The Adventure of a Lifetime

It was advertised as "The Adventure of a Lifetime." I had recently graduated from college with a degree in Spanish and had no idea what to do next. In great need of an adventure, I called the number on the Ad. The phone was answered by what sounded like a very attractive woman named Sophia. Hello, may I help you? she responded. I'm calling in response to your solicitation for a Bilingual Assistant to accompany you on the adventure of a lifetime!

Upon completing several phone interviews and sending her pictures of myself, I was hired. Sophia was a beautiful woman in her mid-thirties who had recently inherited a fortune from her deceased father. She had bought a yacht with the intention of exploring the world, but thought it wise to begin with a tour of the Caribbean/Central America. I had lived in Costa Rica for two years prior to my sophomore year of college and was ecstatic to be headed back to that region.

Here I was, a twenty-six year old single guy, right out of college, getting paid a little less than the salary of a first year doctor to sail Central America and the Caribbean with a beautiful woman. What lucky star was I born under?! Our journey began in San Diego. The plan was to sail south to Puerta Vallarta stopping in a port in every Central American country on the Pacific side. We would then enter the Caribbean Sea via the Panama Canal touring the ports of the north shores of Colombia and Venezuela. We would end our journey in Miami via Trinidad, Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, Dominica, Montserrat, British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas. Can you imagine!!??

The day we left San Diego it was raining. Traveling on the sea in a yacht was different than anything I had ever experienced in my life. I wanted to spend every waking moment on deck to not miss anything, but one of my duties as Sophia's assistant was to cook. The yacht's kitchen was larger and nicer than any kitchen I had ever been in, which made my work quite enjoyable, not to mention our similar taste in food. Sophia was very organized. She simply made a list of her favorite dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner and let me surprise her.

Every port we visited was spectacular. The people, the culture, the cities, the excursions, the food. Sophia and I were growing quite fond of each other. Not rare when two compatible individuals are sharing the adventure of a lifetime together. My fluency in Spanish came in handy on more than one occasion. For example, in Caracas Venezuela Sophia rented a Jeep so we could do some touring. I was always the designated driver. I didn't mind, in fact, I loved it! Maybe a little too much! We were stopped by what could only be described as a large, intimidating, mean looking police officer for speeding. I have a hard time understanding the animosity one human being feels towards another. This guy didn't like us, it was evident in the tone of his voice and body language, but when I started speaking to him in his native tongue, his demeanor changed completely. Being understood is a universal desire of all people. I was pretty scared for a moment and I think Sophia set a personal record for holding her breath, but he finally let us off with a warning. I later learned that if he had given us a citation, we would have been incarcerated indefinitely in Venezuela!

The six months it took to complete our adventure were full of unforgettable memories, but the most unforgettable occurred while scuba diving in the Bahamas. It was a perfect day. I had gotten certified in scuba four years earlier while working a summer sales job in Vancouver Washington. The visibility in Puget Sound 100 feet deep was about 10 to 15 feet. In the Bahamas it was only dependent on your personal eyesight. Sophia had never been diving so she remained closer to the surface. I was about 60 feet deep when I saw what looked like a Shark coming straight towards me. I froze. Remaining as motionless as I could, I observed this magnificent creature as it approached. It slowly swam right past me literally not 10 feet away. A 15 foot Great White Shark! I wish I would have had a camera with me. Iphones are great, but pretty useless in that particular situation. I'm just happy it wasn't feeding time!

When Sophia and I finally arrived in Miami, we decided to move in together. Six months later I moved out. Relationships always seem to become complicated when the adventure ends, or never begins. Money, more often than not, doesn't buy you love. We still keep in touch. One thing is certain, we will never forget the adventure of a lifetime we shared together.