Choosing a Life That Aligns with Happiness
Island-girl best describes my childhood. I grew up around boats and the breathtaking seas of the Caribbean. Growing up in Puerto Rico with my seafaring family, I fell in love with the freedom of sailing and the sheer happiness that it brought. But instead of following that passion, I embraced corporate life. Steve Jobs once said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Do what you love”. Taking heed of this advice, My husband and I resigned our corporate life, purchased LUNA, set sail, and the rest is history.
By Erin Carey & Fabiola Hirschorn
My travel story really started when I was a child. I grew up around a carefree family who loved to sail. I studied and worked hard to achieve a bachelor’s degree in business with a major in finance and marketing and an MBA. After I graduated, I worked for the same wealth management firm for over 16 years. I successfully scaled their corporate ladder to the chief of staff.
I didn’t grow up surrounded by family working corporate jobs, I was raised in a family of extraordinary cooks. When I was eight, I was gifted my first cookery book, which led to my fascination with delicious food. I love nothing more than to infuse healthy, fresh and locally sourced ingredients into fabulous internationally-inspired dishes. When I was young, I dreamed of opening a boutique hotel, bed and breakfast or a food truck, but I never dreamed I’d work from a floating kitchen.
During my tenure in wealth management, I worked considerable hours, sometimes even at weekends, if there was something important that needed addressing or required for early the following week. Although I enjoyed my time and appreciated my colleagues, it came to a point when I was no longer happy and fulfilled. I craved something more meaningful than spreadsheets, office politics and PowerPoint presentations. Something that ignited my soul and passion.
I yearned to do something that mattered to me, and I wanted to live life on my own terms. As the late Steve Jobs once said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Do what you love. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work”. Even as a child, I wanted to pursue my dreams and have a sense of freedom and flexibility. Two of my life passions are cooking and traveling. When my husband, Nim, and I started to discuss a change of direction in our lives, the idea of a small hotel came into play, but we realized it would limit us and not allow us to embrace our love of travel.
Both Nim and I are boaties. We lived on a boat in Florida whilst working in the corporate world. We both love sailing and the complete freedom that it gives us. A few years ago, when Nim suggested that we start a crewed charter business, I immediately said yes! It was the right time for us, and we were so ready for a career change. It was a pivotal point in our lives and a new beginning.
To get where we wanted, we maintained our full-time jobs and worked very hard for a year in the evenings and weekends. It was tough; we built a business from scratch with very little guidance. Many of our friends and colleagues thought we had lost our minds by quitting our corporate careers. We started our successful charter business in 2019; after a couple of years and many charters later, I’m positive we’ve made the right decision.
I had a high-level job, working long hours and was making good money. It came with a certain level of prestige, and I was successful in the eyes of others. I now work barefoot, catering to other people’s needs, cooking, cleaning and entertaining. I’m happy and feel far more successful and complete. We have created a lifestyle that fits our definition of success. I love my job and wouldn’t change it for anything.
I love that every day is a new experience. Welcoming different guests every week and personalizing their vacation. We are known for our five-star service and for continuously adapting our charters to better fit our guests' requirements. I love that we live on the water, surrounded by the spectacular Caribbean nature. We joke that we live on a different beach every day! Although we work long hours, our jobs are enriching. Our positive guest feedback fuels our energy and service. We welcome guests into our home, LUNA, and they leave as new friends. I’ve learned that happiness is a choice you make.
One of the driving reasons to leave the corporate world behind is that we love to travel. Although we had ample paid leave, we felt it was never enough. We now travel all the time and take our guests to beautiful parts of the world, many of which are only accessible by boat. We are constantly exploring new places so that we can take our guests there in the future. We can choose when we work and take time out to travel. The sailing season in the Caribbean is between November and July; we take advantage of the low season to travel on our own. We blend our travels by sailing LUNA, or we leave her in the marina and travel to other exotic locations that would be difficult or time-consuming to reach by boat.
I'm far more active than when I was at my desk in front of a computer all day. I also used to commute each day. I used to have pains in my back and neck and had to get massages regularly. My current job is much more active, and I'm on my feet all day. I feel great! Undoubtedly, I prefer working on a boat in the fresh air. There is no better place to have a meeting than a beautiful, people-less bay in the Caribbean. I love hosting and meeting new people; it's always much better to have fun with guests on our boat; they are on vacation and want to have fun and create legendary memories.
YOLO! You only live once.
I work long hours but love what we do and how it benefits not only our business but us as people. Before, it felt like we were on a treadmill. We wanted to spend quality time together enjoying the slow route and the places we visit by enjoying the local food and meeting the local characters. Sailing allows you to slow down; we no longer feel in a rush. I love that we enjoy a healthy life and can share our lifestyle with others, make them happy, and help them create memories they’ll never forget.
