My "evolving stage"

I made it to church this morning! That is by far the worst thing about the summer; I am not given the chance to attend church ever. That's about 14 weeks with only one or two Sundays with mass somewhere in between. It was really nice because we were supposed to have yesterday and today off, but on Friday, they told us we were going to have to work through the whole weekend. Yesterday, however, they told us we could have today off. It was great! I'm in Ballard which is a suburb right outside of downtown Seattle. The closest Catholic church is St. Alphonsus (http://www.st-alphonsus-sea.org/ http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=256) which is about a mile walk. I'm still feeling like I'm in EST, so waking up early (ie: 5am) is still good for me. I went to 8am mass this morning. However, I felt pretty awkward because I was dressed in church attire with my hair done and make up, but my hands and hair are covered in paint, and I have acid burns on my arms from rust remover we use. Oh well; God understands! :)

So, I'm looking into some new projects this season. Last year was my chart corrections manual that was made pretty much Cruise West specific. We are looking into making it more generalized and thus marketable to the general maritime public. Can you imagine me being published at 23? Seriously. (As a side note, Linda, the second mate here, was talking to me yesterday, and I brought my patent idea. I had kind of put that on the back burned for a while, but being back in the element makes me consider it again. I know it's so plausible; I need to pursue that further as well. A patent and a published book . . . hmmm, I kind of like the sound of those two accomplishments next to my name).

Anyway, Chuck and I had like a four hour long discussion about my future . . .I was in heaven! lol He's a great person and an incredible inspiration. He knows what I'm good at, and he wants me on the path to success. It's always a great feeling to be associated with people who want the best for you? We were talking about immediate plans, a 5-year plan, and a "when I'm married and have kids" plan. I love the options he's able to provide in terms of career paths I can follow that provide me with flexibility. For example, rather than working on boats and being gone all the time, I can teach but in the maritime field. My favorite thing that he does is use the words "limitless" and "infinite." There is just something so ideal about thinking of grand scale things. He's incredible. What a wealth of knowledge! Today was a great day just talking with him and discussing life. . . a good friend of mine has been calling this part of my life my "evolving stage." She couldn't be more right.

Third Time is a Charm!

So here I am again. I guess I just can't get enough. I get in on May 1, and we're finishing up some start up things. We depart May 13 for a 10-day to Alaska with our first group of passengers. I'm aboard the Spirit of Yorktown for my second time. Two summers ago. I worked aboard this boat. Last summer, I worked on the Columbia, and this year, I'm back on the SOY again. This is her: http://www.cruisewest.com/spirit-of-yorktown I love working on her. She's the biggest, and she has some of the greatest resources for me to learn on. I've also worked with the captain, the second mate, the engineer, one of the deckhands, and one of the GSRs, so it's not all new to me. It's such a funny feeling to be back in my element again. As soon as I threw my bag in my cabin, I changed into my work gear and was ready to rock. It's so natural and comfortable for me to be here. It's great to be back! Probably the best thing about the whole thing is seeing Chuck. He's my man. He is my greatest influence in pursuing this dream, and every chance I get to talk to him or just be around him is a blessing. It's another spark in the fire of of my aspirations. He's always quizzing me on the Rules of the Road and other random things. He always presents me with my timeline for accomplishing things (ie: getting my license, becoming a mate, publishing my book, working on the patent, etc). He puts everything into perspective for me. I think the most flattering thing of all is that he is the busiest man I know. He has his hands in everything because of the nature of his job, yet he still invests his time in me. I'm excited to continue working with him because I hope to some day think on his level. I love how multi-faceted he is and how knowledgeable he is on ever singe topic there is under the maritime umbrella. In case you don't get the idea, Chuck is the man . . .THE MAN! :) Well, its getting about time for me to crack open a book. (I brought a TON . . . everything ranging from my Bible to some John Irving to some USCG training books to some religious books to some other fiction to some boating non-fiction to some audiobooks). I'll try to update this pretty frequently. I think this summer will be a great time for me to get a move on this license thing . . . in all seriousness. I'm in the right time and place, and I couldn't ask for anything else! I have incredible resources in myself, the environment, the textbooks, the officers, etc. I'm set; this is it! Anyway, I'm signing off. Until next time . . .

Patron Saints of Mariners

The following are all of the patron saints of mariners, seafarers, sailors, mariners, boatmen, watermen, safe sailing, safe seafaring, safe waters, etc:

* Anthony of Padua
* Barbara
* Botulph
* Brendan the Navigator
* Brigid of Ireland
* Christina of Bolsena
* Christopher
* Clement I
* Cuthbert
* Erasmus
* Eulalia of Barcelona
* Francis of Paola
* Jodocus
* John Roche
* Julian the Hospitaller
* Michael the Archangel
* Nicholas of Myra
* Nicholas of Tolentino
* Nuestra Senora de Guia
* Our Lady, Star of the Sea
* Our Lady of Guidance
* Our Lady of Mount Carmel
* Our Lady of Solitude
* Peter Gonzales
* Phocas the Gardener
* Walburga

Summer Contact Info

I will be spending May through August in Alaska. I'm working as a deckhand aboard the Spirit of Yorktown for Cruise West. I will have occasional access to the Internet and almost daily access to the phone, Facebook, and email (kbuccigrossi@gmail.com) via my phone, so feel free to contact me. Also, my summer mailing address is as follows:

Cruise West
Kirsten Buccigrossi - Spirit of Yorktown
2608 2nd Avenue
#407
Seattle, WA 98121

My new theme song: I'm On A Boat

Sorry, I couldn't help it! lol  I know it's pretty bad, but it's hysterical.  I'm thinking about adopting it as my new theme song. Hulu - Saturday Night Live: Digital Short: I'm On A Boat

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NOAA Corps

So I found the ultimate "too good to be true" deal.

The NOAA Corps:  http://www.noaacorps.noaa.gov/index.html

I didn't realize it was too good to be true . . .until today.

Basically, I've been looking into career options, life plans, whatever for after I graduate and have my license.

My mentor, Chuck, advised me to look into the NOAA Corp as a career option because of its incredible benefits, the amazing life experiences, and the growth potential.  After looking into it, I started to get more and more interested.  I inquired about the application requirements, how to apply, etc.  I decided to see if there was a NOAA Corp group on Facebook.  Instead, I found a UAkron graduate who is currently in the NOAA Corps.  We were taling back and forth as I tried to gather information, and on his vacation, we met on campus.  He gave me a packet of information, the contact information of the recruiter, and a promotional DVD.

After all of this, things started to get kind of realistic for me, and I was trying to create a plan of attack for applying.

I decided to browse the website again, and a few things of the requirements changed . . .thus making this whole idea too good to be true.

Basically, before, you had to have an Undergrad in a math, science, or "other related field" major.  I was hoping I could get away with my English degree and talk up my two years of forensic sciene major courses.  Things still seemed plausible.  However, today when I was looking at the site, I noticed that the requirements now read:

    * Completion of a baccalaureate degree in a major course of study in engineering, mathematics, or science related to NOAA's mission, conferred by a college, university, or academy listed in the most recent edition of the Directory of Post Secondary Institutions (Volume 1).

    * Completion of at least 48 semester (72 quarter) hours in fields related to NOAA’s scientific or technical activities.     * Completion of Calculus I and Calculus II, (integral and differential calculus).

    * Completion of Physics I and Physics II, calculus based with laboratory credits.

    *Applicants who have completed Calculus I and Physics I, but have not completed Calculus II and Physics II, may request to substitute other academic science subjects directly related to NOAA's mission. For example, coursework in computer science or geographical information systems may be substituted.

So, there goes that plan basically.  It's really hard because of how suddenly the idea had to be dropped, especially considering it was beginning to feel like the perfect match for me.

Well, anyway, I guess it makes me kind of glad that the whole application process didn't drag out.  It was a pretty quick narrowing down of my life choices.  I'll just have to move on and look into other things.

As a side note, I was told by the NOAA Corp officer from Akron that they hire civilian people sometimes to work on the boats.  Also, there are hundreds of other NOAA jobs that are not with the Corp, so I can look into that.  It was just really great to see how perfectly things were lined up to pursue my maritime career and quickly move up the hawse to the 1600 ton mate.

That's all I have for now.  Until next time . . .

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TWIC Card and Passport

A lot has been going on since I've last posted. I've been weighing a lot of options in regards to what I want to do with my education. So here is what I've been thinking: Ok, to graduate with a degree in Secondary Education - Integrated Language Arts, it would take me three more semesters if everything works in my favor. On top of that, I have to maintain my licensure within the first five years of me graduating. The other option is to graduate in one or two semesters with a degree in English. That way, I can go back and get my masters in education without having to worry about when I need to do it by. There is no five year requirement. Also, most states do not require a license; I can just teach with the bachelors in English. I actually like the second option a lot more. I have a meeting with my advisor next week in hopes that I only have like six more classes to graduate.

On another note, I received a call from my Cruise West mentor this weekend. I unfortunately missed the call, so I look forward to catching up with him next weekend. In the voicemail, he advised me to get a TWIC card. Eventually, I'm going to be required to have it, so he told me to get it. Right now, I'm I am making plans to apply for my passport this week, and I'm going up to Cleveland for my TWIC card. The information for the TWIC card is at the following link: http://twicinformation.tsa.dhs.gov/twicinfo/index.jsp. I'm actually not too familiar with the details recarding the card, but I know I need it! lol So, those are my plans for the next few weeks.

Well, that's it for now! Until next time . . .

Reassured focus . . .

I went to Florida last week for a wedding. I saw a lot of people I haven't seen in a while, and I got to visit with some family. Being down there definitely supports my new found aspirations. I love being down there. I can be on the water in ten minutes. I know that as soon as I graduate college, I want to move down there. I love how accessible maritime jobs will be, and on the flip side, I am very excited for where the revised Florida education programs are going. I know that I can settle down there permanently. With the whole yacht scene, it is hard to make it as a female. I mean, I'm not even sure if that is the direction I want to go with it; I just know it's an option.

With seeing all the people from school, it is affirmed that I am doing what I want with my life. I am never happier than when I am talking about what I am doing. I could not be prouder of where this has taken me so far. I know that I will be happy doing this, and when I tell people about it, they can sense the passion in my voice. It is so hard to explain sometimes, but I just feel like I know that I am on the right track. Another thing I've been doing lately is looking into the whole sailing scene. I met a guy who is a sailor . . . kind of a big deal lol. He races, and he owns a Melges 24. I would LOVE to learn it all because I feel like sailing is the basis of all other boating. I know that if I can learn and understand the dynamics of sailing, it will help me in my future endeavors. Living in Ohio, this is definitely not the right season to start, but I hope that something comes of it so I can have that in my knowledge bank as well.

Well, that's about it for now. I've noticed that I haven't been putting as much time into studying as I would like. I am cutting out a few of my routines (everything EXCEPT for Grey's Anatomy lol) so I can make some time for it. If I want it to happen, I need to make it a priority above all else. Speaking of . . .

I heard a song on the radio the other day. I heard it, and everything just kind of clicked with me. I realized that I am not really doing everything possible to make this happen for me. I'm redirecting a lot of things again, so I'm back on track, starting today.

The following is the song and lyrics:

The Afters - Never Going Back To OK

It’s not the end but it feels like it is I’m waking up like I’m back from the dead I’m stepping out and it feels so free But as long as I’m moving it’s alright

I feel alive and it hurts for a change I’m looking back its hard to believe That I was cool with the days that I wasted Complacent and tasteless and bored But that was yesterday

Chorus We’re never going back to ok We’re never going back to easy We’re never going back to the way it was We’re never going back to ok

This discontent, like a slap in the face A mediocre I’ve had enough of this place This party’s over and I’m moving away From the frills of your Beverly Hills That was yesterday

Chorus

We’re here to stay This is our time My only life Our chance to live

SparkPeople

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I haven't posted in a while.  I've been pretty busy with my midterms, work, etc.  I am working on a lifestyle change recently with eating healthier, working out, and everything.  I like how my entire life is just in the groove of what I want it to be.  I use a website called SparkPeople to help improve my nutritional, fitness, and motivational lifestyle.  It is going great so far, so I just wanted to share.  I'm going down to Florida tonight for a week.  A friend's wedding is this Saturday, but I'm making a mini vacation out of it.  Hopefully I'll be able to look around for any places that may offer some Captains' or radar courses.  During my break between semesters in December, I plan on staying down in Florida at my grandparents' house in Bonita Springs on the west coast.  Hopefully I'll be able to find some place and possibly book some classes into my schedule.  Well, that's all I have for now.  I'll post some more later.  Until next time . . . 

Knots . . .

I was going through some basic test things to make sure of the information I have down pat. I am just recapping the knots so I will be prepared for that section. Splicing is something I wanted to go through again just to refresh my memory. Through this, I came across this website that I found kind of interesting. It gives quick little video clips of how to tie knots. I just thought it was kind of cool. Until next time . . .