Image: Friendship between kitchen staff on a cruise ship.

Tale from female Cook

As a young woman, I jumped from job to job and stayed as long as I thought it was interesting and fun. I am also trained as a welder and I liked that job a lot.

My father supported me in everything I did - and it meant a lot. He often told me that nothing is impossible if you just want it strong enough. That's something I always carried with me. Dad himself, worked in the same industry during his professional life. He probably didn't want me to get stuck in the same way. So he helped me to believe in myself - and I have also dared a lot, such as when I was 20 (for strange reasons) was given responsibility for a company's Christmas dinner - without ever working in a kitchen. It went well.

But now it's over for me with changing jobs all the time. The seafaring profession suits me well. I get a lot of time to read novels and that's perfect for my soul. When I started at sea, it was a more raw climate, with a rigid hierarchy and a way of looking at women that made you afraid of darkness. It's much better now. A new generation is on board with a healthier way of looking at women. There are also more women now who choose to become seafarers - and that's good for the profession, I think.