Sailing

A passion that I developed during my time in college is sailing. I first fell in love with this sport during the Summer of 2018. My girlfriend Olivia and I were up at her grandparent's lake house in Interlochen, Michigan. I had always been fascinated with the sunfish in the boathouse and expressed my interest numerous times to Olivia. The summer before, Olivia's mother had taken her out on the water to teach her the basics. This way she could show me how to sail. As soon as Olivia took me out on the water I was hooked. The art and science of trimming the sails, The maneuvering and excitement of tacks and jibes, and the independence we felt from powering the small vessel with nothing but the wind was exhilarating. I knew that this was going to become a significant hobby in my life.

The following summer Olivia and I signed up for a 4-day course to teach us more of the essentials through Chicago Sailing Company. These lessons gave us a great foundation as we continued learning. Wanting to learn more, we capitalized on a family trip in Florida in January of 2020 by getting our American Sailing Association 101 and 103 certifications at Flagship Sailing School. After completing the 101 and 103 courses, Olivia flew home, and I stayed to get my ASA 104 Bare boating Certification. We had a great experience through Flagship Sailing. Captain Nordie, our instructor, did an excellent job teaching us the tasks and knowledge needed to get our certifications. I would highly recommend Flagship Sailing to anyone trying to get an ASA certification.

Below you can see some pictures of our experiences sailing. Sailing provides some stunning views but is also a physical and mental challenge. I am looking forward to continuing to build my academic knowledge and real-life experience in this sport in the future. If you are looking for someone to sail with, don't be afraid to contact me. I am always excited to embark on a new adventure with new people! One of the unique things about sailing is it attracts unique people. During the four classes I have taken, I have met an anesthesiologist who was formerly an Arabic translator in the navy, a Brazilian tech start-up millionaire turned angel investor, a drug store chain owner, and our instructor a former three star general in the Air Force. All of these people I would never know had I not taken an interest in sailing. Please don't be afraid to reach out to me if you are looking for a crew member during your next sailing excursion.