It all started with this amazing man I used to date and a hat he used to wear.
On the last day of RHIOT school I bought a ball cap and a sweatshirt with the school's logo on it. I just had to get one of those hats, but it took me about 20mins to remember the whole reason why I had to get one.
This story spans over about 7 years and like I mentioned it started with a man and his hat. Said hat had an orange boat on it and said Rigid Hull Inflatable Operators Training, so I asked him what that was and he told me all about his RHIOT experience in Bamfield a few years ago, that the Coast Guard Auxiliary had sent him and that now he was a coxswain (pronounced cox - in).
In my head I'm thinking "Wow, this guy's so dreamy and amazing, what an awesome experience, he's so brilliant, I wish I could do something like that.....uhh, and what the heck is a coxswain?" Actually, I don't think I did think that in my head after all, I think I thought it out loud. But that's just how I roll.
So anyways, of course I had to get filled in on that one too; a coxswain is an advanced search and rescue crew member, certified to drive the fast response craft but more importantly, is responsible for the safety of the vessel, her crew, safely navigating to and from any incidents and a conducting a successful mission.
I decided right then that I was going to go to RHIOT school and earn myself one of those hats.
It might not sound like a big deal at this point - just sign up for course, and get the hat right? Umm, no. This course was designed to train Canadian Coast Guard crew, Coast Guard Auxiliary crew and has in the past trained crew from the US Marines, US Navy, Navy Seals, etc. It's like Top Gun school for Ferrari's of the ocean. Another important piece of the story is where I was at in my life at this point in the story, I had just moved to the coast for the first time in my life and knew nothing about the ocean and I was managing a bingo hall. So I had a ways to go if I really wanted to go to RHIOT school.
One of the first things I did when I moved to the coast was join the Coast Guard Auxiliary and I've been a member now for about 6 years. It was through my involvement with the auxiliary that I received the training that helped me land my job with the Coast Guard. In fact, I didn't even know the job I'm doing now existed until our auxiliary group toured the Seal Cove Coast Guard Base.
Now fast forward 5 years or so to 2010. I'm still working for the Coast Guard as a Supervisor of Marine Communications and Traffic Services, I finished my advanced crew training with the auxiliary last winter, and I just got home from RHIOT school...with my hat.
So, the moral of the story? Ask questions about things that intrigue you - you never know where your next inspiration will come from. For me, this amazing journey started and ended with a ball cap. Wow.
Here's to seeing things through,
B
