There are many perks to working at Fast Horse. The most important include the supportive and brilliant colleagues and the progressive and courageous clients, but I’m lucky to say it goes beyond that. I could talk about how much the 65-year-old me will appreciate the retirement and health savings accounts, but today I’m going to talk about the sexy stuff. Because that’s just fun.

Last summer, I celebrated my five-year anniversary at Fast Horse. It’s a pretty big deal in this industry of ours, which is notorious for encouraging job-hopping. Lucky for me, Fast Horse recently instituted a number of anniversary rewards, and I walked away with an extra chunk of vacation and a little something else. I knew I wanted to save the extra vacation days for a longer international vacation, and last month my husband and I jetted off to St. Lucia. But the perks didn’t stop there.

You’ve probably heard someone on this blog talk about our annual “Muse It Or Lose It” stipend, which encourages creativity and exploration in all forms. I cashed in for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure during my vacation — a private sailboat day trip along the coast of St. Lucia. I’ve never been on a true sailboat before, so this 43-foot monohull yacht owned by a local company was even more intriguing.

Our day spent on the boat with a St. Lucian captain and skipper — and unlimited rum punch — was one for the record books. We sailed from the northern tip of the island to the south and back again, with stops for snorkeling along the way. Our lunch was even delivered by a small dinghy from a local Creole restaurant mid-way down the island. It was perfect.

The adventure also provided the perfect backdrop for some serious GoPro and DSLR action. Enjoy some of my favorite shots!