idontgetit
New member
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2014
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- English
- Home Country
- United States
- Current Location
- United States
1. The day couldn’t have been better; the sun baked down on my oiled skin like I was roasting freshly washed vegetables on the grill. 2.As a 17 year old that was just walked across the stage, cap and gown ironed to perfection, I had to prepare for the biggest decision of my life 3. I was officially government property. 4. I had joined the United States Navy.
5. During the senior year events, I wondered what I was going to do. 6. I knew a four year institutionalized vacation was out of the question for me. 7. Not because my grades were bad, I just couldn’t stand the idea of four more years sitting at a desk pretending to pay attention to whatever my teacher was talking about. 8. I wanted to be free from that ball and chain. 9. I had to do something with myself and failure was not an option. 10. So the next best idea struck me like a rotten apple falling thirty feet from the tree.
11. Although I was underage, I had to get my parents to sign me away. 12. I remember talking with my parents of my plans and watching the news hit my mom like aftershocks following an earthquake that should have made California an island. 13. She didn’t want me to go. 14. I was her baby.15. In her eyes, I was still that 5lb baby that she finally got to bring home after spending the last two months of pregnancy in the hospital with.16. I did my research. 17. I weighed my pros and cons.18. I even checked it over twice like I was finalizing Santa’s naughty or nice list. 19. I looked into the option of joining the Air Force, which to me had better advancement opportunities, and I looked into the Navy, which would have been the easiest tract for me but being seventeen, right out of high school, hormones engaged, the decision came easily like a newspaper fresh of the press along with the help of my Navy recruiter, who was as fine as wine. 20.I decided the Navy was right for me.
21. Since I wanted to leave in August, I didn’t have much time to waste. 22. I wanted to get right to starting my life as an adult and didn’t want to be the only one left on the block while everyone else was getting ready to go to college. 23. Being this voluptuous person like everyone else in my family, I had to get into a shape and out of the shape I had gotten used to. 24. And according to government regulations, my 5’3.5 inch frame, 152.2 lbs was the cutoff.
25. At the crack of dawn, every morning, I completed thirty minutes of cardio and ran like it was going out of style. 26. I had a salad every day and consumed lots of water. 27. The first week or two was pure hell. 28. My entire body ached as I could not remember the last time I used any of those muscles. 29. But since I had to drop the fifteen plus pounds, this was going to become the new norm. 30. Every day following graduation until seven days before my 18th birthday, this was my life. 31. I was going to get down to my goal weight and was mentally preparing myself to leave. 32. I broke the news to the rest family, half cried while the others were excited for me.
33. As the time grew closer and closer to the day I had to leave, I grew anxious and scared.
34. The morning of August 16, 2002 came as quick as snail running from salt. 35. My mom made me breakfast, two eggs over easy, a few strips of bacon and a bagel. 36. We sat on the couch most of that morning not saying anything to each other and just stared at the TV. 37. I remember not paying any attention to what was going on in front of me. 38. Somebody could have flashed a million dollars in front of me and I wouldn’t have even known. 39. We didn’t speak much of the day.40. I had so much on my mind. 41. I wondered if this was the right choice, was I going to go to boot camp and then off to war? 42. How my family would manage without me? 43. Where was I going after boot camp? 44. All questions but no answers in sight. 45. It was time to go, time to leave my family behind for the first time. 46. It hit me like a ton of bricks, I was now, in my eyes, no longer a little girl, and I was grown.
47. My recruiter pulled up in front my house in a white government issued Chevy Chrysler with a blue Navy logo on the side and government tags. 48. I looked at my mom, held my tears in and told her “I love you”.49. She started to cry even harder than when I first told I wanted to join the military. 50. I walked to the car with my bags, threw them in the trunk and climbed in the passenger seat and closed the door. 51. I don’t remember if my mom said anything to me as I didn’t want to look at her as I knew my tears would come rushing down my face. 52. He started the car and pulled off slowly. 53. I looked in the mirror to see my mom one last time and saw her running behind the car.
54.That’s when I lost it. 55.I was on my way to boot camp!
5. During the senior year events, I wondered what I was going to do. 6. I knew a four year institutionalized vacation was out of the question for me. 7. Not because my grades were bad, I just couldn’t stand the idea of four more years sitting at a desk pretending to pay attention to whatever my teacher was talking about. 8. I wanted to be free from that ball and chain. 9. I had to do something with myself and failure was not an option. 10. So the next best idea struck me like a rotten apple falling thirty feet from the tree.
11. Although I was underage, I had to get my parents to sign me away. 12. I remember talking with my parents of my plans and watching the news hit my mom like aftershocks following an earthquake that should have made California an island. 13. She didn’t want me to go. 14. I was her baby.15. In her eyes, I was still that 5lb baby that she finally got to bring home after spending the last two months of pregnancy in the hospital with.16. I did my research. 17. I weighed my pros and cons.18. I even checked it over twice like I was finalizing Santa’s naughty or nice list. 19. I looked into the option of joining the Air Force, which to me had better advancement opportunities, and I looked into the Navy, which would have been the easiest tract for me but being seventeen, right out of high school, hormones engaged, the decision came easily like a newspaper fresh of the press along with the help of my Navy recruiter, who was as fine as wine. 20.I decided the Navy was right for me.
21. Since I wanted to leave in August, I didn’t have much time to waste. 22. I wanted to get right to starting my life as an adult and didn’t want to be the only one left on the block while everyone else was getting ready to go to college. 23. Being this voluptuous person like everyone else in my family, I had to get into a shape and out of the shape I had gotten used to. 24. And according to government regulations, my 5’3.5 inch frame, 152.2 lbs was the cutoff.
25. At the crack of dawn, every morning, I completed thirty minutes of cardio and ran like it was going out of style. 26. I had a salad every day and consumed lots of water. 27. The first week or two was pure hell. 28. My entire body ached as I could not remember the last time I used any of those muscles. 29. But since I had to drop the fifteen plus pounds, this was going to become the new norm. 30. Every day following graduation until seven days before my 18th birthday, this was my life. 31. I was going to get down to my goal weight and was mentally preparing myself to leave. 32. I broke the news to the rest family, half cried while the others were excited for me.
33. As the time grew closer and closer to the day I had to leave, I grew anxious and scared.
34. The morning of August 16, 2002 came as quick as snail running from salt. 35. My mom made me breakfast, two eggs over easy, a few strips of bacon and a bagel. 36. We sat on the couch most of that morning not saying anything to each other and just stared at the TV. 37. I remember not paying any attention to what was going on in front of me. 38. Somebody could have flashed a million dollars in front of me and I wouldn’t have even known. 39. We didn’t speak much of the day.40. I had so much on my mind. 41. I wondered if this was the right choice, was I going to go to boot camp and then off to war? 42. How my family would manage without me? 43. Where was I going after boot camp? 44. All questions but no answers in sight. 45. It was time to go, time to leave my family behind for the first time. 46. It hit me like a ton of bricks, I was now, in my eyes, no longer a little girl, and I was grown.
47. My recruiter pulled up in front my house in a white government issued Chevy Chrysler with a blue Navy logo on the side and government tags. 48. I looked at my mom, held my tears in and told her “I love you”.49. She started to cry even harder than when I first told I wanted to join the military. 50. I walked to the car with my bags, threw them in the trunk and climbed in the passenger seat and closed the door. 51. I don’t remember if my mom said anything to me as I didn’t want to look at her as I knew my tears would come rushing down my face. 52. He started the car and pulled off slowly. 53. I looked in the mirror to see my mom one last time and saw her running behind the car.
54.That’s when I lost it. 55.I was on my way to boot camp!
