Two Steps Closer...

1 - He's done it.  He's finished his Dive Master Certification!

2 - And I'm *gasp* working as a Garde Manger Chef Full Time!

Saturday morning Mark headed down to Blue Grotto (Florida) for his final dive, and then took the certification test on the drive home.  So he's done it.  That is one big step forward in our plan to sail the seas.

Wednesday I started a job at a local private school through a company that "provides quality, on-site cooking...that focuses on nutrition."  I'm now working full time to fund that cruising kitty - and more importantly gaining experience cooking for 400 people daily - as well as the occasional catering gig via the school.  While I'm making ever-so-slightly more than 1/3 of my last real salary (uh, you know, back in 2009...) I'm happy to be getting the experience in an area that is in sync with my priorities - nutrition & local, fresh food.  The catering is a nice addition - as daily school meals can get repetitious, and the catering provides a more elaborate outlet for me to play.  Don't get me wrong, though: these are not your typical public school meals.  We have a wide variety of options every day - and it doesn't hurt that my uniforms and lunches are provided...  (I love me some free stuff.)

I've noticed that we have new readers (welcome!) So do you newbies need a little back story on our steps?  We are both working on a variety of certifications that we think will be both fun and useful in finding employment in the places we plan to explore.  He has one more big step - he'll be getting his Dive Instructor Certification - maybe next summer?  And I'm plugging right along - only a couple of classes away from completing my Culinary Degree.  After that, if time allows, we'll also be taking some short classes re: diesel engines, refrigeration, etc - whatever we can get access to.

And so we continue to chug along, slowly toward our goals.  Enjoying each step, but also looking forward to one day setting sail and really getting busy on this whole cruising life...