How I Got to Georgia College (pt1)

Before I left for Maine I had graduated (finally) from Rollins with my MLS (Master's of Liberal Studies).  I was also on a quest last spring to get my USCG Captain's License renewed and get my sailing endorsement added on to it.  I need my sailing endorsement to be a Watch Officer (lead instructor) for the Sea Program at Outward Bound.

You see, this little issue had been plaguing me all spring.  I was told in January that I needed the sailing endorsement, so I diligently looked for a class in the area to take.  Trying to get to a USCG testing center would seem like the easier answer because I would just have to study and take a test, but as with most government things, they don't try to make it easy and the closest one in Florida is Miami.  Taking a class in Tampa or Orlando would take the place of going to the testing center and reduce my driving.  The only problem was finding a time that would fit into my spring schedule which by now was full with finishing my thesis, working at Disney or being in Key Largo working for Outward Bound.

The first course I signed up for was in Tampa.  I drove almost two hours (I was just about to get off at the exit) and I got a phone call saying my instructor had gotten into a car accident and the class was cancelled.  I turned my truck around and headed home a bit aggravated at the gas money spent, but also understanding to the situation.  I then went online and signed up for another class.  This time it was in south Florida, but it worked with my schedule.  A few days before that course I got an email stating the class was cancelled because the had no place to hold it.  Apparently the room/building they normally used had been booked.  Great, this was the second time my class was canceled and now it was May.  My USCG license was expiring the end of July and I needed to get working on renewing that quickly.

I had two choices for renewing my license.  One was to go to a class and take the tests again.  The second was attempting to get Disney to write a letter confirming my sea time over the past 5 years.  Dealing with Disney lawyers is like untangling Christmas lights.  If you take on the challenge be prepared for lights to be out and several trips to the store.  I choose the class option.  I changed my reservation with Sea School (the company I'd been working with to take the sailing course) to take a renewal class for my license.  It was in Fort Lauderdale.  All I needed to do was make sure I was up on time to drive two hours south.

As you can probably guess, that didn't happen.  I woke up about 45 minutes late, jumped in my car and headed south.  When I was an hour away I called the gentleman teaching the course to let him know I would be late.  He kindly told me that if I was more than 30 minutes late (which I would have been) that the USCG would not accept my attendance in the class.  Annoyed at wasting more gas and frustrated at over sleeping, I drove back to Orlando.  At this point my mind was jumping between preparing to deal with Disney lawyers and determined to find work for the fall.  When I got home I went straight to Outdoored.com and found something I wasn't expecting.