I'm here, safe, and excited!!!

Hi Everyone. Its day 3 and I finally got access to a computer and of course this place closes in about 45 minutes. I've got a lot to write, fast, so here it goes. First let me say, jumping 7 hours ahead is really hard on your body, they forced me to stay up for about 36 hours before I got to go to bed, they said it would help the transition. I'm actually covering it up really well, but it's really weird to know that while you all are just going to bed for the night, Im waking up and working for the rest of the day. Ive worked my entire shift before most of you are even awake. Okay, it'll probably take another few days to get use to, but now its time for whats been going on.

Sun Jan 15 - I got the airport on time and did all that jazz with mom, Gene, Crystal, and Jeff. I left for my gate and cried my eyeballs out cuz 3 months is a long time to be without my boyfriend, best friend, other friends, and family. The 30 minutes I sat that felt like the longest time of my life. I got on the plane and of course there were some mechanical problems and we ended up leaving 40 minutes late. Let me tell you first of all, my layover in NY was only an hour. I finally arrive in NY (gorgeous from the plane) and while we were landing I saw the sunset over the Atlantic. There was snow on the runway and we had to exit the plane and ride a shuttle to the terminal. I got in and realized I had to run almost a 1/2 mile to the exact opposite end of the airport with like 10 minutes to board. I still had 3 more gates to go when I heard my final boarding call. I made it, sweaty and bright red with a bunch of Europeans staring at me like I was crazy. I thought for sure my luggage wasnt going to make it. Of course once again, mechanical problems and it didnt end up leaving for 1 hour and 15 minutes. They fed me a delicious dinner and hot breakfast.

Mon Jan 16 - I landed in Rome and ran again, even faster and 2X longer to get to my gate which was the second to last gate in the airport. It was really weird to run almost a mile at 3:00am. Customs were crazy and the line didnt move too fast, I for sure thought I was going to miss my plane but when I finally got there, it was delayed for 30 minutes. I finally loaded the plane and was on my way to Catania, Sicily. It was a 54 minute flight. SOOOO.. by the time I arrived in Sicily 15 hours had passed eventhough I spent about 10 minutes in 2 airports all together and was only in the air for about 11 hours. I arrived and waited for my luggage which never showed up. They wouldnt let me outside to go find and meet my boss, so I filed my claim and they told me the luggage would arrive in about 2 hours which turned into 5. That was fine and I finally got to meet James and we drove to base. I got to the base (NAS I) and met a trillion people, saw all of the facilities, met his boss, did my paperwork, and toured the commissary and exchange. We went and got my luggage around 5, ate some Subway, and got settled into my room (which is not going to be my room in a few days b/c this one didnt have a stove or sink in it yet). I still havent unpacked anything. He left me for the night and when I finally fell asleep I had nightmares and woke up wide awake at 5:30am on Tuesday.

Tues Jan 17 - I woke up around 7 and had to meet James in his office to leave for the other base, NAS II, which is about 20 minutes away to get my military ID. I got the ID and he was about to bring me back to base so he could go meet up with a friend who was arriving on a ship that he met in Souda Bay, Greece from his first Navy MWR job, when a miracle happened. Oh yeah let me say my boss was leaving tomorrow Wed to go back to the states for a week so he had to see this guy today or it wasnt gonna happen. He was running late and two of the other directors were also on their way to this ship at Augusta Bay to do a de-briefing for the sailors so I went ahead and went with them. He told me in the car that I was the first intern he's had to be able to "see" a ship, and on top of that on my second day at Sigonella. There was a lot more in store though that neither of us expected. This is where the cool part begins.... So we arrive, give the Italian guards our ids, get visitor tags, and begin to drive towards the pier. Another ship had arrived a few days ago called the USNS Laramie, so there were now two in dock. The other directors tell us to go ahead and follow them in our car up onto the pier. WHAT!!! This is crazy! We drive up the dock and onto the pier where these two huge ships are docked and park the cars. They then tell us to go ahead and walk onto the ship with them for the de-briefing b/c he knew that James wanted to try and meet up with his friend. I walk on, get saluted, and am surrounded by 340 shipmates working to anchor the ship. They literally just arrived like 15 minutes before we go there. It was a Destroyer named the USS Porter, a DDG 78 ship. We find his buddy right away, whos a c-2 security officer, and he tells us to follow him and he'll show us 2 around. We werent gonna say NO, James hasnt ever been on a ship either. He starts to bring us through the little manholes and double lock waterproof doors like you see in the movies, into the control room where they can spy on ships within a 512 mile radius, the little stations where people fire off missiles, guns, and tomahawks, brings up into the mess hall, into a bunk area and through the rest of the ship while everyone is just walking right by us not saying a word or noticing that we probably werent suppose to be there. We literally walked the entire ship, every level, and then we get outside back onto the deck when he starts walking us up on the upper decks where all the weapons are kept. I was an inch away from some of the most deadly weapons in the world that could start a war. I stood next to 61 Tomahawks and giant 10 foot long missiles and a gun that shoots 5, 400 rounds a minute. There was also a gun that was 5 inches long and can shoot 13 miles. He then walks us into the captains room where the ship is actually steered and look-out happens. The ship had people with guns all the way around it and everyone was just saying "hi", "whats up?," "good morning" to us. 3 hours later and after seeing everything you could possibly see and talking to some commanders and chiefs, we left. We went and ate calizones and headed back to NAS I for an administative meeting that James wanted me to attend. I then attended a town hall meeting that they have 2X a week for the families that live on or off base. Later that night, the 2 ships were coming onto the base to hang out with 1/2 went downtown, and we went and had some beers with his friend before he had to leave town the next morning for St. Louis to visit his parents. It was really fun and they walked me home and told me to just hang out with people, go along on the 2 ski trips this week, and take some classes for getting use to the base until he gets back on the 25th when I really start working. I have to wake up and be at the ITT Gear-N-Go office so I can leave for MT Etna at 8am for the snowboarding trip.