2021 End-of-Year Reflection

 Happy New Year, friends!

First, a little housekeeping. You may have come upon this post after receiving a postcard that looked like this: 

If you're among my handful of nautically-inclined recipients, you likely noticed a gaffe: the common toast among sailors is "Fair winds and following seas," not the inverse. The error on the card was made in the original draft, caught, and fixed. Alas, in the process of getting the cards made (which somehow involved four copy shops, three buses, lots of walking, and multiple emails and phone calls), the erroneous image was printed. I'd like to say I chuckled and sent them off anyway. Instead I cried, cursed myself for not proofreading more carefully, made a few frustrated phone calls, and then sent them off anyway. My appreciation for grammatical and literary accuracy is exceeded by my aversion to the wasted time and money that reprinting would require.

Other housekeeping: my new address is Mayrose, Andrea, 3288 Corporal Johnson Unit 1692, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234. Now on to my year-end reflection. Buckle in: I'm in isolation awaiting Covid test results after experiencing a few scattered symptoms, so I've got nothing but time.

In January 2021, I was living in Brookings, in an SDSU-owned furnished townhome. I was working as a coordinator for Quarantine & Isolation Housing for students on campus. I was dating a thoughtful gentleman, Chris, and awaiting delayed results on my application to be a Naval intelligence officer. (This is the "career pivot" I had alluded to, without naming, in last year's reflection.)

Updates: I transitioned back into a Residence Hall Director Role in February, leaving the gorgeous townhome for a cinder-block campus apartment and working in Young Hall for the remainder of the school year. This temporary-duty position allowed me to do a job I loved as a sprint, not a marathon, and despite the weirdness (and necessity) of Covid-19 restrictions, we were able to accomplish some great things, including an end-of-year volleyball tournament & picnic, and this student-designed (and largely executed) mural in our student lounge/kitchen:

I learned in January that my officer packet was not accepted, which was not a complete surprise, as the acceptance rate is often 20-30% for this role. After a few months of discussion & careful consideration, I enlisted in the Navy on June 2nd, with a "ship date" of September 7th.

My 15th college reunion was held online, and (naturally) took place the same week that I enlisted, wrapped up my role as an RHD, and moved out of my campus apartment. I had the great fortune to collaborate with classmate Aoife Spillane-Hinks and many others in hosting a virtual Memorial Service, and we were pleased with the space we were able to create to honor and remember the dear friends we've lost. I also attended or helped host a couple of other Reunion events, and while the low attendance surprised me, the quality of reconnection was valuable. 

After the reunion, I visited my brother Mike & his partner Megan near Kansas City, along with my dad, nephews, and sister Beth. We toured a U.S. Mint and the WWI Memorial. This image struck me and prompted my commentary: 

We also toured an agricultural "hall of fame" and spent some time at Megan's family's lake house.

I spent the summer again working remotely for Harvard's Secondary School Program, which was online for the second year. I was excited to try new programing efforts that challenged me a bit. I led a 5-part creative writing workshop that featured two guest authors with Harvard connections, a choreography collaboration that created movement to student-created music, several relaxed visual art sessions, a series of career panels, among other things. I also gave a presentation to FGLI (first-generation, low-income) college students about navigating the language and landscape of higher education. I enjoyed doing the online job in new ways.

However, when one has relied on work-provided housing, "working from home: means working from nowhere in particular, and it gave me the freedom to bounce around a bit. Chris bought a 3-bedroom home in April and traveled extensively throughout the summer, so we had a pretty symbiotic housekeeping relationship: I had a quiet, beautiful space in which to work, and in exchange I kept up with the lawn, garden, & housework while he was away. I also helped a bit with my mom & sister Becky's big transition from their Salem house to their Sioux Falls apartment, and I spent a week with Becky in the new apartment while my mom was traveling. Mom, Beth, Anne, & I formed Becky's entourage as we traveled together to Nashville in late July. There, Becky participated in the National "Miss Amazing" program, and it was a great weekend celebrating women with disabilities. (We had the good fortune to see Uncle Mike, Aunt Tawnya, my cousin Emma, and her boyfriend Corey, as well!)

Anne & Becky

August was a free month between Harvard and my forthcoming "2-month, taxpayer-funded fitness and education retreat," and I made the most of it. I spent a week in Colorado, visiting friends Emily, Katie, & Rachel, and of course Nalerie & the Sutton-Talley family. (I also spent a few days with them in February, and they stopped by my mom's apartment in July while in SD, so we are doing a pretty good job of finding ways to stay connected even in Covid times.)

Isaac, Jacob, Andrea, Nalerie, & Andrew

In other adventures, Chris & I had the nephews up for some hiking, trampoline fun at Air Madness, a sleepover & video games, and Wild Water West before they went back to school. 

Chris & I also made a trip to Wisconsin to see his family, complete with a stop at his sister & brother-in-law's restaurant, Manila, and a 3-sibling birthday party. It felt good to be vaccinated and able to make these trips with relative confidence.

August, and the summer in general, was also a time of preparation for basic training. I'd put on a few pounds and dropped them by my third full go at Whole 30. I highly recommend this program (paired with physical activity) if you need to lose weight in a healthy way. With my weight back within Navy regulations, I worked on running, pushups, and the plank. Since I was entering at age 37, the minimum requirements for these fitness were pretty forgiving, but I sure wasn't going to show up just to get sent home (or worse, set back in training) because I wasn't prepared to meet them. As part of the Delayed Entry Program, I had a manual of basic Navy knowledge with which I needed to familiarize myself, monthly meetings, and weekly check-ins with a recruiter to make sure I was on track.

There were other projects, too. I finished several paintings for friends and gave away many of the art supplies I'd accumulated so that they could be put to good use. In many ways, these last few weeks in August felt like I was closing a chapter: on my six years in South Dakota, my time at SDSU. I wanted to leave things in a good place.

An abstract triptych
inspired by the Sioux River

A collage for my friend's "lady wall"

A rapidly-completed portrait of my friend and
her second child

The "personal archive" reorganization that I undertook in Fall 2020 proved very useful as I secured a storage unit. Having a full inventory of my belongings, and having them organized in sturdy, stackable cases rather than the hodge-podge of storage bins they previously occupied, was very helpful not just when I left but when I returned home in December and selected a few civilian things to bring back with me to Texas.

On September 5th, we celebrated Bryce & Asher's birthdays and my departure. The next day, I reported to my Armed Services Career Center and was ushered off to the requisite pre-departure hotel stay. on September 7th, I officially (again) enlisted in the U.S. Navy. At that point, changing my mind would mean abandonment...and likely imprisonment.

Boot camp. How to describe it? It was so soft and easy in some ways, and so difficult in others. I was in a a"900 division," which performed for three graduation ceremonies, including our own. I played bells in the drumline, and I enjoyed beginning my Navy career with performance. The nine weeks included a lot of missed sleep, a lot of negativity, and a lot of time spent staring at the wall. That said, we also had some really cool hands-on training, which I enjoyed. (You can get an overview of the Navy basic training experience in this hourlong documentary, Making a Sailor.) Basic training is where you earn the uniform; I spent a lot of time trying to make sense of the Navy as an organization, and my place in it, as well as thinking of all those who have gone before me.

Somehow (and I credit Chris for this observation when we processed it afterward), despite all the tumult I was experiencing internally, I was still able to perform well. My scores in various boot camp tasks--tests, inspections, the physical fitness test, and the like--put me in the top 3% of my training group. Despite fumbling through an Awards Board, I was selected for the Military Excellence Award and recognized as the "finest of this group of graduates." I was awarded a Challenge Coin from the Commanding Officer, a Navy Club watch from the Admiral, and a handful of remarks from staff anytime I goofed in the last couple days of boot camp: "Aren't you supposed to be the #1 graduate?," for example, as I struggled to perform colors properly.

Seaman Mayrose, RTC Commanding Officer
Captain Sandin, & Rear Admiral Couture

Despite the strangeness of this award, I was pleased to make it through our last drumline performance without any horrible sour notes, and to salute the Captain and Admiral without any mistakes that would go viral and disgrace the Navy. If you've always wanted to watch a Navy boot camp graduation, pop some corn and enjoy the November 10, 2020 Navy Pass-in-Review Ceremony.

Mom, Beth, & Becky made the trip to Great Lakes to spend time with me during my two days of liberty. Afterward, my fellow future Hospital Corpsmen and Masters-at-Arms boarded a bus, headed to our flight, and then went right back to boot camp due to mechanical problems. (I felt bad for the staff who were due a weekend off after 8 weeks of training us, and who now had to babysit us until a new plan was made.) Four days later, we finally left boot camp for real, and I arrived in Fort Sam Houston, TX, to begin ~15 weeks of A-school, where I learn my job in the Navy. 

The transition was harder than I expected. On one hand, we were Sailors now. I had one roommate instead of 80; I showered alone behind a curtain, rather than with a dozen other women; I could walk around base alone; I could be in touch with family & friends through my phone; I could plan my sleep schedule to accommodate whatever early wake-up was needed. Still, it was hard to gauge the tone. Sometimes we were spoken to like humans; at other times, we were screamed at like we had been in boot camp. While in Phase 1 of training, we were restricted to base and could not wear civilian clothes. There's effectively no dating (since you can't leave, can't show affection in uniform and must always be in uniform, and can't be in any room other than your own), and there's no alcohol consumption even for those of age. The first few weeks of A school felt like prison, but it has gotten better over time. Though I would likely have enjoyed serving as an officer, I think the Hospital Corps umbrella suits me better. I suspect that I'll be less likely to be tasked with anything that challenges my moral or ethical values, and I am enjoying what I'm learning. I'm often asked why I chose to enlist at my age, and it's a difficult question with a thousand answers.

It was also great to go home for a few short days, with stops in Sioux Falls, Salem, Brookings, & Vermillion. I was able to see almost everyone in my family, as well as the Sutton-Talleys, and 

 

My mom Pattie with Nalerie

Back: Alex & Beth, Caleb, Isaac, Pattie, Asher, Micah, Bryce, Michael
Front: Evan & Anne, Andrea, Becky, Jim, Ronda
Not pictured: Jerry, Megan

I was pleasantly surprised to find myself excited to return to base after my short Exodus. I opted to save some of my leave, and so I've had about 9 days back here to rest, study ahead in my schoolwork, go on outings provided by the USO. I am looking forward to getting back in the swing of things, making new friendships and continuing to develop my skillset as a Hospital Corpsman and in my specialty as a Behavioral Health Technician. (A-school will end in March, and my BHT C-School is 3-4 months, so I'll be here in San Antonio at least until June.)

I turn 38 in two days, in a barracks room, with no house, no car, no children of my own. That makes me an oddity both in the civilian world and in the military, and it's a strange feeling. I am still making sense of being in the Navy. I'm hopeful for the opportunities it will bring. Chris and I bade each other farewell with deep gratitude for our relationship and the mutual agreement that our paths don't align for a long-term future. I'm grateful to have him in my life as my closest friend. I adore watching Nalerie grow and develop and knowing that I not only conceived her, but conceived of her: imagined that she could exist long before she did. I'm excited to think about the places I might go in the Navy and the types of work I might do. It will be months before I know what orders are available, but it's fun to imagine providing mental or physical healthcare at the Naval Academy, on the Navy's hospital ships (the USS Comfort & Mercy), in Hawaii, or in Greece. If I had to choose today, those types of assignments would likely be near the top of my list.

I missed news in boot camp: having any connection to the outside world and what is happening. Then I emerged and realized perhaps it was better not to know. Our climate, both environmental and social, feels like a dangerous place. There is still a lot of love and hope and joy, and I'm grateful to have all my needs met. I expect there will be plenty of need for medical & mental health response everywhere in the coming years, and I'm hopeful to be part of a team that can respond efficiently and effectively in times of crisis.

Wishing you both seas and winds that take you in the directions you want to go this year,

Andrea