I went through my stuff in the attic and got rid of most of it. You wouldn't believe all of the junk I've accumulated. So I don't exactly have stacks of 30 year old newspapers creating a maze through my living room, but it was a lot of stuff I never use and stuff I won't even miss when it's gone. I felt so much better after I got rid of all that stuff, like a weight had been lifted. Maybe it was cause I was actually out doing something. ;)
I discovered recently that people who are scheduled to leave mid- to late-December have their ship dates pushed forward so they all leave on the 15th or somewhere around there. And the Navy doesn't even let them know until a few weeks before they're supposed to leave. I talked to my recruiter just to be sure and she said since I leave so early (the 5th) that that won't happen to me. I wonder why the Navy doesn't just push the ship date ahead before they give the date to the recruit. I mean, they do the same thing every year. The ship dates get pushed forward because MEPS is closed from about the 15th of December to about the 2nd week of January. I wish I had a vacation like that. Anyway, then the recruits get to boot camp, but they have to stay in processing for much longer. They stagger the creation of divisions (training groups) so that in February, when they will graduate, there will still be a graduation each Friday, like normal. I understand that, but it would really suck to make plans for December, then get notice at the beginning of December that you have to leave earlier. Anyway, I guess they have a good reason for doing that to people. (I doubt it.)
I'm still very excited, but there's more nervousness mixed in recently. The closer my ship date gets, the more real this all seems. Am I really joining the military? Sometimes when I think about it, it seems so bizarre. I never would have done this when I was in high school, but I really wish I did.
Another weird thing: I'll be 31 when I get out. No, that's scary. I always thought I'd be married with a kid by then, but I squandered my early 20s and now they're long gone. So sad. I could've had a lot more fun.
Oh, and if you haven't had your fill of Navy stuff, check out the USS Nimitz Dry Dock podcasts.
Don't worry about being 31 when you get out. I was 31 myself when I got out in 2000. Most guys get out after their initial one and done sea tour when they are 23-25. Down the road after you get out those 5-7 years will not make a lot of difference once everyone get their college finished.
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