I would like to thank Mrs. G.I. Joe, at ACU's, Stiletto Shoes, and Pretty Pink Tutus for featuring me as a guest blogger today!  I'd love for you to check out my post about patriotism, as well as Mrs. G.I. Joe's fabulous blog (she was a major inspiration for starting mine)!

MEPS story coming!

Hello, my faithful friends.  Just wanted to pop in and let you know that I'm in the process of writing about my MEPS experience.  Not only have I been supermadbusy at work, but I had to mentally decompress before getting the courage to start in to this story.  I'll go ahead and tell you how it ends, for those of you just wanting an update:

I DO still want to join the Navy.  I got an 87 on my ASVAB (yay!).  I passed the physical (including weight, though just barely).  I do have to go back in a couple weeks for a pysch eval, which I expected.  Now I'm just sitting tight, waiting for the recruiter to call me and let me know when to go back down there for that.

I'll let you know when next I hear something!  :)

P.S.  Here's a photo of my happy place, for your viewing pleasure.  Doctor's Lake (connected to the St. John's River) in Fleming Island, Florida.  I want to be there more than anything in the world right now.

Speak now...

My MEPS date has been changed. I'm going July 12-13.


For most people, assuming they pass the ASVAB and the physical, they get to pick a job, find out a ship date, and swear in right there. My recruiter told me that I'll probably have to go back for a follow-up visit, due to the medical records I have. Now that I've been to my own civilian doc, the Navy doc will want to do his own checking. So I might have a little more time to think things over than others do.

But still...very, very soon there is going to come a moment where I actually have to sign my name, raise my right hand, and join the Navy. I’m nervous about the job-picking part, because these days it’s harder to find out detailed information about the jobs beforehand. They don’t want people getting their hopes up about a specific job and then not qualifying for it, so they wait until you’ve tested, then tell you what you qualify for. I understand that, but I don’t have a way of thoroughly researching whatever ends up on my list. I know of some jobs that I’m interested in, so I’ve researched those, and talked to people about them. But what if I don’t get those? Any brief description I’m given on the spot is not enough info for me to make such a big decision. Yes, you can get your rate (job) changed, but it doesn’t sound like an easy or promising process.

All of this ruminating brings up the BIIIIIG question: Are you REALLY, REALLY 100% POSITIVE you want to do this???


Well, no, not quite 100%. Nothing is perfect, there are things I’m not excited about, and things I’m even scared of. My best answer is that the pros outweigh the cons by far (maybe I’ll provide a list in a future post). This wasn’t a snap decision by any means. I started thinking about this several years ago, and have had ample time to talk myself out of it since then. But now that the reality of this decision is getting closer and closer, the cons start to loom up before me like big, scary ghosts with their fingers outstretched to get me. EEEEEEEEK! I wonder if this is what people feel like right before they get married… Cold feet? Runaway brides?

So here it is: Speak now, or forever hold your peace. Tell me why I should OR shouldn’t join the Navy. Right now, so I don’t lose focus from these new emotions, I'm reassuring myself by re-reading stories and talking to people who LOVE their Navy careers and think it’s the best decision they’ve ever made. Because ultimately I believe it’s the best decision for me, too. But if there is anything else I need to consider, I need to know NOW.

Guess what...

I am finally...

GOING TO MEPS!!!

July 8-9

(This is my nervous face)

I am SO excited that I've finally gotten this far. Whew, it's been tough. But I'm not exactly thrilled about MEPS itself. First, I have to take two vacation days from work. Those are precious paid days that I'd rather use for hmm, I dunno, VACATION? If I do make it into the Navy, I'll get legit vacation, so I'll chalk this up as a necessary evil. And taking the ASVAB and the physical do not seem the least bit pleasant (and I don't wanna study Math all weekend. Ick). Plus, the entire experience is full of "unknowns," which I've discovered is one of my greatest fears in life. Hopefully when it's all over, I'll be able to say, "It wasn't that bad." (Stay tuned to find out!)

I just read this long but well-written MEPS experience I found. If you don't know anything about MEPS, you should take a look, then you could get an idea of what I'm in for. If you've already been, I'd love it if if you'd read it and tell me if your experience was actually like that. One of the reasons I started this blog was because I've had such a hard time getting straight answers about the military and the joining process. So I will be keenly observing and noting everything that goes on and then share it with you. I'll be so happy if I'm able to help clear up questions and give assurance to other girls like me looking for answers.

Thoughts & prayers next week will be MUCH APPRECIATED. Love you all. :)

The Latest

"Up, up and away in my beautiful, beautiful balloon."

I've heard the military is all "hurry up & wait."  Ain't that the truth.  My appointment was May 18, right?  Today, June 4, my results have JUST been faxed to the recruiters (that was the doc's fault, though).  But the recruiters tell me I have between 1 week and 1 month to wait for them to be reviewed and find out if I can go to MEPS or not.  In the mean time, I have some huge life decisions to make that are very time-sensitive, and knowing when I'm leaving plays a definite part.  Currently, just about every element of my life is up in the air, swirling around, and there's no telling how it will all land.  So stay tuned!

A bit of happy news:  I reached my first weight goal!  It's the important one (to be under the maximum Navy weight requirement).  The rest of the weight I'm working on is for my own personal health (& vanity).

One of my awesome online Navy girl friends, Melissa, left for bootcamp a couple weeks ago.  She told me she'd write, and that I could use it in my blog.  If she doesn't end up writing I wouldn't blame her at all, but still excitedly checking the mail box. :)  

The Dreaded Day Has Come and Gone...

...and it wasn't so terrible after all!  The actual appointment was fairly more comfortable than I was expecting, and the doctor cleared me on her end.  Normally, I'd be elated, but she realized that the recruiters were all mixed up in what they were asking for, and there's a chance this still might not be enough.  In the mean time, we're going to send in her good report and hope they'll take it.

The appointment only took an hour, so I got to spend the rest of the day relaxing watching Veronica Mars, and then decorating and finishing the dirt cake (complete with worms!) for Ivy's birthday that night.  I think we helped her have a great birthday, and the evening was a blast. :)

Now I want to take this time to give my profuse thanks to all of my friends who encouraged me through this.  I am just blown away by how much you care.  From messages from my newer, awesome online friends, to texts and prayers, to presents left on my car that morning, I feel beyond loved - it felt like I was in one gigantic hug all day long!  Friendship is one of the most important things to me in the world.  And please, whenever YOU need a friend, or encouragement of any kind, let me know, I will be there for you.

THEIR Reasons Why

I'm still patiently waiting for May 18 to arrive.  As I explained in my previous post, I don't really have the heart for talking about the Navy right now.  So in the mean time, I'm going to let other girls speak for me. Some of their reasons echo mine, some might be unique to them, but we all have a common desire to serve our country with pride, and I hope to serve alongside these amazing girls soon.

Their Reasons Why:

“I joined because I want to experience the world and I found out that college is not for me.” – Stephanie B.

“I am joining because I need to find myself. I want to travel, serve my country, and be able to stand with my head held high. As a woman, I feel like I have been treated wrongly, and that many men look down on me. So joining and serving my country will show them we women are just as strong and good enough to serve in our nation's military. Plus having benefits, and to be able to say that my family has something to be proud of about me. :)” – Bree L.

“I've always felt the need to prove I'm just as good and this is my way to do it. It also had the added bonus of serving my country and showing pride in what I believe.” – Megan F.

“I suppose my answer would fall within the idea of ‘service.’ I am joining the Navy because I am called to be a servant to my country, my God and my fellow man. I serve because I can and am willing to put the needs of many before my own. I serve because we have a voluntary force and I volunteer. I serve because I am grateful for those that served before me and I am grateful for the strong women in history that made this possible for me.” – Jenny F.

“I'm joining the Navy because I want to be able to walk around with my head held high full of pride. I want to protect this country. I want to gain the Navy discipline and values. I want to travel all around the world doing things that everyone will be proud of me for. I'm joining not only because I want to, but mainly because my heart yells it wants me to be a Sailor for the U.S. Navy. I will gain the respect of others through hard work and I will respect those around me. I want to show the people around me that i can do this, and this is why I will join the Navy. This is what I see myself doing.” – Yesenia C.

“I am joining the Navy for many reasons. I am sick of working in resturants, bars, etc...bartending, waitressing, and marketing them. I want to do a job where I know I am making a difference for people. I am 29 and have an associate’s degree that is getting me nowhere fast, I can’t afford more education, have no boyfriend, no kids, and am generally just at a stand still. I would say I want to “accelerate my life” (the old Navy saying). I love to help people, it’s in my nature, and getting the rate of corpsman lets me do that! Stability, and job security are big factors as well. Loooong family history of people in the Navy. I am excited to start this new exciting chapter in my life. There are always the decisions you make that you know to the bones that it is right. And I can't even stress enough how RIGHT this feels for me.” – Melissa B.

“I WANT to join the Navy because I want a better life for my family and my self. I work a dead-end job making only 9 an hour. In the Navy that’s kinda like starting at the bottom, but you always have the chance of working your way up. At my job I’m kinda at the top. I dont want to spend the rest of my life making 9 an hour working in a warehouse.” – Melissa H.

“I'm joining the Navy for a bunch of different reasons… Mainly because I want a career in the medical field. Also because I want some discipline in my life, and to travel. I want my family and friends to be proud of me, and I want to do something to be proud of myself for. :D” – Taylor K.

If you're in the military and would like to share reasons you joined, please comment with them!  Also, if you're a mil spouse and want to share your husband's reasons (because I know you're so proud), I'd love to hear them!

In 19 days...

In 19 days, my favorite friend and gym partner, Ivy, will finally turn 18 (which will make us less than a decade apart in age for a few months)...

In 19 days the long-awaited epsiode of Glee directed by the brilliant Joss Whedon, and guest-starring NPH will air...

and...

In 19 days I'll go to the doctor's appointment that decides the rest of my life. 
This doctor will have the power to tell the Navy whether or not I'm a good candidate for the military.

Scared?  Quite.

In fact, that's why I've been blog-silent for the past two weeks.  I have a wealth of blog ideas piled up to use when I don't have an actual update, but I haven't had the heart to post any.  I think I'm trying to keep Navy excitement at arms' length, so that if it falls through, I won't be as disappointed. 

Everyone keeps telling me that whatever happens is what's meant to be.  Well, of course it is.  But that doesn't change the fact that I would have to re-plan my future from scratch, with absolutely zero ideas.  The Navy isn't just the best idea for my life - it's my only idea. I have nightmarish visions of my civilian-stuck-in-virginia-in-a-low-paying-job-and-always-the-spinster-aunt-who-never-lived-her-dreams life stretching before me.

I'm not sure if I'll see results at the appointment, but on the evening of May 18, 2010, while celebrating Ivy's birthday and eating cake at our Glee party, I very well could have the answer to what the rest of my life will look like.


So in 19 days...we'll see.

Reason #3: Uniforms!

"Oh, bell bottom trousers, coat of navy blue, he loves his sailor, and she loves him, too."

(Switched the pronouns around to suit me!)

This is NOT the uniform.  Sorry, boys!

Let's start this post with an embarrassing little anecdote that just happened to me. I wore an adorable polka-dotted skirt to work today, feeling pretty cute. Little did I know this skirt is full of potential mortification! While standing at the sink washing my hands after using the ladies room, the most gorgeous woman in the entire building comes out of her stall and taps me on the back. She very awkwardly let me know that the entire back of my skirt was stuffed into my underwear. Can you say *red face*?? I gushed my gratefulness to her with rivaling awkwardness (not only for the faux pas, but for the fact that she’s now seen my underwear), and tried to stride calmly out of the bathroom… only to have her call me yet again to inform me that my top wasn’t all the way down in the back, and both my underwear and skirt tags were visible. Then, not 10 minutes later, I was outside and a gust of wind caught my skirt and exposed me for a split second before I wrestled it back down and held it tightly all the way back inside. This is just a small example of the many reasons I will be THRILLED to wear uniforms to work!


PROs:

• I will never be late to work because I can’t figure out what to wear.
• I can use all my extra $$ and shopping energy on super hot weekend/leave outfits.
• My “fun” clothes can STAY fun clothes. Currently, anything I wear to work automatically becomes work clothes. Even if I love(ed) it, I can never again wear it outside of work without feeling icky.
• I’m all about my individuality, but I also LOVE being part of a team that’s bigger than me. All my life I’ve wanted to belong to a sports team or anything with uniforms, because I love identifying with other people, and also being identified by other people as a member of that group. And in my mind, nothing is more worth identifying with than the US Navy! (I used to be in marching band…so I got a little bit of that prideful group feeling…until we were in front of the rest of the school…)
• I’ll just look hot. Nothing beats a Sailor girl! ;)

CONs:

• Ironing. I don’t even own one. I started to buy one when I moved out, but realized it would be a waste of money since I wouldn’t use it!

I know getting to wear uniforms is an insignificant reason for wanting to join the Navy, and clearly I wouldn’t base my whole descision on something so trite, but if it makes me happy, why not get excited about it?

Process - Update #2 (Doctor's Note)

Navigating the maze in the Triwizard Tournament seems easier than getting in the Navy.

*Sigh*  After having a chat with my doctor (and giving her a $25 co-pay), I went to the recruiter to ask what exactly I need to do (these guys are clear as mud).  After 3 of these dudes stood around for awhile deliberating, they came to the conclusion that not only does my regular doc need to write another letter, but I also need to go to a psychiatrist for a legit psychological eval.  Another doc appointment, another (higher) co-pay, another couple weeks 'til the next step. 

The (sort-of) bright side:  After taking some medicine for over a month, my weight sky-rocketed due to fluid retention.  I was already at the maximum acceptable weight, and now I'm well over it, making me the heaviest I have ever been in my life.  I've stopped taking the medicine, so in a week or two the water weight should start coming off.  Before I started it, I was actively dieting and working out to get UNDER the max weight.  I really hope that underneath all that water is the result of all my hard work!!  So having to wait longer for all this other doctor stuff is giving me the time I need to get back to the appopriate weight.

What I'm learning from these set-backs: 
~ Patience. 
~ Enjoying the life I'm living the in mean time. 
~ Dedication to the goal. 

I'll be a Sailor one of these days.  :)

Process - Update (Doctor's note)

Finally made that doctor's appointment for tomorrow morning.  I'm definitely nervous, though I doubt I have a reason to be.  I'm just scared of anything that might hurt my chances of getting in the Navy.  If the appointment doesn't take too long, I'll drop the results off at the recruiter on my way to work.  Then we'll play the waiting game some more!  Check back tomorrow night to see how it all went.  :)

Reason #2: Join the Navy, See the World

"Most travel-hungry people overlook the Navy when searching for a job. People oppose the idea for many different reasons. However, if you believe that the humanitarian and international aid efforts are genuine – then you may want to consider it as an alternative to the cubicle life of most people you know."
-Theodore Scott

(The quote above is from this article.)  My closest friends know that I'm into globes.  Weird obsession, I know, which is why up until now, only my closest friends knew. :-P  But I spot them everywhere (especially on TV) and play with them every chance I get.  I still don't have my own, but I'm afriad I might have a house full of them one day.  The last time I was globe-gazing, I learned about Lesotho, a country in Africa that is entirely surrounded by another country, South Africa, and which I think is the only country like this in the world.  I never learned that in geography!!  All this to say I want to travel.  I mean, I have the bug BAD.  I've been collecting travel brochures and planning imaginary trips all my life.  I'd like to see the whole world eventually, but my biggest desire is the Pacific Islands.  I belong there.  I'm constantly consuming literature about their cultures, geography, languages, flora & faua.  Lucky for me, there are plenty of Navy bases in the Pacific!

Recently I realized that my desire to travel is not a dream, it's an expected reality.  Then I immediately realized this reality would not come to pass if I continued in my present life.  I have no means with which to travel, and it's highly unlikely I'd have them anytime soon.  I can imagine myself as an 88-year-old lady in a nursing home, still flipping through a calendar of Hawaii and dreaming of the places I never got to see. I am careful about not believing every perk the Navy advertises hook, link, & sinker, but from talking to many sailors from past and present, seeing the world WILL happen in the Navy. For example, I have keepsakes from all over Asia that my grandfather sent home to his children while deployed (including a glass buoy from the Sea of Japan in my living room), and have seen current Facebook photos of sailor friends all over the world.

And the best part?  Once I'm finally ready to settle down, I'll have a world of places to pick from. :)

Results

Whew, it's over!  I ran the Monument 10K on Saturday with three other lovely girls.  We had a blast and pushed each other hard, and it completely wiped me out!

My time: 79:02

Last year: 81:49

I only beat last year's time by 2:47.  I think it's okay, because I trained about the same last year and this year. I'm more concerned about improving my running overall, so I wasn't training specifically for the 10K. However, there is a HUGE difference between the beginning of my habitual-working-out-life and now. I beat my time in my first 10K (2008) by 15:32!! Now I'd say that's an improvement. :)

Here's what I'm up against now:

The bottom is a little blurry, but that's okay, since I won't be needing those numbers. My goal is to be comfortably in the middle of the chart BEFORE I get to boot camp.

Reason #1: Getting Paid to Look (and feel) Good!

“Exercise is done against one's wishes and maintained only because the alternative is worse”

- George Sheehan

(These reasons are not posted in any particular order).

I'm starting with fitness because in 2 days I'll be running the Richmond Monument 10K.  This is my 3rd time running this particular race.  But there's something very important to note:  I AM NOT A RUNNER.  My body was just not made for it.  In fact, I'm not athletic at all.  I asked to do cheerleading and basketball when I was a kid, but my parents could tell I didn't have a shred of ability, and didn't let me sign up.  P.E. ended up being the worst subject of all my school years, and I was always the last kid on the track, huffing and puffing my way through the 1-mile run.

I didn't notice as many problems with a lack of energy while I was a kid, but somewhere during high school, I became overwhelmingly exhausted at all times.  I slept through my vacation to Canada that my grandparents took me on, and continued to sleep through college, and life in general.  And being physically exhausted leads to failing at life, which leads to depression, which leads back around to sleeping all the time.  Awful downward-spiraling cycle!  Watching my dad deal with his version of what I had throughout my life showed me that there IS a cure - REGULAR EXERCISE!  I had always viewed exercise as a form of legal torture, but once I decided I wanted to live life for real, I knew that I just had to frickin' do it.  Now I work out regularly, and I’m a much healthier, happier, and well-adjusted person. But even though I realize now how great those endorphins are, I still don’t have much self-discipline in this area. I pretty much require a gym partner, or my workouts don’t last longer than a week. I love that being fit is a major part of the military lifestyle, and that I’ll always have a reason to stick with it. Maybe by the time I retire, I’ll finally be self-disciplined enough to work out on my own. ;)

P.S. Another thing I'm doing during this long waiting period is making sure I'm ready physically - my goal is to be so fit before bootcamp, that I'll be excited about PT!

Reasons Why

"While others have excuses,

I have my reasons why" ~Nickel Creek

Throughout next few weeks, I'll be posting my reasons for wanting to join the Navy.  Since I tend to be a long-winded female, I'll just post one reason at a time, so that I can discuss it in detail - I've never claimed to be a simple person!  :P  At the end of each one I'm going to ask you questions, and I would REALLY, REALLY love it if I could hear from you - your own reasons, your own experiences...  Maybe your reasons for joining didn't turn out the way you hoped?  Or maybe you discovered new reasons once you joined that excite you and make you glad you did?  I want to go into this *HUGE* committment with eyes wide open!

Process

Back in the day, if someone got it in their head to take off for the military, they could virtually walk into a recruiter’s office, sign up, and be headed to boot camp the next day. When I was in high school, I had recruiters calling my house. In 2005 I was seriously considering joining, and after I had contacted a recruiter, I couldn’t get them off my back. They called all the time to check on me. I still wish I had not gotten side-tracked, and stuck with the idea the first time – I’d be 5 years on my way to retirement by now! But oh well, here I am in 2010, and it’s a very different world. The lack of stable jobs available has turned the military into a very attractive prospect for those who wouldn’t have previously considered it. Right now it’s terribly difficult to enlist as a male. They are currently only readily accepting females and SEALs, and the wait time for a job is about 6-12 months. So I’m lucky I’m a female, but the recruiters still aren’t in a hurry!

I started talking to a recruiter in the Richmond office in October 2009. I told her I definitely wanted to join, and that as soon as I graduated from college in December, I wanted to go to MEPS and take the ASVAB. I guess she stopped caring about her recruit contacts, since she was due to transfer somewhere else around Christmas. So she led me to believe I could just schedule a time to go to MEPS, do the test and physical, pick my job, and swear in. Yeah, not so much. Once another recruiter took over, he sent me preliminary paperwork – a 17 page background check form. I pretty much had to write down every detail of my life for the past 7 years. Hooray for me, my last 7 years were the most tumultuous of my life, encompassing several schools, jobs, living arrangements, etc. To get everything straight I had to sit down and write out a timeline of my life. I had to find transcripts and pay stubs just to get the dates correct. It felt like ripping off a bandaid, as parts of those 7 years I have purposely tried to forget. I had to find one of my previous addresses by going through an old memory box and looking for a letter someone had sent to me there! The entire ordeal was draining, and I wondered why I hadn’t heard complaints from others about it. Then I realized most of the kids joining are about 18, have lived only at their parents house, just graduated from high school, and have had maybe one job. Oh. That explains it.

That was just the beginning. I proudly took my stack of documents to the recruiting office, only to be sat down to start filling out piles and piles of more forms. Asking me personal questions, and medical questions that I didn’t always know the answer to. I had no idea how little I really knew about myself!! There were a couple medical red flags, so they just told me to go get those taken care of and come back later. They didn’t even keep my background check form I had worked so hard on. I went home discouraged, and unwilling to hurry to the next part of the process. I hated that I had to sit there and tell this random dude everything about my personal life, and it wasn’t even enough to get me to the next step in signing up.

After a couple weeks of lolligagging, I made the necessary doctor’s appointments, and collected, hopefully, everything else the recruiters needed. I went to the office yet again, still clutching my huge form, and tried again. I had to re-do some medical forms, and dude told me they still might not be enough. He said he’d send all my forms along, and some people in an office somewhere would look through it and tell them if I was fit to send to MEPs. He said that should take 2 weeks, and that I would hear from them. He also wouldn’t take my security form, and let me in on the fact that it was just a worksheet – the REAL form had to be filled out by me on the official Navy website. Sweet. To this day, I have maybe half of it done. Four weeks passed, and I finally worked up the courage to call them back (since they clearly weren’t going to contact me anytime soon as they promised). Guess what?? My doctor’s note wasn’t good enough. Since I had taken Zoloft some time back, I now have to go back and get a psych evaluation from my doc. Yet ANOTHER co-pay, time off from work, and general set-back. Discouragement sets in again.

The good news is that I know I’m not alone. Some people have even stickier things to untangle before the Navy will let them in. The hard part comes when all the well-meaning folks in my life ask me about my progress. “Nope, still trying to get the paperwork processed…nope, haven’t even gone to MEPS yet…nope, still have no clue when I’m leaving…” It gets old. And what if the worst happens, and I have to tell the world that the Navy won’t take me after all? I really don’t see any reason they won’t, but I’m scared to bank on it until I have an absolute answer. Part of the reason this is so nightmarish is that it feels like a replay of trying to graduate from college. “Nope, still don’t know when I’m gonna graduate...yes, I know I’ve been in school 7 and a half years…nope, they still haven’t accepted my graduation application…” Never would have dreamed the next stage of my life would be a repeat!

So Monday I'll schedule my next doctor's appointment, and try to get this frickin' show on the road!!

Coming soon... WHY I'm joining the Navy... & My Military Heritage

Goals & Objectives

I am a terrible blogger, just so you know. But I'm giving this a shot so that the next "me" who comes along can find some answers, camaraderie, and maybe a little inspiration.

I'm a girl in my twenties who is in the process of joining the US Navy. Already there have been many joys and frustrations, and I haven't even signed on the dotted line yet! One thing I've been wishing for this whole time is a first-hand perspective from anyone else who is doing or has done the same thing. I hear from boys, I hear from retirees, I hear from military spouses, but finding a twenty-something single girl in the military to have a heart-to-heart with has proved difficult.

My hope is that documenting every step of my experience, from signing up, to saying goodbye to friends and loved ones, to boot camp (I'll give permission to a friend to post my letters), to A School, to deployment, & beyond, will give other girls a resource for following their own dreams into the military.