I have gotten a lot of feedback on Facebook and here about my current adventure. Ever since I decided I wanted to walk away from my corporate 9-5 job and live on a tropical island, I have had people telling me all kinds of things.You're so lucky. I wish I could have your life. Your adventures are amazing, I'll never be able to do that. I'm jealous of you.In no way to I want to discredit how fucking awesome my life is. It's crazy, it has its ups and downs, but it is pretty amazing and I ...
Life
Where in the world is Rika??
Hola from… Miami Beach..!? Yes, as I’ve previously alluded to, I am in fact in Miami right now. I’m not even in Roatan!How the hell did I end up here? Good question, long story! This might be the longest post I’ve ever written, but there are pictures, I promise.Let’s start from the beginning.If we’re all being honest here…right before Christmas, I was absolutely miserable in Roatan. I had an unpleasant personal situation that managed to infiltrate every facet of my life here (which is ...
Roatan Month 5 Roundup
It's been five months since I left Vancouver in the dust for an underwater life in Roatan. Holy crap! Five months since I've seen my friends, my family, and my pants (yep. I literally no longer wear pants.)However, the title is misleading a bit, since I spent half of the last month not even in Roatan. I'm coming to you today from Miami, where I've been for just over a week now. The entire story is coming, I promise, but for now if you want to catch up over the last month, here is what ...
Tipping Guidelines for Diving on Roatan
Believe me - I searched high and low for information on this before my first trip to Roatan. I had never dived before, so I had absolutely no clue how I was supposed to tip my dive instructor and divemasters! Having worked in the service industry for many years (and also being from a country where tipping is normal and expected), I wanted to know what I should be tipping so I could include it in my vacation budget. Well, I found nothing. A few tidbits here and there, maybe some info from other ...
If life hands you lemons, make lemonade and drink it on a yacht.
Merry Christmas from the Caribbean Sea!!You may have noticed I have been conspicuously absent lately. I have a good reason for this, I promise.It's this:Yep. That's a 105 ft yacht, and I'm on it right now sailing to Belize, Cozumel, Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Cuba, and finally through the Florida Keys on the way to Ft. Lauderdale where the boat is going into the yard and I'm flying back to Roatan from Miami. Did I mention I'm getting paid? Way more than I make at my current ...
Never let your fear decide your fate.
I'm still working on my post for tipping etiquette guide for diving in Roatan, so in the meantime I would love for you to watch this amazing video some friends of mine made. And since we all know I'm an egotistical camera whore, you will be pleased to see me in this video several times! (Watch closely in the shark dive, other diving footage, and on the yacht. Also, the last frame in the video is a green moray eel attacking me!) Thanks so much to Devin and Mark who made this ...
Roatan Month 4 Roundup
Well, here it is.I planned, I budgeted, I nearly drove myself mad to get to today. I've been here for 4 months now, which was the date I picked for "be done your instructor course and have a job or something by then or you'll run out of money and have to come home".Good news - I don't have to go home! I'm done my course and I have a job. What else has happened in the last month?I did some badass graffiti at a restaurant and asked you all to follow me ...
I’m a fisherman!
Sometimes on our day off we go fishing and I hand reel in a tuna. No big deal.(I haven't watched this video with the sound on yet because my speakers aren't working, so apologies in advance if my potty mouth makes an appearance. What can I say, I'm drunk and fishing on a boat.. isn't that a free pass for f-bombs?) ...
New home, new job, new laptop charger.
The title pretty much sums it up...I have a new home - we moved December 1st from my amazing house to a new apartment with my roommates. It was a surprisingly easy move, I guess that's what happens when you move from furnished place to furnished place and all you have to move is your clothes and food. It also helped that we only moved 100 feet up the street! Our new apartment has some adjustments for us (no laundry, unreliable hot water, etc.) but the apartment itself is actually ...
Technical difficulties.
Great timing - my laptop charger has decided to stop working. Until I can find one here or get my roommate to bring me one before she gets back from the States on Sunday, I won't be online much. Sorry! Those are the breaks when you live on an island in the middle of nowhere :) ...