So hey.

As the title says, my days have been more than overcome by my career.  There is much less opportunity for me to neglect academic obligations with nerdery, simply because my access to such outlets is limited.  Not to mention that academics are far from my plate of engagements as of now.

In reflection, I've done so much in the past year-and-a-half.  I graduated in May 2010, then embarked on the journey of a lifetime as an Officer in the US Navy.  I commissioned, then a month later I found myself on my ship, stationed out of Sasebo, Japan.  Incredible.

My Japan experience was hampered, however, by the fact that my ship was underway for the majority of my time out here.  I have spent a fraction of my time immersed in Japanese culture and language as I had originally intended to be, but that comes with the calling, I suppose.

Instead, though, I have seen so much more than what I ever anticipated.  People sacrifice so much for a cause they believe is just.  Hours upon hours spent toiling over a hot engineering plant, or plotting meticulous courses over countless charts.  My travels have taken me to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, and the shores of a Japan ravished by disaster.  Our ship reacted to the horrors of the 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami almost instantly, and provided aid to the ports affected by the disaster.

I am not the same person I was a year and a half ago, but I wouldn't trade what I have become for anything.  I have learned so much about both the world and myself in that time, and I look forward to even more world and self-discovery in the year to come.

This entry is for all of you who desperately seek a calling.  There is so much to discover in this world.  There is so much to be done.  Hone your talents and make a difference in a world overrun by inaction.  Be the generation that changes the world even more than your forefathers ever imagined possible.  Use your incredible talents to be the difference no one ever expected you to be.