Overdue

Never would I have dreamt I would be where I am today. You all are probably thinking of one thing, but I can guarantee that is not the thing I am thinking of. This decade has been an adventurous one; one I would not necessarily trade for anything else. God has been good through thick and thin.

I hate when I don’t post for extended periods of time because there is usually a lot to unpack and a lot for you to read. Reading takes a lot of time and effort as it is! Thank you for making it this far in the post (ha, ha!) which is long overdue. Since I last posted I had the pleasure of earning the “cleanest building award” (by the combined effort of the Cast Members working) for the month of the July, visited Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge with my buddy from boot camp, stayed in the new Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort for my birthday, went on a Disney cruise for my birthday, surprised my mom with a cruise for her birthday, went to drill a few times (shot expert on the range. Woot!), went to a wedding, and relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana for a year. That’s the short version.

If you have not heard me say it before, I love the Disney Cruise Line. I took advantage of the opportunity when I saw availability to cruise for my birthday. Not only was that cruise a good time, but I got go again for my mom’s birthday! No regrets. Anyone who wants to talk Disney Cruise Line can just leave me a comment or message me to hear the sales pitch of a lifetime.

Before my birthday cruise I did get to stay at the new Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. The room that I got was overlooking the water and had access to the club lounge (The Chronos Club). The lounge was by far the best lounge I have been to at Walt Disney World. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful, the food offerings are extraordinary, and the atmosphere creates a positive vibe. If you can spend a little extra money for the tower and the club access, I highly recommend it!

While I was in Norway I was approached by my leadership regarding an opportunity to increase my knowledge of my MOS (Military Occupational Specialty / job). I was approached once before but was reluctant to accept since I had worked so hard to be where I was with Disney. Leaving work for an extended period was not beneficial for my goals on the civilian side. When I was approached the second time I told my leadership I would consider and provide an answer at the completion of our training. I accepted.

Fast forward to today. I have relocated to New Orleans to work with the Marines at the Reserve Headquarters to gain more exposure in my MOS. The coolest part of this opportunity is having additional resources to ask any and all questions regarding our field. When I was mobilized with the Marines to Central America I was the SME (Subject Matter Expert) and did not have direct access to what I have now. This is an incredible opportunity to learn, implement and further my career in the Marine Corps.

After arriving in New Orleans I took time off to get settled and then I was able to attend my unit’s Marine Corps Ball in Greenville. It was a very quick weekend trip, but the ball was a blast. It is always nice to loosen up and have a good time celebrating the Marine Corps birthday with fellow Marines. The ball was the weekend following the actually birthday, but on the birthday I got to go to a celebration here in New Orleans. There is a gentleman who served in the Marines and owns a restaurant downtown. This gentleman shuts down the street and holds a Marines only birthday party with food, drinks, and (of course) cake free of charge! There was even a live band!

Even though Christmas is my favorite holiday, there are not really any plans for Christmas. The holidays are here so if you need to send me a gift or a Christmas card then just let me know and I can provide my current mailing address. Oh, I also had a pretty low key Christmas party recently.

That wasn’t a deep dive into the last several months, but it’s something for now. Thanks for sticking around and getting this far in the post. I normally shoot for a monthly post, however, the last several months have been pretty hectic especially with the move to New Orleans mixed in there. If you have any church suggestions for this area then let me know! Thank you all for the support and prayers. Merry Christmas! Until next time: be strong. Love God. Love others.

rejoice.always