I'm always amazed at how many people find me to be part of the cool and popular crowd. That couldn't be further from the truth. I am the biggest nerd you will ever meet! I love watching documentaries, reading about history, visiting historical places, and all things battleships and aircraft carriers.
In early 2020, pre-COVID, I got invited by my stepdad to tour a new US Navy ship before she was commissioned and sent out to sea. It was such a cool experience. I've visited many war ships in my life, however they had all been transitioned into military museums. This ship was a real, working ship. Walking around the hallways and the flight deck was an experience I will never forget.
At the helm of the USS Hershel "Woody" Williams
I have always been fascinated with history, particularly that of the US Military. I love walking the flight decks of aircraft carriers. I picture what it was like to hear planes roaring overhead and landing every 60 seconds. I look at the weaponry on old battleships and think about what it would sound like as the projectiles launched out of the guns. I have proudly visited three of the four Iowa class battleships, last on my list is the USS Missouri, located in Hawaii. While I'm in Hawaii, you can rest assured that visiting the USS Arizona museum and Pearl Harbor are on my list as well.
When I was a kid, my family would go on vacation to historical landmarks throughout the country. I've been to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Fort McHenry, Washington DC, Boston, Massachusetts, the Statue of Liberty, the National September 11th Memorial and Museum, Williamsburg, Virginia, and so many others. They were boring back then, but now I have an entire new respect for these places. (Don't tell my parents!)
In 2019, three days before Christmas, I packed up the last of my things in New Jersey and moved to Southern Virginia. I didn't know anyone or anything. It was one of the saddest times in my life. Being born and raised in New Jersey, this new experience was exactly that; an experience. Throw in the fact that I couldn't meet people due to working from home at the same job I had when I left New Jersey, it was the first time in my life where I truly felt alone.
Various photos of me at Navy museums and ships
I am a people person 100% of the time so COVID and quarantine were both very hard for me to deal with. Being that I had moved to a new place three months prior to the start of the pandemic, I was often alone. With no new friends in my new area or potential visitors in sight, my parents suggested finding a volunteer position to occupy my time with.
With my love for education and my passion for military history, I approached Nauticus. My stepdad, a US Navy and Battleship Wisconsin veteran, works at Nauticus. Nauticus is a maritime education center and also the home to the USS Wisconsin in Norfolk, VA. Every day, my stepdad goes to work on the battleship that he once served on, showcasing the importance of navy history to the next generation. We've visited her decks as a family a number of times and there is nothing like that old ship scent.
After interviewing, I became an official volunteer at Nauticus on October 1. So far, the experience has been rewarding and promising. I am at the facility every Wednesday from 12:00 to 4:00 PM. I am volunteering with the education department where I am learning new programs each day. I've taught the visitors about shells you'd find around the Chesapeake Bay, weather instruments, cleaning and maintenance of a battleship, the importance of signal flags, and more. My little Navy nerd heart couldn't be happier.
When I first started this adventure at Nauticus, I was only going to commit to two four hour shifts a month. After my first day, I have made the decision to volunteer once a week for four hours a day. The programs are entertaining, I'm able to help educate all the guests on marine and Navy life, combine my passions, and at the same time, get myself out of the house and away from my laptop.
First volunteer shift at Nauticus, October 2020
While I have a regular 9-5 job, it's also so important to keep your passions ignited. You have to give yourself a chance to step away from the office and enjoy life. We don't just work to make money and die. You need to find what makes you tick, what you love, and do it as often as you can. It's okay if that is only once a month, all that is important is that you make time for it and you do it.
I give 100% of myself to everything I take on. Whether I am writing an article or teaching about barnacles, I am always present and in the moment. I'm passionate, I'm hard working, and most of all, I don't do something if my heart isn't in it. Find what makes you the happiest and follow that happiness forever and you'll never work a day in your life, that I promise you.
Signing off,
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