Vida Joven

Holla!

This time last year I was nearing the end of a summer internship at SeaWorld, what I thought for so long was my dream.  And part of it was.  I embarked on my adventure last summer to find that Florida was much more humid than I ever could have imagined and Shamu's tank was entirely too small.  You see, a lot of times our adventures and dreams turn out to be false pictures painted by society to look greater than they actually are.  Now, don't be mistaken, whales are still one of my absolute most favorite things in the world.  But I left my internship at SeaWorld feeling emptier and more disappointed than I had in a long time.  The entire summer, what I thought was my dream actually turned out to be pushing buttons on a kiddie roller coaster and working for a company that I actually didn't like that much.  Though it doesn't sound very intriguing, my summer internship did teach me one very very important thing: SeaWorld was not my dream.

So you might be thinking, "Becca, why are you so caught up on dreams? Just get a job, settle down, be normal."  But here's the thing, my life will never be normal.  My life has been radically and forever changed by the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.  It has taken me a long time to truly understand that (21 years to be exact) and I'm still learning.  And I believe that Jesus gives us each different desires that we get the opportunity to pursue.  A very wise woman once shared this quote with me,

"Remember, a dead fish can float downstream, but it takes a live one to swim upstream." 

I think often times we have to really fight for what we believe in and what we want in this life.  And when it seems like were doing the opposite of what everyone else thinks, we're probably doing something right.  It is OKAY to be BOLD. 

After graduating college in December, I was suddenly a young adult with absolutely no direction of what I wanted in life, or so I thought.  But the last six months have turned out to be a really sweet time where Jesus has revealed to me so much about who I am and where I'm going, it just took a little... okay a lot of patience.  I realized how much I adore the ministry of Young Life and that I wanted to find a way to make that a bigger part of my life.  I also have always had a desire to travel, but that desire became so much more pressing in the last few months.  Then this opportunity fell into my lap, as they tend to do, and suddenly I'm moving to Costa Rica in August to intern with Young Life for a year. Ummmmm, CRAZY right.  It is the perfect combination of everything I've been searching for, Thanks Jesus!

Costa Rica Here I Come!

Whether I'm ready or not, I leave for Costa Rica in less than a month.  While I'm there, I will be living in San Jose with a host family.  I will be enrolled in language school and hopefully be somewhat fluent in Spanish by the time I come home (if I come home, sorry mom and dad).  And I will be leading Young Life at an international school in the westside of San Jose.  To be honest, there is a lot of unknown things about the next year.  But it is so thrilling to me.  I am certain that this is where Jesus is calling me right now and I am so excited to live life alongside the folks of Costa Rica.  My hope is that International Young Life could become more of a long term thing for me and I am praying that this year would reveal that!

I am currently fundraising 11,750 dollars for this journey!  This money will cover all my costs for the year.  And if I'm being completely honest, raising this much money seems daunting to me and I've often been discouraged in this process.  It is hard to ask people for money!  But I am relying on the Lord and resting in Him knowing that this is what He wants and He will see me through this!  I am also reminded that I am not just asking people for money.  But asking people to be a part of this journey and this ministry with me.  If this sounds like something you want to be a part of there is link on here with instructions on how you can give!  But seriously, I'm grateful for the fact that you're even reading this!

I have been blown away by the generosity of my family and friends and even people who barely know me.  I am so thankful for everyone who has supported and encouraged me in this adventure so far.  I have learned so much about who I am and who Jesus is and heck, I'm not even in Costa Rica yet.  How cool is that?  So thank you for adventuring alongside me even if just by reading my incredibly long, sappy blog post.  I will be posting updates and such on here, so follow along if you want! Goodnight for now!

Buenas Noches,

Becca

  

Adventure Is Out There!

Though I am aware that this post is long overdue, I felt it was only fair I shared the adventure it took getting to Orlando.  Let me start by saying this summer WOULD NOT have been possible without my parents (Tim and Connie, if you don't know them you should).  I'm sure it can't be easy raising a daughter who loves whales but they are just as invested in my dreams as I am.  Pretty cool if you ask me.

So, with my gratitude aside, here is a look at our trip!

Our journey began on a Tuesday where Tim and I departed after breakfast at iHop with my sister and mom (I know what you're thinking, what a classy last meal in Phoenix, it was.)  And Just like that we were on our way.

All packed and ready to go!

Saying goodbye is hard

On the outskirts of Arizona we stopped to see "The Thing", something that even after seeing it I'm not quite sure how to explain it.  By the end of day one we had passed through New Mexico and landed for the night in El Paso, Texas.  As we set off for dinner that night we tragically had the first upset of the trip when my dad left his iPad on the top of my car which we believe fell off somewhere along the freeway access road.  Good news is we probably made some hitchhiker's day, go us! (RIP iPad).

The next day we ventured through the wide open roads of west Texas.  Even though it horribly boring and uneventful, it was kind of peaceful and beautiful in its own special way.  Around dinner time, we reached our second destination; Austin, Texas.  We got to spend that night and the next day there exploring a bit and visiting with old summer staff friends (Kasey, Lauren, Emma, and Joey. So great seeing old friends!)  My dad and I got to witness the thousands of bats that come out from under the bridge downtown at dusk, apparently that's a thing there.  It was a little anti-climactic, however we did make some new friends and got the inside scoop on good places to go in Austin.

Cute Coffee Shop in Austin

Loved seeing Emma and Joey!

Kasey and Lauren too!

Downtown Austin

Waiting for the bats

Southern Dining

My hot date

The last and final stop before Orlando was New Orleans.  This was also where we picked up Connie.  Fun fact about Louisiana: The drivers are absolutely INSANE.  You people think California drivers are bad, the Louisiana drivers are on a whole different level.  After getting my mom from the airport we headed to Bourbon Street in the heart of New Orleans.  I can easily say that was the most uncomfortable I've ever been with my parents.  Naked people and strip clubs everywhere. The people in New Orleans are cray.  But it was still an adventure nonetheless.  Aside from the craziness of that city, I absolutely fell in love with the character that New Orleans held.  So colorful and alive.

 As quickly as it all began our trip was over!  We ended in Orlando Sunday afternoon just in time to move into my new apartment (but not before passing a dead alligator on the side of the road).  So many fun memories and a wonderful roadtrip!  Once again a big thanks to Tim and Connie for tagging along!  Adventure is out there people!

We did it!

Whale that's a wrap!
xoxo Becks

WHALE FUN FACT:
An average Orca eats an estimated 550 pounds of food each day or more.

FAQ's

Hello All!

Let me just say, the past few weeks have been non-stop chaos.  From packing up my stuff, moving across the country (7 states in 7 days I might add), having quite the adventure with my parents, moving into a new apartment, starting a new job, and making new friends, I can honestly say that I'm a bit tuckered out.  However, I thought I would take the time to just give a little update on what I've been doing and answer some things that a lot of people have been asking.  So here we go!

 Q: What will you be doing?

A: So, while at SeaWorld I will be taking part in the Theme Park Track of the internship.  More specifically I will be working in the Operations department on Rides at Shamu's Happy Harbor.  Though many may have thought I would be working with the animals (Luke LePage and Anneka Hokanson... cough cough), I will not! For now, I have the opportunity to get my foot in the door through this internship and hopefully gain some valuable knowledge and connections to be one step closer to my dream job.  

Here is a little preview of the Happy Harbor, right next to the Shamu stadium! Bonus!!

 Q: Where will you be living?

A: The internship partners with a temporary housing company, so they set us up with a fully furnished, all inclusive, 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment.  The complex is brand new (opened in February) and is just three miles from SeaWorld.  There are four of us in the apartment so it kind of feels like being in a dorm only its super nice and we have a kitchen.  Here are a few pics for ya!

So Nice!! I can't handle it!

Q: How long is the internship?

A: The internship officially began on May 20th and it runs until August 9th.  Don't worry mom, I'm not moving away and never coming home!

Q: Your interning at the one in San Diego right?

A: Heck No! It may seem crazy that I'm still answering this question but I can't tell you how many people have just assumed that I'm working at SeaWorld San Diego.  Though, this explains why I got so many weird looks when I said my parents wouldn't let me drive alone. This currently makes me a temporary Florida resident soaking up the Orlando sun, humidity and thunderstorms!

FUN FACTS:  

• I learned during orientation that there were over a thousand applicants for this summer internship and I was picked to be 1 of 120!  Hold on one second while I brush the dirt off my shoulders.  Just kidding, but really.
• While I'm here I get to take part in different behind the scenes tours, seminars, and classes. Hopefully meet a whale (fingers crossed).
• My uniform might be the most unflattering thing I've ever worn besides footsie pajamas.  Here's a sneak peak of my summer attire.

  

  Don't hate me cause you ain't me.

   

   

  
  

  
  

  
  

Training starts tomorrow and goes through Monday so hopefully I can master pushing the start button on the roller coaster by then!  Sweet dreams from Shamu land y'all!

Whale that's a wrap!
xoxo Becks

WHALE FUN FACT:

Orcas have the second-heaviest brains in the marine mammal world

And so it begins...

Weeks ago, I was going about my day just like any other when my phone rang.  Casually answering the call from an unknown number, I literally almost pooped my pants when I discovered it was SeaWorld on the other line... yeah that's right, SEAWORLD.  Even if you barely know me, you probably know that I am obsessed with whales, particularly Orcas.  Not to mention that working at SeaWorld had only been a dream of mine since I was a chubby middle schooler with a mouth full of braces (we all remember those awkward years).

After nearly having an accident, I started to pay attention to what the chipper SeaWorld employee (Bruce, great guy) was saying to me.  Basically, they wanted to interview me for their college internship program that would take place in Orlando and last the whole summer. HOLY CRAP.  I was in utter disbelief.


 Oh, by the way, here's pretty much what I looked like as soon as I got off the phone.  But they were happy tears, don't worry.

The next day I interviewed with SeaWorld via phone.  They asked me four rather strange questions and that was it.  I was told that I would be contacted either way but there was no specific time frame

After waiting, and waiting... and then some more waiting, I received an email from SeaWorld congratulating me on being accepted into the Summer 2013 College Experience Internship Program!  Again, HOLY CRAP.  In even more shock than the first time, I called/texted just about everyone I knew and let them know.  My mom thought someone died because I called her sobbing (sorry Connie).

So, here we are!  In just 5 short days, I will be venturing across the country with my adorable parents and moving to Orlando for the entire summer!  I have no clue what to expect but man oh man am I overjoyed for this opportunity! Stay tuned for the adventures of Becca and Shamu!


Whale that's a wrap!
xoxo Becks

 

 

WHALE FUN FACT:   

A killer whale can't smile because the blubber in its head keeps its face muscles from reaching the surface.