DECEMBER
Well, Thanksgiving leave has come and gone. The four days I spent at home were time well spent with family, relaxing and doing homework. The break is in the middle of the semester and the weeks afterward are hectic in preparation for finals. Since crew has ended I have a little more time, but still enjoy working out on my own. I have found that a sport is a good escape and stress reliever. Also, it helps you feel better about yourself for doing something active.
The weekends here are something you look forward to a lot. Today some of my shipmates and I went to the mall and out to dinner. There is a liberty service (bus) that provides transportation to various areas around New London. There are stops at Crystal Mall, Dick’s sporting goods (which is in a strip mall with other stores), Target, Wal-mart, the Waterford 9 Cinema, the train station and various restaurants in the historic downtown area. It runs every hour on the hour and is a great service for cadets since only 1/c cadets are allowed to keep cars on base. The weekends are also time to catch up on homework, but many wait until Sunday night for that. "Liberty" (or free time) for 4/c on Saturday morning/afternoon until 1 am and Sunday from 7 am- 6pm is at the discretion of the OOD (Officer of the Day). Usually Saturday mornings are reserved for military training though. Some trainings we have had this year include: lectures, a day trip to Boston to tour cutters and meet enlisted Coast Guard members; a Sailor of the Quarter challenge (competition for 4/c in activities like knot-tying, sand peep, push-ups, drill, etc.), and also fun events like paintball and dodge ball.
There was also an aviation day when two helicopters landed on Parade field for cadets to tour. The pilots gave an Ops Spotlight (lecture/Q&A) in the evening for those interested. I’ve always wanted to be a pilot, so I jumped on the opportunity. In between Calc and English I went out and was able to sit in one! I was, of course, really excited as you can see in the photo.
The Coast Guard Academy has become my home and the opportunities it has given me so far make me all the more eager to reach my dreams. The challenges faced everyday make me grow as a person. I cannot believe how independent I have become and how many amazing experiences I have had. Sometimes it is hard to keep a positive attitude, but when I really look at what a great life has been given to me, I realize I would not trade it for anything. God Bless, and have a great holiday season!