So now that I have started a blog I figured it would be good to do a quick... ish summary of what has happened since I returned from Japan so here goes!
After returning to home I went back to Central Washington University but without much of an idea as to what I was going to major in. I was thinking about something to do with becoming a Commercial Pilot or failing that something to do with Japanese language. During this time I also did some temporary jobs with UPS during the Christmas season helping the drivers deliver packages. It was a lot of fun but also hard work and it tired me out! After going back for a full year at Central I still really hadn't progressed towards anything completely useful. With that I returned home for summer ( 2010).
I wanted to do the commercial pilot program but without financial aid it would have been impossible. At the time it would have cost not only tuition and housing, which for 4 years would have racked up $60,000 at the time, but the program had additional costs to include fuel, plane rental/ maintenance fees totaling another $60,000. $120,000 didnt seem worth the effort so I scrapped the idea. Sadly Japanese major didnt seem extraordinarily useful (in terms of a useful job that I would enjoy) so I was literally stuck without an idea of what I should do. I have to admit I wasnt really looking foward to heading back to school and wasting another year. I find it highly annoying that Jr high and High school set you up to believe you have absolutely essential to head to college, and I went mostly because I wanted some kind of chance at work. What a waste of time and money. Now that everyone in the world has a college education only names that stand out and overly expensive colleges seem viable to stick out as a possible hire.
Anyways while being troubled about all this, an odd little class schedule from Everett Community College came in our mail, with a picture and advertisement about becoming an AMT ( aircraft maintenance technician) which caught my interest. My dad insisted that I check out an information session so I did, and at this point I started considering going to school for becoming an aircraft mechanic.
I spent a couple weeks debating if I should drop Central Washington University for this technical vocation. Should I have decided to stay at Central I would have had probably 3 or so more years before even getting close to a Major to graduate with, and seeing as how hardly any majors offered at central really picked up my interest I would have had a hard time figuring out what in the world I would even want to accomplish there. This would have cost a ton more money for no visible or special reward. I would have really loved to become a pilot but scholarships were scarce, and Id rather have not racked up a $120,000 debt and spent another 4 years of my life. Going to EvCC meant a 2 year program going through both summers and obtaining a license after those 2 years and the FAA tests. It would cost a ton less, I could stay at home ( thus saving on insane housing prices) and it was at least working with airplanes.
Still I couldnt really decide what I wanted to do until one day while working at the Evergreen state fair, Mercedes said " You could go to school for that and get a job and save to become a pilot." I had to agree that, while I may not ever get a commercial pilot license and fly a super awesome jet.... I could at least save to get a private pilots license, the next best thing I guess.
I applied to Everett Community College and was accepted shortly after. I was still reluctant to drop out of Central Washington University, I had everything lined up, classes chosen and housing. It was a very hard phone call to make.
In order to enter the Aviation Maintenance classes I had to obtain instructor permission codes and so my dad had a crazy idea to stop by the hangar where the classes are to see If we could randomly catch an instructor. I doubted it would work considering the faculty was on their Summer break, but my dad insisted. We went and as we got there and knocked on the door, the head of the program walked out ( literally had we been 2 minutes later he would have been gone) and got the codes... in the nick of time. Time enough to drop all of central washington university with no penalty fees or anything silly like that.
In September 2010 I started my training to become a licensed airframe and powerplant mechanic, hence my blog heading of AMT in training!
At the beginning of Janruary 2011 my grandpa, SM Richardson passed away, and it was a hard time. I think the worst part of it all was not being able to go with my parents to Utah to witness the funeral. At the very least I was able to see him shortly after he passed. It was very hard for me to not be able to go, especially being left at home alone. I do have to say that this ultimately led me to the best times I have lived since my mission, and that was meeting Kathryn!
I wont lie that at the time my parents left I was getting very lonely and somewhat depressed. All my friends were elsewhere and doing other things, Jason was super busy with school and work, others were at college and basically everything I knew around home was pretty much gone. It was near this time, in fact February 16th, one day before my birthday that I was able to talk to Kathryn and this has led to some of the best experiences I have ever had. She has really helped make my life greater and more enjoyable! We have done so many things together its impossible to remember them and all their details. I have loved it so much I have tried to write down as many of the things we have done together and hope to assemble them all from the lined paper to a real journal! Kathryn has been wonderful and kept a blog on many of the activities so I recommend checking those out on her " Animal Lover" blog on the right! ( btw check out her photography blog! )
Sorry about the CRAZY long explanation but I felt it would be good to put somewhere as to how I have arrived at where I am now in terms of school, relationships and life in general. I cant help but be thankful for everything that has worked out to my good, I cant help but realize just how lucky I was with meeting Kathryn and getting to know just how wonderful and amazing she is! 愛 ! 愛!
Ideally my blog posts will be massively shorter now that I have caught up with the basics. Now I can report individual events!
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