Sea Year

<p>Thanks kawalla!</p>

<p>yea...more stuff to keep me entertained now that I cannot do the im thing with him...sure miss that...yuk..40 degree rolls...please!!!</p>

<p>Anyone on here have ties to cadets on board the SS Greatland enroute Tunesia?</p>

<p>geesh, you would think it gets easier as my son leaves today. I have known for a week that today would be the day for him to leave... but I am just a mess. The pollen count must be high to cause these red, watering eyes or it could be that I am ready to cry at the drop of a hat.</p>

<p>The plans got changed last night. I was supposed to take the boys to the philly airport at 2pm, but then DH found out a neighbor is picking up a cousin at the same airport at 3pm.... so he offered to take the boys. </p>

<p>No one asked my opinion , and the plans were set for him to take the boys.</p>

<p>I know it makes logical sense for him to take them, but my heart wasn't ready to say goodbye this morning.</p>

<p>I have been sitting at work this morning trying to get something done, but is just isn't happening.... I think I may leave at 11:30 - go home and say goodbye one more time. Then work from home the rest of the day. </p>

<p>And I know our situation isn't like a member of the military going away, but I still don't like it. I need to know my baby is gonna be OK. He has traveled a lot, but never on his own over seas like this before. </p>

<p>UGH, my stomach has been in knots for days over this, and today is the day. </p>

<p>OK, I am gonna leave my office, go home and take care of my pollen issues</p>

<p>Royce DM...By now, your son should be in the air, and you are probably still a basket case. If I recall, he is your oldest, so the first to leave home for an extended period of time. Hopefully, his ship allows daily emails, and it will feel like he is just in NY. My son's first ship had no problem with emails going out or coming in, just didn't want pictures, due to cost of satellite downloading fees or something. I saved all our email exchanges, printed them up, and have them in a 3 ring binder. Reading them later, we remembered things that were happening at home, and he had a nice 'journal' of his experience. I think the biggest shock was the cell phone bill! You'll need to dip into savings to pay a couple of them!</p>

<p>MountaineerMom</p>

<p>Royce DM....wow..you mean this feeling doesn't demise after acceptance day? Thanks for prepping us plebe parents for next year. Gulp....</p>

<p>Royce DM...I hear you. Hang in there. MountaineerMom...what email address did your mid use...his personal, academy address, or the ships. I have been monitoring sons IM availability and only see his cell signed in, not PC..have sent him a couple of ims to cell and no response...right now he is at N 20.42 and w 177.12.............cannot believe that tracking his ship is the highlight of my day...need to get a life, don't I???</p>

<p>so i called home at 11:45 to make sure the boys didn't need anything else, since I would be driving by a walmart.</p>

<p>And i asked Royce if he was finished packing?</p>

<p>"yes, Mom"</p>

<p>"Good, let's go for ice cream, i'll be home in 30 min." </p>

<p>"OK", click, phone call over, drive home.... walk in the door, ask if everything is OK, and I could tell they were both nervous. A bunch of nervous 19-20 year old little boys. :flol: Heck, I was just as nervous for them! </p>

<p>They really didn't want to go for ice cream, Royce commented something about not being really hungry, and Matt claimed he just ate.</p>

<p>So, we sat at home waiting for the next hour to pass, just chit chatting the time away.</p>

<p>I think me being home really helped to calm them down, especially if you would have seen them when I got home. </p>

<p>Finally at 2pm, our friend arrived, the boys loaded their luggage into the back of his car, and it JUST all fit in. I gave Matt a hug first then Royce one last goodbye hug, I told both of them to behave, have fun, and call home when they could.</p>

<p>I am really so glad I came home, work can wait until tomorrow. I needed to see my baby boy one more time. And he needed to see his momma one more time too.... but not that anyone would have said those words, but the pollen sure was bad today.</p>

<p>That pollen is contagious...... even over the internet. <hug></hug></p>

<p>thank you MountaineerMom. That is a wonderful I idea of the 3 ring binder. I have a few extra laying around due to Staples latest back to school sales! </p>

<p>And yes, he is my oldest. But I have never been this emotional about things, like kindergarten, 1st grade.... I was always SO happy for them to venturing out on their own, but geesh, I never knew these emtions could be so strong.</p>

<p>MMAMom2011.... yeah, I read about when they go out to sea it would be a whole new set of emotions, but geesh, this has been tough.</p>

<p>and to make matters worse, I have yet to find any info on where his ship is located on any websites......grrrr.....</p>

<p>OK, I really am doing better since he left 5 hrs ago, and my family will get back into our regular routine again in no time.</p>

<p>Our mid just left for Dubai last night. I was in an airport and thought I would try to get a hold of him one more time. I caught him at JFK 2 hours before he and his sea partner were leaving. He was so pumped up. It was down right infectious. Folks in the terminal must of thought I was a happy idiot. I realized I was talking to myself well after I had put my phone away with a big stupid smile just saying, "Damn, he's really doing it. He's really living his dream." What a great day. Those of us who live in faraway rural America, a full day's plane ride away from the Academy said our hard good-byes during Parents weekend and Christmas break. At the end of the day -- it is his life, and I couldn't be happier for him. Godspeed to all 2010 B splits.</p>

<p>ROYCEDM AND ST CRISPIAN</p>

<p>Your post are too close together...It is flooding around here. I am so happy for for you and your sons. I wish them safety, fun and memories for a lifetime.</p>

<p>Oh yeah and good luck on their sea project. :) Keep us all posted.</p>

<p>We got a phone call from our son yesterday. He was passing close enough to Jamaica to get out a call. He is on his was to the East Coast of Africa. He sounded great, said the crew has been great and that he and his sea partner have been learning big time. He stands a 4-8 watch, he said its rough getting up at 3:30 but other than that its ok. That plebe year totally gets the mids prepared for this big step.</p>

<p>cjcatl...My son used the email address of the ship on which he was assigned. It was the Mokihana which went to Spain, Gibraltar, Middle East(he got tired of going through the Suez Canal). He was a 'deck cadet 1,' so that was the first part of his addy, with the ship's own server at the end. I learned that different ships had different policies. Again, I was very grateful, and somewhat spoiled, by the first Sea Duty ship policies. It all depends on the individual company/ship's rules concerning emails, even access to ship to shore phone usage. Some midshipmen had access to that, which my son never encountered on any of his travels. Luck of the draw, I guess...</p>

<p>MountaineerMom</p>

<p>My son has left for his ship a RoRo MV Freedom which he will meet in N.J. 30 July 0700 I am so weepy. His father and sister are driving him down tonight to meet his sea partner. I have to keep in mind the great things I have seen here, great opportunity and it's his life now I have to get used to waiting for his ships. Pollen*****. Thanks to all who post it makes it easier to bear. Good luck and Godspeed to all of our Mariners.</p>

<p>Fair winds & following seas kids (& parents)! Enjoy those 3am phone calls from all over the world. Those are a hoot! So are some of the sea stories. :rolleyes: We've been pretty lucky in that the emails flow freely. Hope thats the case with everyone here as well. Good luck all!</p>

<p>I never traveled at all like I did on my first sea year or been away from home for that long. I had never really left the USA before, Canada doesn't count...</p>

<p>I was worried, nervous, etc. but it was great. After a few weeks on the ship, if your somewhat personable (Spelling?) you'll get along with the crew hopefully and have a good time. It becomes your home in a sense. I can't wait for 2nd sea year. I think it's gonna be a blast. And will confirm what I want to do when I graduate. One of my most memorable moments from first sea year was coming home. I got off the ship in New Orleans (my dad was in the loop) and flew into NY. Took the train home to CT, and my dad took my sea partner and I to the house. Boy...did my mom flip! I realized then how hard it was for the parents....and that even on that old ship I made it all the way across the Atlantic and back to my house. Pretty cool.</p>

<p>davygravy3 reaaalll cool. Hi all, just heard from Son on Sunday. He was outside Guam waiting for other ships to depart and the pilot to meet them. He and his sea partner (class of 2009) and a QMED were planning on renting a car in Guam and touring around. Does anyone know what a QMED is?? I was surprised that there were only 21 people total on his ship. For such a large container ship, I guess I expected more. He said so much is automated. He also said he is "relearning Cel Nav" I think I have read this earlier on another thread last year.. It is not like what you learn at the academy. They are now on their way to Yantian China...by the way Jamzmom , that ship tracker is great and a friend of mine clued me in to use google earth and you can copy in the coordinates and see how it relates to the rest of the world..very nice. The other good news is he does have access to the ships email on a computer on the bridge..as everyone said earlier ..only text, but that is good enough for me</p>

<p>I am SO happy you all have heard from your kiddos out at sea. I have not. :(</p>

<p>I feel like some of the newbie parents waiting for that first letter. LOL</p>

<p>I did hear from his sea partner's parents.... his sea partner had called home, and his dad emailed to let me know. At least I know he is ON the ship, and probably starting to head across the Atlantic today. </p>

<p>And my DS is on the ro ro MV Resolve.... which is the same shipping company as kp2010mom&dad's son on the roro MV Freedom.</p>

<p>Here is the most important thing a parent can do during sea year:</p>

<p>Bug your kid at every opportunity to make sure they get their sea year projects done. </p>

<p>And if they are Deckies, make sure their handwriting is legible.</p>