Going...Going...Gone...ROAD TRIP!

Well I’m on the first leg of my road trip through California seeing private clients, friends and family before flying to Florida. I have driven this same route many times but the difference this time is I’m not going back to Idaho. That has not really sunken in yet and probably won’t until I board the plane in Oakland and head to Tampa.

My last look at Sun Valley - December 31, 2010

This was my 7 mile daily commute for 14 years

I left the Wood River Valley on January 1, 2011 and drove 530 miles to Reno, Nevada. This is a good stopping point and gets a fair amount of the drive behind me. I spent two nights at the Peppermill Casino where I often stay on these trips. I like the Peppermill and it doesn’t hurt that my room and meals are comped so the price is right.

20 miles south of Sun Valley - 10am

Sunset 50 miles east of Reno - 5pm

I left Reno on January 3^rd and drove through the Sierras, which are covered with snow from the recent storms, over Donner Summit to the bay area. My next stop was Tiburon just north of the Golden Gate Bridge to see a client and then to San Francisco for the night. After my client I took a hike through the hills above Tiburon where there are great views of San Francisco, the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge to relax and take some photographs.

Crossing the Sierras just west of Donner Pass 

San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge from the hills above Tiburon 

I have a favorite hotel that I stay in the Marina District, the La Luna Inn (http://www.lalunainn.com/). For those of you that might be headed for San Francisco this place is a great find. It is nothing fancy but the rooms are clean, nice size and a great price under $100 that includes parking, which is usually $40 a night at most places. Over time I have gotten to know this area of San Franicisco. It is very safe, even at night and just a couple blocks to movie theaters, cafes and small shops.

The next morning I decided to take a scenic drive around the Presidio Park area, the Golden Gate and down Hwy 1 to my next stop in Pacific Grove which is in the Monterey/Carmel area to see friends for a few days.

Golden Gate Bridge from Presidio Park

The drive south along the coast was beautiful and I stopped to photograph a couple lighthouses along the way. I also stopped at Swanton Berry Farm just north of Santa Cruz for some homemade treats.

Point Montara Lighthouse

25 miles south of San Franicisco
7 miles north of Half Moon Bay

Pigeon Point Lighthouse
50 miles south of San Francisco
27 miles north of Santa Cruz

Northern California Coast just south of Pigeon Point

So far my journey has taken me to Pacific Grove, California. I’ll be leaving in a few days again driving south along the coast through Big Sur to see private clients in Southern California and to visit my brother in Laguna Beach.

I hope you enjoy my travels and the photographs. I’ll post again on the next leg of my trip through California from Pacific Grove to Laguna Beach to Yosemite and back to San Francisco for my flight on the 16^th.

Beginning the Process...

Why become and acupuncturist on a cruise ship? For a long time I saw the ad by Steiner One World Spa to become and acupuncturist at sea in the trade journal Acupuncture Today. And just like many of you I thought why should I.

After all for the past 14 years I’ve had a busy practice, lived in a mountain resort and all my life have had a love of the outdoors. Here in Sun Valley, Idaho there are plenty opportunities to hike, backpack, fish and do photography which are all my passions right outside my front door. So why should I leave?

Well why not? The thought of going back to sea, I was in the Navy years ago, had a certain appeal to it and I love the ocean. But instead of working on jets on the USS Enterprise I’d be treating patients in the spa aboard the cruise ship Carnival Dream.

Having graduated high school in Laguna Beach, California I spent a fair amount of my youth body surfing and laying on the beach soaking up the sun. For a short period of time I lived and crewed on the MV Wild Goose, which was John Wayne’s boat, making runs between the mainland and Catalina Island off the Southern California coast.

I also have a love of Mexico and have spent over 20 years traveling Baja and San Carlos, Mexico camping and fishing the Sea of Cortez for dorado (mahi mahi), yellowfin tuna, wahoo, yellowtail, sierra, roosterfish, sailfish and marlin on my 17 foot boat. I guess the ocean is in my blood.

So how does one become an acupuncturist at sea and get a job on a cruise ship? The first step would be to do exactly what I and everyone does contact Stephanie Kimber at stephaniek@steinerleisure the Manager of Oriental Medical Programs for Steiner.

It was only a few days after I emailed Stephanie that I not only received an email from her but also a phone call. We briefly discussed my qualifications and what Steiner was looking for in an acupuncturist. We also discussed what was expected from me and what I expected in return.

I took about a week to think about the opportunity and decided to contact Stephanie and told her this was something I was interested in and would like to know more about the program. At this point I was invited to the three training seminar that Steiner offers in Los Angeles that was taught by Stephanie.

At the seminar there was a vast amount of information given in a relatively short period of time. Virtually every aspect of your onboard life and duties were discussed from the first day you step aboard until your contract expires in four or seven months.

I was happy to hear that Stephanie did not sugar coat anything. You work a 52-hour week with a guaranteed one full day and one half day off. I know that sounds like a lot but having had a private practice I know how many hours I put into it over the years. And just like in your private practice the more you put into it the more your get out of it including income. At the end of the day Stephanie did a remarkable job covering all the information, making us all feel comfortable and answered every question we could think of.

We covered marketing, treatment protocols, herbal formulas and retail expectations. She told us who to get to know, the chain of command and what to expect. Also you are required to give lectures onboard as part of your marketing strategy. If you think about it many us of do the same in our private practices. I used to give talks at MS and Fibromyalgia groups; I’d network with other physicians in the area and would have a booth at wellness festivals.

With this in mind at the Steiner training seminar you are also required to give a presentation. Before you arrive Stephanie sends you a power point presentation that you use onboard to inform guests of the benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine. You take the information she has sent you and the guidelines she gives and make the presentation your own. Then during the training seminar one by one we are asked to give a presentation to the class. This has a lot to do with whether you are hired or not which is understandable. If you have a background in public speaking and/or comfortable speaking in front of groups of people this would be to your advantage.

I personally have taught at various massage schools and TCM universities on and off over the years. Still when it is not your words or presentation it can be nerve wracking. What is so great about this is everyone is in the same boat, excuse the pun, and gives you constructive criticism after your talk. Stephanie also does her best to make you feel comfortable and as long as you know the material you should do fine. I remember thinking that the long drive from Idaho to California better pay off as I recited aloud the speech I was about to give and laughed at what others in the next lane must have been thinking seeing me talking to myself.

Now life onboard is not all work and no play. Besides the obvious benefit of traveling the world and meeting people from all cultures the experience you will receive from your practice is invaluable.

Also acupuncturists are considered medical staff and officers. Because of this you have a private cabin, which we were told to expect to be very small. You are guaranteed a bed, desk, tv, internet and a bathroom but what more do you really need. There are crew areas on ship including a crew pool on many ships as well as a crew lounge, dining area etc. and you are also allowed in many of the guest areas.

If you are even remotely thinking this is something you might be interested in it might be to your advantage to contact Stephanie and look over the information.

Once I get on board I’ll post more of what you can expect. Again thank you for your interest in my blog and I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

AcuDoc

Getting Ready For My Next Adventure

I am still in Sun Valley, Idaho packing and getting ready for the next adventure that life has in store for me....being an acupuncturist at sea!

I have accepted a position to be the acupuncturist on the cruise ship Carnival Dream starting on January 22, 2011. The "Dream" will be cruising both the Eastern and Western Caribbean. Ports of Call include Cozumel, Belize, Isla Roatan, Costa Maya, Nassau, St. Thomas, St Maarten and the home port of Cape Canaveral, Florida.

One reason I decided to start this blog is to document the day to day adventure of being an acupuncturist on a cruise ship. My thoughts are to help other acupuncturists and give them some idea of what to expect, especially on their first contract. This is my first contract so I am expecting a lot of trial and error. Maybe I can help you avoid some of the mistakes I will certainly make along the way.

I found there is not a lot of information about what to expect for the day to day operation of an onboard acupuncturist on the internet. However I did meet one acupuncturist that was a terrific source of information and I am extremely grateful for the help and insight...you know who you are.

Another reason I decided to write this blog is in another life I was a professional photojournalist. I covered everything from professional sports to concerts to travel for various newspapers and magazines. This blog gives me a forum to post my travel adventures and photographs from ports of call throughout the world.

I hope you enjoy the blog, my travels, my photographs and I am looking forward to your comments...


My new home starting January 22, 2011