The beginning

Today I decided that I would start a blog. I have never seen myself as a blogger, but with the experience I am about to have I want to share every moment of it. What better way to do so then to write it online, right?

For the next three months I will be living in Arlington, Virginia in the metro working for the Department of Defense. 

Since my sophomore year of high school I have wanted nothing more than to join the military and be one the front line filming or writing about what is going on. I took the ASVAB test my junior year and received a pre-acceptance letter to the Air Force Academy, pending I could meet the physical requirements. 

The summer of my senior year I passed out one day randomly and from there the testing to see what was wrong began. By 6 months I found out I had asthma, nerve damage to my brain from hitting my head on a concrete floor when I passed out and low blood pressure (which causes me to pass out). 

All the doctor's appointments stopped me from attending the academy, but it did not stop me from trying to enlist for active duty.

The key word there is trying... I went on to college at Northwest Missouri State University and the summer after my freshman year I went to the Air Force office to try and enlist. I was immediately told "no" after I said I had asthma. Inhalers are not allowed to be used in boot camp. I struggled with accepting that because never did I need an inhaler. I had to take the asthma test in order for insurance to pay for the heart testing. I was crushed but I never gave up. 

I went back to school for my sophomore year in the fall of 2008. By the end of the semester I had a plan of what I was going to do with my life. I was going to get back in shape all next semester and try to enlist in the Army this summer.

Over Christmas break (2008) I went into the Army office and discussed the possibilities of me enlisting. Everything was looking well. The benefits were nice and the job opportunities were amazing. After about an hour of talking the question about medical problems came up. They were willing to let me slide with having asthma because I knew I could go without an inhaler, but I would have to prove it and was willing to . 

So why am I not enlisted in the Army? I take medicine 3 times a day to keep me from passing out. Boot camp does not allow anyone to take medicine while in boot camp and in order for me to go I would have to go at least 6 weeks without the medicine. Crushed, I was determined to get off the medicine to be able to enlist. 

I would go a few days of not taking it and then I would start getting light headed. I knew I had to take the medicine no matter how much I didn't want to. I tried getting both the asthma and heart doctor to say I didn't have anything wrong with me so I could enlist, but who in their right mind would do that when I obviously do have something wrong. 

The military is all I have ever wanted to do. I usually never give up on anything I want, so after coming back to school I even tried to join ROTC (thinking I could trick the system). They told me "no" as well due to medical reasons. 

I came across the opportunity to submit my resume to the government for internship opportunities. I honestly never thought I would receive offers. I figure I would submit it and never hear anything and was on the edge of giving up after hearing nothing for almost 2 months. 

Unexpected, I received a phone call during spring break from an Army base in Germany. Right after I checked my e-mail that had two more offers and a few weeks later I had two more phone calls. 

I interviewed with the Department of Defense Education Activities in Virgina over the phone during spring break and hadn't heard anything back. I was asked to go to St. Louis, Mo. to work and almost accepted but I turned it down to stay in summer school. The internship wasn't what I truly wanted to do. I would be filing papers most of the time and I really wanted interaction with the government.

The day after I declined St. Louis I received a call from Virginia asking me to join the team for the summer. After a long discussion with my parents and finding a place to stay and money to help out I accepted the position.

On the 8th of May I will be in Virginia and will be working there until the 15th of Aug. I am scared out of mind of what to expect. I am so afraid I won't know what I am doing or I will get lost. I am leaving everything I know (family, friends, life...) to move to where I know I don't know anyone or anything. 

In the 3 weeks I have had to prepare I have thought about not going. It has been an emotional roller coaster. Finally, I have realized that this is my only shot. I can never be enlisted in the Air Force or Army. I can never be on the front line fighting for the country that has provided me so much in life. But I can work for the military by helping the government. I am located just minutes away from the White House and Pentagon. I am not just a tourist.. I am an employee.

This is my one shot and I know I have to take.