down the small streets and across a million bridges. There is literally no place like this in the world. It was so surreal that I had to keep reminding myself that this was real life! After a marvelous lunch and some free wifi, I caught the shuttle back to the hotel. I slept soundly that night looking forward to my next adventure!

Side note: I kept thinking back to when I studied abroad in Spain two summer ago. My lovely roommate, Laura Powell, and our group of friends planned to visit Rome one weekend. I wanted to go with them but my parents encouraged me to use that time to continue soaking up the Spanish culture. I followed their advice and chose to stay in Madrid that weekend. I traveled with my host family to the south to visit our Padre's family. We picked cherries on his uncles farm and it ended up being on of the most magical experiences of my life. I vividly remember telling Laura that I was disappointed I was missing out on seeing Rome again but that I just knew I would be back in Italy sometime within the next ten years. Little did I know how soon that prediction would come true! (You can read about that adventure here: Spain blog)

June 1. Saturday. 

Bright and early that morning a shuttle arrived at the hotel to take myself and the other Norwegian crew members to the ship. I was really nervous as we drove into the port but when I stepped on board the ship I felt a little bit at ease. It's nice to know what to expect and already understand the ships layout! Joann, the current Wardrobe Supervisor, met me, helped me find my room, and gave me a tour of the theater. She had joined the ship with the cast two months earlier and I was there as her replacement. Joann stayed until the end of the week in order to show me the ropes!

Week 1. June 1-7

Greece Run:

Venice, Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, Katakolon.

I really focused on work this week and learned as much as I could from the current Wardrobe Supervisor, Joann. The Jade rotates between two seven day itineraries each week around the Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea. My first week we did the Greek itinerary. One night that week the entire cast met for dinner in the steak house restaurant on board. Everyone was so sweet and welcoming to me.

Out of fourteen cast members, everyone is American except for two people! (Lisa is Welsh and Tonto is Dutch) This is because they all worked together on the Pride of America and then requested this ship. (The PoA is Norwegian's ship that is permanently cruising Hawaii. So because the ship never leaves American waters crew members must be a US citizen or have a green card.)

Week 2. June 8-14

Croatia Run:

Venice. Dubrovnik. Piraeus, Greece. Izmir, Turkey. Split, Croatia. 

Joann left and I was officially in charge! One of the female dancers, Cassa, left too because she was offered a contract with Cirque de Sole! She is going to be in their Beatles show "Love" in Las Vegas! Too exciting. The week before we had found out that my friend from my last ship the Star, Montana, was coming as her replacement!!!! I was overjoyed! Our reunion that first day included a lot of screaming and dancing around. Having her there made me so happy and feel more at home. 

Week 3. June 15-21.

Greece Run:

Venice, Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, Katakolon. 

June 18. Tuesday.
This week I got off the ship for this first time since arriving on the Jade! I ventured into Santorini with a group of my friends from the cast. I had never been to Greece before and I am struggling with how to even describe my phenomenal first experience. It is impossible for cruise ships to dock there so you have to take a small tender boat to land. Looking up at the massive jagged cliffs spotted with little white houses as we bounced over the Mediterranean waves was surreal. (It's embarrassing but I'll admit since seeing the film "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" in high school, I have always dreamed of visiting Greece.) Once on land, there are only two ways to make it up the mountain and into the city. You can either take a rickety cable car or ride on the back of a donkey up a steep stone path. Welcome to Greece!

I had a fabulous afternoon wandering around the narrow streets, dodging donkeys, and trying to absorb the breathtaking views. It was gratifying knowing that I was getting to enjoy this amazing experience because of my perseverance and hard work. As the day wound down, my friends and I enjoyed a delicious dinner overlooking the ocean as the sun set behind the mountains. This time last year I had just begun my first "big girl job" at Stagedoor Manor in New York. I could have never imagined that only twelve months later I would working on a cruise ship and get paid to be in Europe! So much has happened this year. I am completely blessed.

June 19. Wednesday.
Mykonos! This beautiful Greek island is known for it's picturesque beaches and summer parties. (Don't worry Mom, it wasn't wild like you had heard!) Three male dancers and I hopped in a bus and headed to a small beach on the other side of the island called Super Paradise. It was fabulous. 

June 20. Thursday.
Katakolon! Today as I am writing this, Tonto and I have been enjoying a beautiful view of the bay and free wifi! I am one lucky girl. 

*Five days until my birthday and eight days until my family boards my ship!!*

Week Nineteen.

After everything that happened during the last two weeks this one is pretty boring to write about! But sometimes boring and normal can be very nice.

February 24. Sunday.
Since I had been medically disembarked for seven days, I had to go through US immigration that morning. Waking up at 6:45am is such a treat. Afterwards I crawled back into bed for a few hours until it was time to hop off the boat for brunch! I had never been so happy to step foot in New Orleans! James, Rosie, Cameron, Hannah, and I (all the blondes) enjoyed a delicious breakfast in the French quarter. Afterwards we ran errands for awhile before camping out at a different restaurant for lunch and wifi.

The events back on board were typical. We had rehearsal and then the shows. Cameron and I ate dinner together and then made our last few phone calls to loved ones.

February 25. Monday.
It was a typical Monday and I was happy to get back to my normal routine. Jess and I worked the shopping talk and then I went to work in the dressing room. Band on the Run went great that night. Afterwards some of us ate in Blue Lagoon and then Montana and I went for a late night swim in the indoor spa pool.

February 26. Tuesday.
Costa maya! I got off with James and Rosie and we chilled in an internet cafe all afternoon. Back on the ship a bunch of the cast went to the gym but I still had to take it easy on my body. So I did yoga in my cabin and surprisingly like it! Cameron and I went to dinner together that night. Afterwards I organized and deep cleaned my entire room. And it was still only 9pm. So Sophie, Montana, and I watched silly TV shows together the rest of the night. PJ nights are my favorite.

February 27. Wednesday.
After the weekly cabin inspection, Jess and I had breakfast together. Almost everyone in the cast is on a big health kick right now which is annoying but also good accountability to eat healthy. I chilled in Sophie and Montana's room for the rest of the day watching TV while working in my costume bible and handover notes. Both Shout shows went great that night. The girls and I have so much fun dressing up in crazy costumes to make the singers laugh during their quick changes backstage. I don't think I will ever stop being a kid.

February 28. Thursday.
Happy (kind of) birthday Grace!!
After boat drill that morning I went to work for a little and laid out on the top deck. That afternoon I had fittings with the new Greek Magician and his assistant for their Elements costumes. That night Rosie, Jenna, and I went out to sushi. Rosie and I spent the rest of the night in her cabin talking and laughing in our pjs.

March 1. Friday.
Cozumel. I met James and Rosie at, ile, a cool restaurant with great wifi that we love. It was a very relaxed day and uneventful evening.

March 2. Saturday.
Elements day. After the tech rehearsal I spent the rest of my day working up until showtime. After the shows Cameron and I grabbed a late dinner in Blue Lagoon.

I almost forgot to mention that this week Rosie discovered that Lays produces "waffles and chicken" flavored chips. Who knew?!

Week Eighteen.

Hello darling readers! 
It has been awhile, but after lots of reminding from my mother and a desperate search for free wifi, I finally finished week 18! & I have a few more blogs about the Star sitting in my draft folder. So after those are uploaded I will move on to all the exciting new things that have been happening! I wasn’t the most consistent blogger.. But I think managing to write about twenty out of the twenty-nine weeks I was aboard the Star is pretty good!

I know that old saying "when life gives you lemons make lemonade" is cliché, but it is literally what Mama Stoney and I did. She made me see the bright side of the ridiculous situation we were in and we had a fabulous adventure together!

February 17. Sunday.

Daddy Skip flew home that morning. We were sad to see him go. I had to stay in Belize until that Wednesday when my ship came back and was so thankful my mom could stay with me.

That afternoon Stoney decided I needed some fresh air & visiting the zoo would be a fun, leisurely activity. So Levi, the cab driver she'd befriended, drove us an hour outside the city to the Belize zoo! It was actually pretty amazing. Let me remind you, Belize is a third world country. So instead of high tech electric fences surrounding the animal habitats, there were literally just ordinary chain-link fences separating us from these exotic wild animals. Hilarious. I loved seeing all the vibrant toucans. We saw animals I didn't even know existed! 

Hands down the highlight of the day was meeting the rescue spotted jaguar, Lucky Boy. Stone paid a little extra donation so we could have the full experience. They put the big cat away, then took us inside his jaguar habitat and put us in a big metal cage with the jaguar trainer. Then Lucky Boy was released and he ran right over to us! We got to feed him chicken bits and pet him through the cage. The trainer then had him jump on top of the cage and lick our foreheads! Unreal. Daddy Skip would not have been pleased. But it was absolutely one of the coolest things I've ever done!

February 18. Monday.

This day will go down in the books as one of the most epic days of my life.

Before even arriving in Belize Stoney had discovered that off the coast of this tiny country was the second best barrier reef in the entire world. So she was thrilled when we found out that I'd be staying in Belize that week because she'd get to stay too! Stone immediately did a little research, found a highly recommended snorkel tour company, and booked it. That morning we woke up early and took a tiny eight-person plane over to the little island Caye Caulke. It was the definition of paradise and a popular scuba diver vacation destination. A golf cart taxi took us from the small airport into town. (but seriously, the landing strip was basically just in the middle of a field) We had a lovely breakfast together in a open air restaurant while enjoying the breathtaking view.

We wandered over to the tour place to check in and met the owner, Carlos. The entire thing was straight out of a movie. Carlos split the tour group in half and put us in a boat with Geri & Gary (an unintentionally funny older couple from New York), Stefanie & Susan (blonde German lesbians), and his assistant, Romeo. Stoney and I could hardly handle it. Comedy gold.

The tour made four or five stops along with a lunch break at a nearby touristy island. It was absolutely amazing. We first stopped at Stingray Ally. The stingrays were huge and I got to pet them! There were also several adorable sea turtles swimming around with us. We were in heaven! The second stop was over a giant part of the reef with the most coral and fish life. Stone and I followed our guide and free dove down through a cave! Everything was so beautiful and the colors were so beautiful you just wanted to cry.

The best stop by far was when we got to swim with sharks! Yes, real nurse sharks. In the wild. Insane. There were at least 40 just swimming around the boat. Our guide wrestled one to the ground and flipped it on its belly so it would pass out or something. Then he held it and we all got a turn petting the shark!! Crazy. Literally one of the best days ever. (Thanks Mom!!)

February 19. Tuesday.

We just watch Downton Abby, rested, packed that day.

February 20. Wednesday.

Saying goodbye to Mama that morning was so sad! She headed off to the airport and I waited for the port agent to pick me up. It was so strange getting back on board the ship! It felt like I'd been gone for a month. I immediately found James & Rosie and debriefed on all the craziness that had happened. The entire cast was so loving and happy to have me back.

February 21. Thursday.

Life was back to normal. Boat drill. Weigh ins. And back to work to catch up on all the repairs that had piled up in my absence.

February 22. Friday.

Cameron and I chilled in the shade by the water at No name all day. Very relaxing. We had to work that night because the show Shout had been rescheduled to that night. It was good to be back!

February 23. Saturday.
Tech rehearsal that morning and two Elements shows that night!

Daddy's girl.

Last week, on April 16, was my amazing father's birthday! Instead of a conventional gift (he would rather know how much money we saved by not buying him something) or writing a super sappy post about him on social media (we all know being serious is not my style), I decided to dedicate a blog post to him. When I was thinking about my favorite moments with him and the things I love about Skip Dvornik I realized something. They almost all involve his laugh.

I love making my dad laugh and watching his face wrinkle up in amusement at a situation. So here are some silly and sweet memories about my Daddy Skip! They aren't the most epic stories that have ever happened but they're the little random moments that seem to stick in my head.

1. Practically every single night of my childhood, from brith until I was probably sixteen, my dad would tuck Grace and I into our bunk-bed and sing us "Amazing Grace". Since his arms are so long he was able to hold both of our hands while he sang. Then he would pray over us before tip-toeing out of the room.

2. I was fifteen years old and the proud owner of a shiny new Florida learners permit. I remember being so nervous as I awkwardly slipped behind the wheel of our family's teal '92 Volvo. (The car was affectionately named "The Teale Mobile".) Before he would let me turn on the ignition, Daddy Skip turned to me and uttered words I have (almost) never forgotten. "You are behind the wheel of a 2 ton machine that could kill someone upon impact. Always keep that in mind." I wasn't very excited to drive after that.

3. When I hit high school and suddenly had a packed schedule and a social life, Daddy Skip realized that my college days were quickly approaching and implemented a new tradition. It was originally called "Family Night" and when we got older & snarky it was lovingly renamed "Forced Family Fun". One night a weekend, no matter what our friends were up to, we weren't allowed to make plans and had to hang out with the family. It wasn't as horrible as Grace & I made it seem in our heads. Anyways, after awhile it became routine and family pizza/movie nights are one of my favorite things.

4. Thanksgiving week my junior year of high school we decided to have a movie marathon one night. Grace, Martha (one of Gracie's best friends), and I set up camp in the TV room and settled in with bowls of ice cream. What began as a sleepover with a few chick-flicks suddenly developed into a three and a half day long hard core movie marathon. We only left the house to make Blockbuster runs or pick up more food. I'm pretty sure I wore the same sweatpants and exclusively slept on the couch the entire time. By the end of our legendary film binge I think we had watched upwards of twenty different movies. Insane. It's one of my favorite FFF memories.

5. When Grace and I were super little I remember we would have dance parties with Daddy Skip in our kitchen all the time. One of our favorite songs to dance to was called "Louisiana Saturday Night". The chorus lyrics said to "kick off your shoes and throw them on the floor". Grace and I thought this was hilarious. I remember we used to spike our shoes onto the hardwood floor like miniature football players. Dad always laughed.

6. Grace and I went through a phase were we really loved pirates. One time on a family trip to Disney's Magic Kingdom, towards the end of the day we excitedly bounced towards the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride. Dad calmly explained that he would wait outside because it would be impossible for him to enjoy a ride about men who raped and pillaged villages for a living.

7. Around the time I was 18, Grace was 16, and Carter was 11, the game "FarmVille" was really popular on Facebook. (I'll admit I had three separate farms..) Anyways, the whole family was in the minivan and Carter was fulfilling his duties of being the annoying little brother. When Daddy Skip could no longer tolerate the shenanigans going on in the back seat he called out, "Carter! If you don't stop annoying your sisters I am going to dump poison all over your farm!". Naturally, everyone erupted in laughter.

8. Family dinner around the big dining room table is one of my Dad's favorite things. No one is allowed to answer the phone while we are eating and everyone has to at least pretend to try whatever unique vegetable side dish our Mom concocted. When we were really young it was routine for an "After Dinner Show" to be performed. I don't remembered what our earliest shows entailed but it probably involved Carter singing an Elvis classic while Grace played the harp or did cartwheels. Most likely I recited a dramatic monologue or preformed a new cheer. (Go Warriors!) And on one or more occasion, I showed off my extensive Beanie Baby collection which was meticulously organized by species and habitat. Obviously.

9. At one particular family dinner, I remember Grace and I were bickering about something and she just wouldn't say what I wanted her to. So I dramatically fell off my chair, used the table to shakily pull myself back up and declared in confusion that somehow my sister and I had switched bodies! I then gave a silly speech, pretending to be Grace and stayed in character pretty well. Grace then copied me and pretended that I had been transported into her body. I don't remember anything that was said that night or even how old we were. I just remember Daddy Skip's thunderous laugh and killer smile.

10. My Dad always says "Never forget who you are and whose you are." That little reminder gives me strength when I'm feeling down. I am proud to be a Dvornik and blessed beyond measure to be a child of the King. And I am forever thankful that God decided to give me to an earthly father who is enthusiastic about living, always encouraging, speaks truth, and will never stop loving me unconditionally.

Happy (belated) Birthday Dad!!!