Full Time Reservist…or Student?

It’s been a month since my Navy Reserve orientation and there is still a lot that is up in the air.

I had to make the decision whether to pursue a full time position as an IT and take the remainder of my college courses as I was able to, or to just be a “weekend warrior” and use my GI Bill money to go to school full time.  With the second option I would try and switch to a different job and go back into the military full time as an officer after obtaining my degree.

After going back and forth with the decision, I finally determined that I would register for a full schedule of classes and knock my degree out.

The next day, I went to speak to the career counselor at COMTHIRDFLT (my reserve unit) to see about putting in a conversion package for a new intelligence job.  But when I went over there, I was snagged up by a petty officer in my division who introduced me to a lot of key senior enlisted members.  Apparently, they are lacking IT watchstanders and are very interested in acquiring another full time reservist.  So they took my information and said that they would see what could be done.

I hadn’t heard anything in a couple weeks and am not in a position to rely on hopes and dreams.  So I have been setting up all of my college courses and proceeding as if I wasn’t going to get the full time position.

Today I checked in with COMTHIRDFLT and they told me that they had in fact highly recommended me for a six-month to 1-year position, but the request hadn’t come back yet.

So I’m in the same boat.  Leaving it to fate.  Even if I don’t get the full time position, I still have my education plan backing me up.

That’s the update!  Hopefully I’ll know more before the fall semester starts.

Stay Classy, San Diego!

The time has come for me to bid farewell to the Land of Fake Boobs and move on to cleaner skies.

A lot has happened during the two years that I’ve been living in Los Angeles.  I’ve developed to many wonderful friendships and have had unforgettable experiences.  This is the busy city that had always made me feel like I was “at home.” A place where I’d go on leave and feel like  I never wanted to go back.  I think that actually being there made “the dream” of living in L.A. a little bit hazy.  After a while the traffic and smog seemed to make me feel very enclosed.  But that’s also my nature…I start to feel trapped after living almost anywhere for very long.  However, Los Angeles will always hold a place in my heart.  I mean, this is where the Dodgers play!

I’m VERY excited to move to San Diego.  I look forward to the fresh air and open skies. People always seem to be outside running and taking advantage of the beautiful weather. You can smell the ocean from anywhere in the city.  I love the ocean so much.  I can’t wait to see it everyday. 

I found a decently priced condo space for rent in Point Loma.  It’s a pretty centralized location to wherever I may end up working, and just a couple minutes from the beach.

The time has come to start anew, and I’m happy that this is the place for me to do it.

Flashback: Deployment Aboard USS Iwo Jima

USS Iwo Jima LHD-7 in the Fog.

My deployment in 2006 was a very difficult time for me.  A lot of emotions flying in every direction.  I’d like to think that it was so hard because it was my first time.  I’d like to think that I would be able to handle it now with an optimistic attitude and with more focus on the bigger picture.

We departed in June 2006 (on 6/6/06 actually…foreshadow much?), with the mission of taking the 24 MEU to Jordan to conduct training and then to fight pirates off the coast of Somalia.  On the way to Jordan, we had port visits in Marseilles, France and Rome, Italy.  We did the most we could to enjoy the stops since we didn’t know when we’d have another opportunity to get off the ship.

We never made it to Somalia.  Soon after we dropped off our marines in Jordan, Hizballah paramilitary forces engaged the Israeli military.  The President assigned the USS Iwo Jima to be the military presence off the coast of Beirut, Lebanon as the Americans were evacuated from the area.  We did make a couple trips to the island of Cyprus where the American evacuees had been taken.  After a little more than a month, our mission in the region ended and we headed back through the Suez Canal toward Kuwait.

We spent most of the remainder of deployment in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Kuwait.  We made a couple trips to Dubai, which is one of the most incredible and interesting cities.  Aside from the obvious stress from being in enemy waters, this period of time wasn’t too bad because we were given a break from the marines.  There was more space aboard the ship, and less territorial issues.

After completing our mission, we started to head back home.  We stopped again in Rome, and then in Toulon, France…but those port calls were basically lost because we all just wanted to get back to Norfolk so badly.

Looking back, I can’t really say that deploying on a ship is my favorite activity…but it’s really not that bad.  You just have to make the most of your situation and look for any way to keep yourself sane.

Check out my Deployment 2006 gallery!

My Life in Ink

Flag Flying on the Pearl Harbor Memorial

There’s nothing like your name scrawled in ink to make a defining moment in your life.

So, the contract is signed.  My life takes on a new chapter.

Everyone has been asking what this means, and what is going to happen next.  I am officially a part of the U.S. Navy Reserves.  I will be going in as an IT3, meaning I will be working with intel communications as I did during my prior enlistment.  There are other cryptologist jobs that I’m interested in, but due to the large amount of individuals going back into the military right now, these positions won’t be open for a few months.

I was formerly a Petty Officer Second Class, however, I was never paid for that rank before I was discharged.  This basically means that I’m now being demoted.  Luckily, I can retest for advancement in August.  I’m already studying and am confident that I can reacquire my rank and get back in the game.

I will be requesting Full-Time Support (FTS) status to work within the Navy as if I was a regular active duty sailor.  As such, I will receive the same benefits and active duty time applied toward retirement.  Once I’m processed in as full-time, I will likely be assigned to a ship out of San Diego.  However, I am seriously considering volunteering to deploy to the Horn of Africa (HOA) or Afghanistan for a year.

So I’m just taking this one step at a time.  I’m going to let everything fall where it may.  I just have to keep an open mind.

Holding on for Dear Life

Sometimes we need to do things in life without a harness.  Ropes that tie us down and keep us safe, can also keep us from experiencing the feelings that make life memorable. 

Today I spent a couple hours with my cousin hiking and bouldering up this massive rock formation in the desert.  It was an intense undertaking on its own, but what made it really stand out as a challenge to me, was that it was the first time that I had climbed boulders without any protection.

I was put in a position where I couldn’t give up…because my life was at stake.  I found strength where I thought there was none.  This isn’t necessarily strength drawn from the fear of pain, but more from the determination that I knew I could do it.  The fact that it was my only option was just additional motivation.

This experience meant a lot to me, in that it was another example of how I can’t live in fear.  The bruises, tears and cuts are proof that I overcame a challenge that couldn’t keep me down.

It’s the same with life, I suppose.

Camaraderie of the Early Morning Hike

There’s something so refreshing about being out in nature early in the morning.  For the last few weekends I’ve pulled myself out of bed bright and early and headed to Griffith Park to challenge some of the miles upon miles of hiking trails populating its hills.

I love the cool morning air and the beautiful view of the city below, still misty and covered in fog smog.    But what I enjoy the most is the company that I keep on these excursions.  Not necessarily my own hiking partners, as I have been hiking alone lately (although anyone is invited!), but the men and women who have also sacrificed their morning to sleep in, to tackle the trails either alone or with their children and even their dogs.  Always friendly with a greeting, it really does make the travel so much more pleasant.

Even if you’re in a large city like I am, I always recommend squeezing as much nature in your recreational activities as possible.  Sometimes you just need a break from being engulfed in the smog.

Happy Labor Day!

The Addiction of Rock Climbing

Okay, so I haven’t gotten to climb outdoors…yet.  But I do know there’s no comparison when it comes to the intensity that comes with training for it.  Nothing gets your blood pumping like trying to navigate a reach with the strength draining from your arms, while you’re 50 feet above ground.

I scoped out Rockreation (a local rock gym) last night and was pleasantly surprised at their facilities.  I’ve been out of practice for a little over a year now because I no longer have a partner to go with.  However, I’ve learned to do a lot of things on my own in the last year…so I think I’m ready.

Rock climbing is a sport in which people climb up or across natural rock formations or man-made gyms, with the goal of reaching the end of a pre-defined route.  This is one of the most physically and mentally demanding sports.  A successful climber needs strength, agility, endurance, balance and mental control.  Along with the traditional proper training, yoga is often recommended and included in conditioning.  It takes a lot of hard work and training to be able to sustain yourself on a climb.

I once tore a photo out of a rock climbing magazine and taped it to my computer at home.  It was a picture of a man peering over the very top of a peak, as you could see the tops of many mountains below.  This 2X3 inch photo motivated me to reach several of my goals.  What a truly amazing accomplishment, and luckily, an obtainable one.

Eagle Claw Kung Fu

Along with the Wushu training that I previously wrote about, I have also been pursuing Eagle Claw kung fu, for training in a more sparring-based martial art.

Eagle Claw is a traditional Chinese martial art that is known to be one of the oldest and complex of the remaining Northern Shaolin kung fu systems.  Although is includes the traditional long strikes and kicks that are typical to Northern systems, Eagle Claw is unique in that it teaches gripping techniques and system of joint locks, pressure point strikes and takedowns.

There were many different types of kung fu in my area, but I chose the Eagle Claw program at Shan Tung Kung-Fu because I really liked the teachings of joint locks and pressure point strikes.  I needed a martial art that I could effectively use with my small stature.  Having the ability to keep a large attacker off balance and at the same time being to disable him with an excruciating lock is a very powerful tool to have.

Aside from the physical benefits of the training, I always leave feeling so at peace with myself.  I am thoroughly exhausted, of course, but there is something almost spiritual about leaving all of your life stress behind and doing something that is balanced, intense, and just for you.

I will be attending the Las Vegas Chinese Martial Arts Championship at the end of the month, so keep an eye out for my post on the event with photos and hopefully video as well.  Although I will be only an excited onlooker this time, I plan on being a fierce competitor at the next event.

The Art of Wushu

Yesterday, I discovered a Chinese martial art called wushu. After finding out that the National Wushu Training Center was less than a mile from my house, I decided to explore it and take my first class this evening. Before class, I had told one of the assistants that the bigger the challenge and higher the pain, the more likely I would be to return.

In the middle of class…I almost blacked out. Literally. I actually had to take 5 min to let my head get itself back in order. What a wonderfully intense workout and such a beautiful artform! Yes, I will definitely return as soon as I can. Wushu will not defeat me.

Wushu is a term that refers to general Chinese martial art activities. The term is also commonly used in regards to the modern Chinese sport which encompasses gymnastic-like movements while performing bare-handed and weapons forms (think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon).

The basic forms consist of stances, kicks, punches, balances, jumps, sweeps, and throws. The more advanced forms can include 540 and 720 degree jumps which are absolutely amazing to see.

Click to see Wushu in action at the Wushu Masters in China. (It’s worth the click!)

What the U.S. Military Did to Me

I wasn’t necessarily the typical teenager that you would have guessed would have joined the U.S. Navy.  I was a straight-A, college bound student who was involved with so many clubs and after school activities I can’t even remember them all.  However, when I got to the point where I was about to reach my goals and go to college, I knew that it wasn’t where I was supposed to be.  After 911, I joined the Navy as a crypologist and shipped out Sept 11, 2002, when I was just 17-years-old.

5 Things the Military Took from Me:

1)  My Drive- It’s a hard thing to be unhappy for a long period of time.  I lost my initiative, which is what has always made me who I am.

2)  My Freedom of Choice- I made decisions all the way up until joining the Navy.  After that, I was no longer in charge of my destiny.  Losing your freedom to fight for others’ is kind of an interesting concept I guess.

3)  My Family- Although I have always been an independent individual, I missed my family very much.  I only got to see them about a week and a half out of the year.  I missed a lot of my sister growing up.

4)  My Goals- I lost sight of any goals that I had once had.  The only goal I had was surviving everyday without breaking down.

5)  My Faith- I felt so lost about who I was and what I was doing, that I let my faith become weak.  Not that I didn’t believe, but faith gets stronger with practice.  I didn’t know how to survive on my own with that yet.

5 Things the Military Gave to Me:

1)  Survival- I’m not scared of anything anymore.  My sense of adventure gives me the ability to go for anything.  I can take any pain that comes along the way.

2)  Self-acceptance- I know who I am now.  I’m no longer the self-conscience girl who was scared to walk around my own house without makeup.  I’m proud of who I am.

3) Friendship- I have met thousands of people, many of whom have been though many of the same things that I have.  Although many of them move on as time goes by, I’m left with irreplaceable memories.

4) Knowing What’s Important- I don’t complain about little things that don’t matter.  I try not to dwell on any kind of drama that would hold up my life.  I know what’s important, and I focus on those things.

5) Learned a Lot- I made a lot of mistakes during those 5 years, but I have learned from them.  I also got to help a lot of people in need, and hopefully helped to change their lives for the better.  Since I’ve left the Navy, I feel like myself again.  I have goals and I work hard.  There’s nowhere to go but forward.

I can’t share here all the bad/good things that happened during those years.  And although it would probably shock many of the people I know to say it, I would do it again.  Those lessons I learned, and those people I met can’t be replaced.

Either way, now I’m out and I’m HAPPY  Ready for whatever is going to happen next…