Welcome!!

So here's the deal...

It has been almost a year since graduating from CNU (May 2007) and I believe I have found my dream job--at least for this stage in my life. It has only been five days, but it has been an incredible five days and I've decided that I need to be documenting this part of my life in some way so that I myself can look back on it, but also so I can share my experiences with my family and friends. The job, for those of you who don't know, is with the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation's museum education department. Starting in September, I will be travelling throughout the state of Virginia visiting 4th and 5th grade classrooms, preparing the students for their visit to either Jamestown Settlement or the Yorktown Victory Center. The school district has a choice of 6 programs: Life at Jamestown, Living with the Indians, Cultures at Jamestown, Life of a Private, Colonial Life, and Colonial Medicine. I will be responsible for developing lesson plans in accordance with those program outlines. When I start travelling, I am hoping to take my blog in the direction of a travel guide. Some of the experiences I am most looking forward to is exploring and discovering local attractions throughout Virginia, and sharing those with my family and friends, but also with my coworkers for when they find themselves on assignment in the same area.

Until then, however, I am working as a costumed historical interpreter at Jamestown Settlement working on the ships! I am loving the fact that I will be spending the next four and a half months working on the ships, when the 1607 settlers spent four and a half months on the ships travelling from London to Virginia. How's that for a history nerd?? I am studying to know everything I can about the voyage that left London in December 1606 and arrived in the Chesapeake in May 1607, but also the events in England and all of Europe that led to the expedition. I want to know all of the personalities involved, and what impacted them enough to seek employment with the Virginia Company of London.

I am starting my blog now (rather than waiting until September with my travelling) because this position on the ships is so much more than "just" interpreting the life of the settlers. Besides knowing the historical content, I also am being taught sailing and navigational information--which I am finding to be just fascinating. Yesterday I completed my first day of training with the Maritime Program. Yes, that means that I am in training to be a real sailor! By the end of two months, I will (hopefully!) be able to name each and every part of our three replica 17th century merchant cargo ships from each sail to each line, AND be able to work them. I am learning how to navigate 17th century style--backstaffs, astrolabes, chip logs, the real deal!! I will be qualified to take voyages (completely under sail, but there are diesel engines if needed) as a travelling interpreter and actually sail these vessels. Incredible?! YES!!!!!!

I think this is enough information about what my job entails for now. I think you all can probably see how enthusiastic I am about really getting started with this job...