It is always the same. Every time I set out to do or achieve anything I always manage to handicap myself in the same fashion: this time is no exception. You would have thought I would have learnt by now, the years of experience and frustration, no ones fault but my own, should have given me the foundations and the impetus to start this journey with my best foot forward. The hours and hours spent in a tiny cabin in Dartmouth militarising myself, becoming the best damn picket boat driver the Dart had ever seen and learning the important life skill of Bowline tying: would it come back and help me now?
No.
I was speaking to a friend today about this problem and their response was predictable: "You won't have started packing yet, will you?" "Ah! That's where you are wrong!" should have been my reply. Instead I managed to make myself look even more unprepared when I mentioned that I still had to purchase the majority of my kit and I leave in a week!
It still hasn't really sunk in that I'm going away in a weeks time for four months. Nor do I truly appreciate the location of my home to be. I'm sure when I arrive the location, weather, scenery and temperature will not just hit me but will knock me for six.
At the moment I'm having a mix of feelings. I can't wait to go down south and get started with the job I've been trained to do. To go and do things that most people won't do in their lifetimes is such a buzz. Working with the Pilots and the Ops and Comms teams in the Tower is going to be a million miles better than a Careers Office and it comes with it's own privileges i.e my promotion to Flag Lieutenant to the Senior Naval Officer of the Continent (SNOC). I know it's still a jumped up way of saying SNOC's schoolboy bitch but I'm the most senior bitch on the continent and I'll take that!! However I do know that for some of the time I'm down there I'll want to be home, especially over Christmas. So I'm making the most of the time I have and doing things that I take for granted and won't be able to do over the coming weeks. Things like walking the dogs on the beach, eating out, the cinema and COD. Especially COD.
I thought it was about time I kicked this blog off and a summary of my feelings and preparation seemed, perhaps not that interesting, most appropriate. My next post will probably be on Wednesday before I go, if not it will be when I've arrived at Rothera.
It's just suddenly dawned on me: I don't like the cold.....
