The sailor dream...

When I left school I had no idea what it was that I wanted to do. I went to uni as I thought that was simply what I was expected to do. The day I called my parents and told them I would be dropping out, I feared the retribution of my peers. Many of the people I grew up with/ went to uni with, did not at all understand why I would give up uni for service.

I wanted to do something with myself, to have a career that would teach me things I could only dream of. What better way than doing a job I will love, get to travel and get to meet new people. It was also a way of ensuring that I would not be living in my home town.

The day I joined my mother cried. Well of course I cried as well. I was scared of what I got myself into. I remember my parents driving from the recruitment centre to Newcastle airport just to wave us off on the bus one last time.

Recruit School SUCKED for me.. if anyone who was with me there is reading this, you will be nodding your head. I wasn’t the most drama free recruit.. with being back classed and several medical centre stays.. The time I spent there was busy. My time on that base was filled with stress, horrible people and unnecessary drama. I seemed to not be able to keep my head down as I was dragged into silly thing after silly thing... I learnt that Recruit School is a bubble that you can only understand once there, although at times reminded me of High School.

Yet, that base was also the place I met Sean.. so I guess it had that positive going for it.

My time down there was also time that taught me how to have strength in who I am. I learnt that I could be beyond exhausted and yet manage to survive a fishbowl duty. That I wouldn’t loose my fingertips when wearing shorts and a T-shirt in the freezing cold, rainy peninsula mornings.. hello EMA (Early Morning Activity). I gained friendships that will be with me for the rest of my life.. those people know exactly who they are. I also learnt which leadership styles completely disgust me.. you shouldn’t have to belittle those underneath you in order to assert yourself as a position of power. I learnt that some people will lie and cheat their way through situations and in return will destroy those that stand in the way of their immoral actions.

My time in training soon came to an end, which saw me temporarily posted to a base in Sydney where I was fortunate enough to work with one of the most amazing Able Seaman I have ever met.. well she’s a Leading Seaman now. She taught me my role at work whilst also imprinting life lessons into me. Little does that woman know, I to this day remind myself of the lessons she gave me. That you need to be yourself in every situation, love what you do and work your ass off. This is also the place where I learnt that putting your hand up for things will come with great joy. I put my hand up for a posting onboard HMAS Adelaide and a week later I was joining the ship as a training billet... that is for another story time.

My Navy career has not been what I thought. It was not what was described to me at recruiting, nor was it what was taught to me in Recruit School. I have had moments where I cried my eyes out wishing I never joined, but I have had more times where I have been able to sit back and realise how blessed I was by the options I have.

I may not have seen the world, but I have seen my own world change. I have learnt skills i could never have dreamt of doing - riffle handling, working at heights, communications onboard a ship, medical training at sea and so many more things. I have marched down a street in Sydney With thousands of serving members and veterans, with an audience so large I can not even imagine. I was given the privilege of working on an Indigenous recruitment course that taught me more life lessons than I can put into words.

My service has varied, my time has been busy. I forever will be glad that I signed on that dotted line.

Now with two children in my care, I need to make decisions and changes that will put them first.. will I leave the Navy? Most likely. Will I miss the Navy? In ways.. Will I be glad to have a normal life.. of course!

Anyway, next will be my time at Sea and the time alongside in Sydney after sea.

Until then,

OnePlusOneEqualsFour