update on life
ok so i've ran into a few people over the holidays and they didn't know a few things, so here's a bit of an update as to where things are headed.
firstly, I am headed to honduras in 14 days 23 hours and 46 minutes according to my countdown clock. I'm going to the bay islands (Roatan & Utila) off the coast of honduras for a 2 week diving excursion. I'm going with my friend Steph, from Dryden as well as the owners of C&L Scuba here in Shilo. The first week we'll be on the west end of roatan, then the second is up for grabs. Definately going to Utila for a few days. My friend kyle (same degree, BU) actually is taking a year off to go work for his cousin, who owns a dive shop in utila and I'm meeting him there in the second week. I also intend to do some shmoozing and see if theres potential for a job there next year.
I have two classes left to take at B.U. before graduation. Im also missing two weeks of class with the aforementioned trip, but I figure I can do it. Its a four year degree that turned into a five year degree, an environmental studies degree with a botany minor. I like many aspects of school, but i'll be glad to be done. Im sure I can find enough challenge outside the walls of hallowed brodie building.
My transfer to the Navy is still pending. I often say that I feel like I'm in a state of purgatory, I don't belong to anyone. Or that I'm kinda like that elf that wants to be a dentist on the old burl ives christmas story, im just not fitting the gunner needs of the army right now and truthfully don't feel as at home with 26 Fd here in brandon as I have the past nearly 7 years. As of January, I will have paperwork on the transfer from three seperate years (I put my initial memo in on dec. 2005) and this is just getting out of hand. The biggest thing Is I want to be "course loaded" for this summer, meaning they will have to submit my name for these navy courses by about march for me to get on the training program for the summer. And If Im not there, my name can't be submitted. This affects my "three-pronged" approach to applying for potential jobs next fall, of having 1) a B.Sc degree, 2) my PADI instructorship and 3) naval diving experience. It also effects my ability to fund step #2, which is going to be a couple weeks in California doing my "civilian diving" intstructor testing and the like. Its no secret that the military pays fairly well, and If I can be on contract out in esquimalt (victoria)next summer then affording the instructors (which i'd just skip down to california after my contract) wouldn't be a problem.
so the plan is then, to combine all three. Doing my divemasters course sometime in the spring (a pre-requisite for the instructor bit), go out to the west coast for the summer and do naval dive training, then after that go down to california and do my instructors. That being completed, should make it fairly easy to find a job in the carribean next fall or winter. I'd like to work there for a year or so, or until i get tired of living on the beach but I feel it's something that I have to do. But plan A may take some work so you always have to be ready for plan B.
go backpack africa. If im not in the carribean, I intend to go back to the dark continent january 08 (or around there). I've been making contingent plans with my buddy Troy. Haven't though about it alot yet.. but the basic plan is fly into Jo-burg, tour around to each corner and eventually leave there a few months later. On the to-do list is capetown, kenya, zanzibar/tanzania, climbing kili (which has been a life goal of mine for quite a while now actually). then making it somewhere up in the north, im thinking either tunisia or morrocco, all whilst avoiding sudan/somalia and the like. may have to take an in-continental flight. Then head over somewhere to the west (maybe Ghana) but that will be situationally dependent, probably go with whatever we hear when on ground. I really want to go see some of the rainforest of the congo, or central african republic, or democratic republic of congo or whatever its called these days but troy is kinda leniant of that. Im sure there's still some 'good areas' (i.e. sans rebel liberation fronts) that we could go to. But this is more or less something to think about on the cold days at this point.
after I get tired of the beaches, I intend to come back and do one (or maybe more) contracts with the navy. This will probably be about 4/5 years as a clearance diver, and would give me experience and capital to eventually start my own eco-tourism dive operation in a yet-to-be-determined location. or so goes the dream. I also want to do one tour of duty or foreign deployment with the military, its just something i have wanted to do for some time. I've put my name in twice for tours, and twice been told it wasn't needed. One tour was to go to Bosnia-Herzegovina, and it ended up cancelled. The latter, roto 1 to kandahar went and they severely underestimated the troops they needed, at least for the contingent I would've been with. Thats fine. Tours used to be a thing for the regular force only, and rarely were reservists taken and you were lucky if you got chosen to go. But the tides, they are a changin. With the next roto (rotation) they are taking as many reservists as they can get their hands on. And if I wasn't tranferring to the navy, i'd be starting workup training about 2 days after my exams finish in april. not to be however. But another on the "to-do" list.
in other random notes, i am learning to play racquetball, and i'm getting half decent at it. In an effort to be the canadian james bond, or at the very least a millionaire playboy i felt i needed to play a "chip" sport for future business rendez-vous, and i am terrible at golf. It's really quite fun. I've really been embracing the eat, drink and be merry part of these christmas holidays but i am trying to get back at it now. I went to glenboro on boxing day and had a blast at my buddy jay's farm, went to a social there then the next day we went shooting. Oh I also plan to get a pistol, just as soon as I can afford one, for sport-shooting purposes. Also a good time. I have acquired a taste for drinking martinis, and also experimented with mead over the holidays. Its a dessert wine fermented of honey, norse mythology stories we'll save for a later date. Anyways, That should keep people fairly up to date on my goings on and major plans for the next bit, hope you all had wonderful holidays!!
firstly, I am headed to honduras in 14 days 23 hours and 46 minutes according to my countdown clock. I'm going to the bay islands (Roatan & Utila) off the coast of honduras for a 2 week diving excursion. I'm going with my friend Steph, from Dryden as well as the owners of C&L Scuba here in Shilo. The first week we'll be on the west end of roatan, then the second is up for grabs. Definately going to Utila for a few days. My friend kyle (same degree, BU) actually is taking a year off to go work for his cousin, who owns a dive shop in utila and I'm meeting him there in the second week. I also intend to do some shmoozing and see if theres potential for a job there next year.
I have two classes left to take at B.U. before graduation. Im also missing two weeks of class with the aforementioned trip, but I figure I can do it. Its a four year degree that turned into a five year degree, an environmental studies degree with a botany minor. I like many aspects of school, but i'll be glad to be done. Im sure I can find enough challenge outside the walls of hallowed brodie building.
My transfer to the Navy is still pending. I often say that I feel like I'm in a state of purgatory, I don't belong to anyone. Or that I'm kinda like that elf that wants to be a dentist on the old burl ives christmas story, im just not fitting the gunner needs of the army right now and truthfully don't feel as at home with 26 Fd here in brandon as I have the past nearly 7 years. As of January, I will have paperwork on the transfer from three seperate years (I put my initial memo in on dec. 2005) and this is just getting out of hand. The biggest thing Is I want to be "course loaded" for this summer, meaning they will have to submit my name for these navy courses by about march for me to get on the training program for the summer. And If Im not there, my name can't be submitted. This affects my "three-pronged" approach to applying for potential jobs next fall, of having 1) a B.Sc degree, 2) my PADI instructorship and 3) naval diving experience. It also effects my ability to fund step #2, which is going to be a couple weeks in California doing my "civilian diving" intstructor testing and the like. Its no secret that the military pays fairly well, and If I can be on contract out in esquimalt (victoria)next summer then affording the instructors (which i'd just skip down to california after my contract) wouldn't be a problem.
so the plan is then, to combine all three. Doing my divemasters course sometime in the spring (a pre-requisite for the instructor bit), go out to the west coast for the summer and do naval dive training, then after that go down to california and do my instructors. That being completed, should make it fairly easy to find a job in the carribean next fall or winter. I'd like to work there for a year or so, or until i get tired of living on the beach but I feel it's something that I have to do. But plan A may take some work so you always have to be ready for plan B.
go backpack africa. If im not in the carribean, I intend to go back to the dark continent january 08 (or around there). I've been making contingent plans with my buddy Troy. Haven't though about it alot yet.. but the basic plan is fly into Jo-burg, tour around to each corner and eventually leave there a few months later. On the to-do list is capetown, kenya, zanzibar/tanzania, climbing kili (which has been a life goal of mine for quite a while now actually). then making it somewhere up in the north, im thinking either tunisia or morrocco, all whilst avoiding sudan/somalia and the like. may have to take an in-continental flight. Then head over somewhere to the west (maybe Ghana) but that will be situationally dependent, probably go with whatever we hear when on ground. I really want to go see some of the rainforest of the congo, or central african republic, or democratic republic of congo or whatever its called these days but troy is kinda leniant of that. Im sure there's still some 'good areas' (i.e. sans rebel liberation fronts) that we could go to. But this is more or less something to think about on the cold days at this point.
after I get tired of the beaches, I intend to come back and do one (or maybe more) contracts with the navy. This will probably be about 4/5 years as a clearance diver, and would give me experience and capital to eventually start my own eco-tourism dive operation in a yet-to-be-determined location. or so goes the dream. I also want to do one tour of duty or foreign deployment with the military, its just something i have wanted to do for some time. I've put my name in twice for tours, and twice been told it wasn't needed. One tour was to go to Bosnia-Herzegovina, and it ended up cancelled. The latter, roto 1 to kandahar went and they severely underestimated the troops they needed, at least for the contingent I would've been with. Thats fine. Tours used to be a thing for the regular force only, and rarely were reservists taken and you were lucky if you got chosen to go. But the tides, they are a changin. With the next roto (rotation) they are taking as many reservists as they can get their hands on. And if I wasn't tranferring to the navy, i'd be starting workup training about 2 days after my exams finish in april. not to be however. But another on the "to-do" list.
in other random notes, i am learning to play racquetball, and i'm getting half decent at it. In an effort to be the canadian james bond, or at the very least a millionaire playboy i felt i needed to play a "chip" sport for future business rendez-vous, and i am terrible at golf. It's really quite fun. I've really been embracing the eat, drink and be merry part of these christmas holidays but i am trying to get back at it now. I went to glenboro on boxing day and had a blast at my buddy jay's farm, went to a social there then the next day we went shooting. Oh I also plan to get a pistol, just as soon as I can afford one, for sport-shooting purposes. Also a good time. I have acquired a taste for drinking martinis, and also experimented with mead over the holidays. Its a dessert wine fermented of honey, norse mythology stories we'll save for a later date. Anyways, That should keep people fairly up to date on my goings on and major plans for the next bit, hope you all had wonderful holidays!!