A New Year Looms

Greetings!

Since my last blog post there have been a number of significant developments in my life. 

The first and most significant is my graduation from SPQ-9B school. SPQ-9B is a radar used for detection of low flying missiles and aircraft as well as periscopes. It's unbelievable how difficult the material I'm expected to learn is but nonetheless I haven't failed to understand any of it yet. I was the honor graduate of my class which is pleasant albeit unnecessary recognition. The only person I care about being better than is my past self.

On Veteran's Day I visited Washington, D.C. which was an immensely powerful experience. From the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial & National Mall I got to take in the history of our wonderful country. I truly do love America. I took a free foot tour which took me to essentially all the main attractions. Unfortunately I didn't have the opportunity to explore any of the world renowned museums.


I got to visit upstate New York over Thanksgiving which was fantastic. My sailor buddy has family up there and they were kind enough to host me. We had two massive dinners and spent a lot of time riding around the woods in ATVs. I actually had a chance to try out my GoPro. The learning curve on making enjoyable videos is fairly high but eventually I'll be incorporating them into my content. It surprised me how lush the area was; my impression was that the entirety of the state resembled the industrialized vibe of Times Square.






Next on my travel agenda are Boston for Christmas & New York city for New Year's Eve although high prices might discourage me from committing to both. 

Aside from that I had my semiannual PRT (Physical Readiness Test). Some people freak out when they find out they have one coming up but I just continued living my life in the same fashion as before in the weeks leading up to it. Being healthy is a lifestyle. I got 64 push-ups, 75 sit-ups, and 10:57 on my 1.5 mile run. A personal best on all accounts.

A significant portion of my time has been committed to reading. My Kindle Paperwhite fits perfectly into my working uniform cargo pocket and I have it on me at more or less all times. It's incredible how common reading is as a hobby among sailors. I suppose it's a preferable alternative to staring at a wall while waiting for someone to come in and give you sexual harassment prevention training for the 3rd time that week.



My GoodReads account is the best way to get an idea of the books I've read (and want to read) but as of late here are the books I've consumed with a brief description of each by moi.

Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein: intergalactic warfare and the philosophy of service. Great book if you want to get insight into how a lot of us feel. I found the ending to be underwhelming.

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance: in a time of unprecedented polarization, this book paints a vivid picture of the self-destructive lives led by many poor, white Americans. A fantastic read for anyone who experienced some sort turmoil growing up... so essentially everyone.

Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari: my favorite nonfiction book of all time. Explores everything from the emergence of human life to the meaning of it. The scope of the subjects is unbelievably diverse.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie: fairly dry in retrospect but relatively enjoyable nonetheless. The story was a tad far fetched for my taste.

What Makes Sammy Run by Budd Schulberg: a tale of a ruthless sociopath willing to do anything it takes to get to the top. I found myself both impressed and disgusted by Sammy. This book forced me to reexamine some of my behaviors.

Right now I'm making my way through Walter Issacson's biography of Benjamin Franklin and finishing up 1984 by George Orwell.

2018 is around the corner and I don't plan on making any resolutions. I feel like I've been doing a solid job of making responsible decisions and sticking to my habits so instead I'll just spend an evening reflecting and refining my life strategy. Instead of telling yourself you'll exercise everyday for the 6th year in a row and inevitably failing, why not consider taking a realistic look at where you're at and where you want to be? 


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