Very Busy

So the count is winding down. We are leaving very soon. I am hectically trying to gather everything up that I am going to need to live on a ship for 6 months. It is really the little things that you don't think of. Extra toothbrush in case I drop one on the deck (not picking it up), soap, batteries. And then there are the big things. All the necessary uniform items, the equipment that I will need for training and qualifications, and of course my books. :) Every time I go onboard the ship and talk to my roommates they suggest something else that I did not think of to bring along. Another trip to the NEX or Walmart. And I have to shine my shoes, iron my uniforms, and do all the laundry I need to do before Sunday. Plus, I am trying my best to stay in contact with everyone that means so much to me. A tough task since I have amazing friends and the best family this side of St Peters' Gate. And all of this is after work, where I am busy training and trying to get qualified. But I love it. I am so excited.

All of it, the busy-work, the hustle, the correspondance is all part of the experience that I have anticipated for four and a half years. This deployment marks the first-step of a journy that I have been pursuing since sophomore year of high school. In a way its a culmination of the preperation of all that time at Madison and ROTC. And at the same time it is only the beginning of my Navy adventure. I feel like I am standing on the first page of a new, grand story. And plus i am such a romantic that i can't wait to get out onto the open sea, working with my men, finally joining that great fraternity of sea-faring men who brave the wide, wild ocean to do what other men shake their heads at in wonder. I cannot wait to see it all, take it all in, and tell you all about it. Until then, pray for me and my ship, to keep us safe. I will keep you posted.

Duty

So with my ship winding down to go on deployment the crew has split into two leave periods; half of them taking off the first two weeks and the second half taking the last two weeks off before we leave. Because of this, the crew that remains has duty every third day. Since I am new and haven't built up any leave I get to be around for all of the POM period. That means for a month, every third day is spent on the ship. Duty day means that turnover starts at 0645 on one day and you do not leave the ship until the next day at 0645. If that day happens to roll into another work day during the week then you stay on the ship and continue to work until you are done for the day.

During the week duty can turn one long day into three long days. Especially for me. I do not have a division yet, so most of my day is spent with online training and shadowing people to learn their jobs. On duty days, it turns into very long days. And the way schedule works it ends up taking away one of your weekend days as well. Even if you have duty on Sunday, it takes away your Saturday night, and the best of the week to relax and enjoy some time off. There is some good things about duty though. I get to stand watch with my shipmates and its a good chance to get to know them better. Its also a chance for me to start getting qualified, start becoming useful. Slowly but surely I am starting to get the hang of things. I am starting to find my place, which in turn allows a little bit of my personality to come out. I am starting to feel like myself and then I can enjoy what I am doing.

I'll keep you posted.

I love my Life!

So I had a great weekend. After having a long day on Thursday (whole other post) I got to cut out early on Friday, good start. Friday night started off with a Fairwell to some of the Engineering personnel at the local Dave and Busters. I had never been there before and it turns out that place is a lot of fun. Later that night myself and Matthew went out about the town and painted the town. We rocked out and ran into a lot of cool people that night. We are starting to get a feel for our new town. Saturday I just laid around and caught up on sleep. The weather down here is great.

Today after church we went to the beach! It was 80 degrees outside and sunny. We set up a horshoe pit on the beach and played a few games before some of our new friends from church showed up. The water was kind of cold but no worse than Lake Michigan in June (y'all know what I am talking about, John). After you get used to it, the ocean is sweet! Did a bunch of body-surfing and football. The weather down here is gorgeous. I cannot believe that it is March. It felt like the middle of summer today. I heard that in Wisconsin it was cold, rainy, and dreary. I apologize for rubbing it in people's faces, but if it helps the watere down here smells like farts. I have started calling it "fart water". Matthew and I went out to eat with some of the others from church for dinner. It was the perfect end to a perfect weekend. If it keeps up like this, I will probably not leave Florida. Come on down to visit me.

A lot of firsts

I just got back from my first underway. It was very educational. Not only did I find out what I will be doing for the foreseeable future, but also what my life will be like in the Navy. I do not have a specific job but instead I was put into the Engineering Department and into a position where the only thing I can and will do is observe, learn, and train to be a better leader and officer. It was a lot of walking around (lost) asking what to do and what I should be doing.

At first I felt that I was really wasting my time and not doing what I should be. But as the first few days went on I found that the best thing I could do was ask around and learn as much as possible. I may not know what is going on or what I should be doing all the time, but I know that this experience is invaluable for me as a leader in any situation. Everyone is new and lost at some point. This will not be the last time that I am new and out of place. The attitude I decide to take will determine my success. For now I will be confident in my position of learning and training. I will not be embarassed to ask a lot of questions. In this state, I will figure out what to do and will excel.

Keep you posted.

Florida!

Here I am, in Florida starting my new life. I've got to tell you it is amazingly exciting and nerve-wracking. The apartment is great. My roommate is as crazy as ever and I love it! It is good to be back living with Matthew. By the end of last year our friendship had gotten very close and it is great to be back in close proximity to it. The apartment is really nice and the weather is nicer. It is weird to be down here, starting my naval career. I have been looking towards this for so long and now it is here. It almost feels like another summer training cruise. I know that will all change on a six month deployment. It will feel very real then. I was very nervous before I came down. But it has been a good opportunity for me to rely on God's plan for me. Looking to Him is the only way to keep focused and calm. I will still be nervous of course, but I think that a certain amount of stress is normal and healthy. The opposite would be unwise. If I came into this new position carefree and thinking that I knew everything, it would turn out badly. I have great respect for the job that I have and so I approach it carefully and eager to learn all that I can. I will keep you updated on my progress.