It began with an early rise, shower, bagel sandwich breakfast and a short drive down the hill. I pulled into the parking lot and immediately noticed a guy hanging out in his vanagon, along with about 10 other Subarus and I knew everything was going to be ok.
I went in, submitted some paperwork, grabbed some coffee from the galley and found my seat in classroom "B/C". Everyone else slowly trickled in and we started to chat and get to know each other. We will all be spending a great deal of time with one another over the next 2 years, unlike other classes where you meet for semester and move one.
A couple other ex-Navy folk in the class and a few women as well. 15 brave soles all in and willing to give up 2 years of their lives in an attempt to start a new exciting career. I'm clearly one of the older, if not the "oldest" cadets, and I bring a fair amount of sea time and experience to the table, unlike a few that have none at all. Most have some sort of experience or "tie" to the maritime industry, but a diverse group with regards to where we all gained our interests and strong attraction to the "life" at sea.
Today's agenda was mostly introductions and talking about what to expect over the next 24 months. We met all the staff at PMI, had pizza and shared stories, and even Skyped with a current cadet who is about halfway through his schooling.
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| Study time |
Homework for tonight; put together a PowerPoint presentation on the company that is sponsoring each of us, and look up about 50 nautical terms and write down the definitions in our own words. Most of these I knew, but a few I had never really used in context and was surprised as to their "real" meaning. (Athwart ships, Gypsy, abaft the beam, sternway, etc).
Since we got out of class around 14:30 today, I've been sitting on my makeshift bed (plywood and mattress on top of 8 bankers boxes) and looking up definitions, listening to chill music and realizing that this "thing" is underway. The last time I really felt this feeling was the first few days of boot camp in 1988. Knowing that I've just jumped into long, fast moving flume that will twist and turn and eventually dump me out into one the most rewarding pools of clear blue water. Looking forward to the ride, but looking even more forward to the final plunge and the first breath of air as I emerge.
Tomorrow we start RFPNW (Ratings Forming Part of a Navigational Watch) course, taught by Captain Jim Caspers. This class is one of many that provides us with an essential deck officer certification. I honestly don't know what the material will consist of, but am looking forward to any and all absorption of maritime info. Most of it will be learning standardized terminology used on the bridge and how you "take over" and "hand off" a watch effectively to your relief. We should also be learning how to report hazards, alarms, sounds, etc.
We took a group photo today and it might end up here.
I'd better get some rest... Off to make soup and relax...
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