I'm Baaaaaaack

So I've been back in Baton Rouge for a week and man is it great to be back home with my family and friends. My last day of work was last Sunday and it was very sad to leave. I was excited to get back here to LSU but as the gate closed on me for the last time for about 9 months, I did feel a twinge of sadness. I definitely miss the whales and the people I work with.

The drive back to Baton Rouge that Monday was a tough one. My small Saturn was packed and the dogs were cramped together in the passenger seat. I caught a lot of traffic and rain but I knew the prize at the end of the road was well worth it!

A few days before I left, I got to go play with the other animals around the park and take pictures with them. Chuck, the guy who hired me and runs the Viva show, let me interact a lot with our Pacific White Sided dolphins and Beluga whales. That was really incredible. I also got to do a few roles in their show! The next day I headed over to Sea Lion, Walrus, and Otter stadium and got to hang with some of them.

As part of your last day you get to take cool pictures with the whales so I got to take mine with Keet. We also do Dining with Shamu and I got to do a couple of the talks for that which was a lot of fun.

So I realized that I matured a lot over this summer. It's kind of weird because I don't ever want to grow up and I didn't realize my maturing at all while I was there. I notice a difference now that I'm back though and I'm trying to get used to it. Haha. I noticed a few other things changed about me this summer too:

- I make my bed every morning now

- I eat Sonic like it's no one's business

- I am a Pepsi man now

- It was the first time I had ever felt homesick

- I clean impulsively now and can never look at anything shaped like a bucket again

- I pursued my dream, the one thing that truly makes me happy

- I lost 12 pounds, and no, not on purpose

- I find it weird to be in a pool that's not 50 degrees, salt water, and not be wearing a wetsuit

- I was robbed for the first time

- I got to witness and Beluga whale birth and take a small part in raising her

So good news!! Not only did I have an unforgettable summer, buuuuut, I get to do it ALL again because THEY ASKED ME BACK! Very, very amazing that I'll actually be working at SeaWorld for hopefully the rest of my life (as long as everything goes well). I just keep pinching myself, I can't believe it.

I re-read my blogs from this whole summer and it's funny to see how excited I was to leave and then immediately was so homesick. I kept saying how I still couldn't believe that I was actually working my dream job, and the thing is, I still can't believe it. It's just unbelievable, I'm sure I'll be pinching myself for many years to come.

So for those of you in San Antonio, I'll update you on what my life is like in Baton Rouge. Here I am a Senior Kinesiology major focusing on Sports Studies and minoring in Business. I am taking 16 hours this semester which is a pretty good load. I live in an apartment with 3 of my best friends Brent, Chris, and Cody and my two dogs Boomer and Sadie. I am the coach of University Lab Middle School and University High School swim teams. On the weekends we tailgate and go crazy for LSU Football (you just wouldn't understand it unless you're here).

Two Weeks and Counting!

So it's amazing to me that this summer is almost over. It feels like it was just yesterday that I had a countdown for when I was leaving Baton Rouge for San Antonio and a fantastic summer at SeaWorld, and now I have a countdown to go BACK to Baton Rouge.

The past few weeks have been very busy and very fun. Definitely getting used to the daily routine of being an apprentice trainer at Shamu. Lots and lots of hard work but it's hard to complain when the rewards are so great.

Lately, we've been getting a lot of interaction time with the whales. First, we got to do a scuba play time with the whales. We suit up in our scuba gear and then hop in one pool and there's a massive 6,500lb whale on the other side of the gate and I get to throw fish to him. It's incredible. Yes it's very obvious how big they are all the time, but when you're less than a foot from them and their massive mouth, wow. Breathtaking.

It's always cool to be able to feed a whale. At the end of the day after our last show we feed out their dinner. Sometimes they allow the apprentices to feed during that time. I got to feed Ky which was just great. Seems like such a simple, boring thing, but it's really quite incredible.

The BEST thing I've done so far this summer was a recent relate session with Takara. The reason we're able to train killer whales and spend time in the water with these top predators of the ocean, is because we have such a strong relationship with them. They trust us. One way we build these relationships is through relate sessions. This time it consisted of a trainer John and I giving Takara about a 10 minute rub down. It was just amazing. It's funny, they're almost like dogs getting scratched. They move their body so that you're rubbing just the riiiight spot. Haha.

It's weird. I think I'd be used to these animals because I work with them everyday. But being so close to Takara and rubbing her down really made me realize how majestic and beautiful these animals are. I was having a relate session with a 4,500 KILLER WHALE. Just beautiful.

Since I last wrote, Chris and Donut came and visited! Chris and his parents came and I got to show them around the park and go backstage. They got to rubdown and get kissed by a Beluga which they loved. It was a lot of fun showing them what I do! Donut came in for a brief visit during his Tour de Tejas and it was great to see him. We went to the park shortly to see a quick Shamu show and then went downtown to see the Alamo and the Riverwalk. It was really great to see my best friends and really got me excited to be back home and around everyone I love.

It's very, very weird that I'll be leaving soon. I'm definitely split 50/50. Half of me is very excited to be back in Baton Rouge, at LSU, football season, my best friends, people I love, my family, and just not being in Texas. Haha. The other half of me will absolutely miss the close friends I've made here, everything about SeaWorld, the dream job that I've finally achieved, and mostly the whales. Sounds funny but I've grown close to the whales. I miss them over the weekend! So it'll be sad when I won't see them for quite some time.

To close, I am very upset that I am missing STRIPES this year. The staff started training yesterday and their first session starts on Monday. I'm very sad that I won't be partaking in this amazing program this year. I wish all the leaders and soon-to-be STRIPErs the best of luck and I hope they have a fantastic time. :)

Until next time...