Perhaps I’ve been waiting a bit too long in between blogs, because whenever I actually DO sit down to write it seems like there is just an EPIC adventure that needs to get out onto the page. For those who don’t already know, I’ve left the apprenticeship at T.I.G.E.R.S. and have been doing a bit of traveling.

I still believe that it is an incredible organization filled with amazing people, and have just found that the restrictions and cloistered lifestyle just aren’t right for me right now. I would still highly recommend the exotic animal training apprenticeship to anyone who wants to make training animals their whole life. Just be sure that you want to commit your everything to working with and caring for these animals, be ready to give up your social life and family holidays, and of course be ready to put in a solid 2 years of grunt work to learn the basics.

I don’t regret the time I spent there and am truly grateful to the people who welcomed me into their homes and gave me an incredible experience! All the hard work was rewarded by being able to eat dinner with tiger cubs rolling around at your feet in the living room, and watch the (completely surreal) and majestic Cheetahs play on the back porch, and wake up every morning to Gibbons ‘whooping’ in the back yard and wolf pups howling at a passing ambulance. I also LOVED hosting the “Wild Encounters Show” at Jungle Island. We traveled with our animals every day to and from Jungle Island to put on a great show complete with us girls playing the tribal drums and making corny coconut jokes. 😀 . I was also fortunate enough to participate in a brief, but epic incident where one of the tigers played “free willy” and took an unanticipated stroll about the park. The story was on national news and the experience taught me a lot about how people  handle a ‘crisis mode’ situation.

So I packed my bags and booked a flight on Southwest Airlines (who must be praised as my FAVORITE airline IN the country. 2 free checked bags, 2 free carry-on bags, awesome service! AND you can cancel/change your flight at any time for FREE! — not to mention their low-fare calendar).

Of course I couldn’t leave without seeing a bit of Miami, which I wasn’t able to do previously since we only spent time at the preserve and Jungle Island. About a month earlier I had seen a hostel while going to dinner with my Dad in South Beach. There were travelers hanging out on the porch, loud music blaring inside and “The Fifth Element” projected on one huge wall where there were more travelers sitting with their laptops. The place screamed of the perfect travel experience and, wanting the full-experience, I booked a week in a dorm-style 6-bunk-bed room for $20 a night.

Staying at The Miami International Traveler’s Hostel is probably one of the BEST decisions I have made in my LIFE. Clean rooms and linens for only $20/night, FREE FOOD (yah…i know!), free wifi, daily group tours, nightly group outings to the hottest clubs in Miami and management that will MAKE SURE that you feel welcome and have the time of your life! I wasn’t even there an hour before I had made some incredible friends from around the world. Everyone wanted to know about your and travel experiences and just hang out on the porch having a few drinks and trading stories.  In a dorky kind of way it’s  like being teleported into some instant “cool kids club” where everyone was young and beautiful and traveling the world. Haha

I met some amazing new friends from around the globe including one of my roommates — Freida from Germany, a great guy name Paul who was an awesome beach buddy, and Eugen from Denmark who is probably the funniest person I’ve ever met. It worked out great since we all did our own thing during the day and would somehow connect at night to go out to see free shows on Lincoln Road, and explore the South Beach nightlife as a group.  I also had a great time chatting with the girls in my room like Lisa and her Mom from Australia doing an around-the-world 11week tour. Everyday some girls would leave and new ones would take their bunks, but one of the semi-permanent residents of the room was Mama.

Mama had her own bunk and cooked/served the meals at the hostel. She would come down at night and smoke her cigarettes listening to stories of those passing through the hostel. She’s a tiny little lady who means business! And isn’t afraid to tell you what’s what! I’m so glad I met her and THANK YOU Mama for watching out for me and being “MY Mama” while I was traveling alone in Miami!

Speaking of traveling alone; this trip is the first time I’ve really traveled alone and I loved it! I liked being able to run off to explore  Little Havana or spend as much time as I liked window-shopping in Lincoln Road without having to worry about someone else becoming impatient or bored. And anytime I wanted company it was easy to find great people to hang-out with and chat! I quickly found a favorite breakfast spot in “The News Cafe” where i would drink my Cuban Coffee (I already miss you Cuban espresso) and sit in my corner balcony with the best people-watching view on the street.  I think my favorite morning was spent sipping mimosas with 2 guys that still hadn’t called it a night after bartending late into (the early) morning.  Now THEY had some good stories!

While I had a great time and certainly miss the gorgeous weather at the beach, I’m glad to have made it up to Rochester, NY where the lake is crashing against the pier and the bay is peaceful and serene with its big white swans gliding across the water. I’ve been walking the pier, playing my guitar and catching up on some very patient books that have been waiting for me. My family is also here and I’m extremely excited to spend some time with them! I always say that I have THE BEST family that anyone could ever have, and every-time I come back here I am more and more amazed at how blessed I am to have such an incredible and generous support system. So while I love the beach and amazing new friends that I’ve met recently, I know that it’s still good to come home and get back to my roots.