GirlGI | Girl Gone International GirlGI Issue 3 | Page 101

Billie at Sea Job title Bartender Age 24 (22 if you take into account that her last two birthdays happened over international waters!) How did you end up working on a ship? I finished University a year ago and didn’t quite want to settle down and grow up yet; I’d split with a long-term boyfriend too and wanted to get away for a bit. My life on a Cruise Ship My average day is around 8-13 hours and there are no full days off during a six-month contract. This can sound overwhelming but when you take into account that I have no commute, don’t cook for myself or have any real chores to do it seems a little easier! Photo by Chelsea Claus My ship travels to the Eastern and Western Caribbean, including Mexico, St. Marteen, St. Thomas and Puerto Rico. We also go to the company’s private island in the Bahamas every Friday. My first vacation was over Christmas so I spent time with family but I also found time to fly to Paris and do some Christmas shopping whilst being shown the best restaurants in the city by chefs I’d met on the ship. My most recent shore leave was spent driving East to West across America for 3 weeks. I danced with cowboys in Texas, drank bourbon in New Orleans and surfed in San Diego. Travelling has also helped me see my own country with fresh eyes and find beauty in my ‘normal’ life.