OJT=OMG

Day 11 (6/2) 
Wow, my first day of on the job training (OJT) was pretty overwhelming. Not only am I trying to remember all of my lifeguard training, but I need to remember the names of the lifeguard stands, where the bathrooms are located, where the towels are, where people can get lifejackets, the pool hours, the pool rules, the codes used on the walkie talkies we have to carry around, what to do when it storms, and more. I began my training at Fort Wilderness (FW), and it's a spread out campground, which feels like a maze to me. I followed a senior lifeguard around. I have to bike 1/2 mile to get to the pool. We rotate every half hour, and we also assist with activities for the children. The second half of the day I followed another senior lifeguard at Wilderness Lodge (WL). It was basically the same type of training at a different location.

Day 12 (6/3) 
Day OFF!!! I was thankful for this day. I mainly stayed around the apartment. I took the time to organize more of my stuff because I hadn't really organized it all that well on move-in day. That evening I met up with Steve DiSalvo from Maryville because he is on vacation with his family!

Day 13 & final day of training (6/4) 
My OJT was at the Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower. Two more pools and hotels to learn about. I also have to help out at the marina. My trainer was really great, and I learned a lot from him. Everyone is very nice at all of the resorts, and they act kind of like a family, which is really cool. The coordinator at BLT and CT comes up with nicknames for every guard. I told him I was an easy target with my last name. He thought of the "V card," but said he would come up with an even better one. Oh the joys of having the last name that I do. lol Later in the evening I went out to dinner with a couple of my roommates. We went to a Mexican restaurant and had margaritas. By the time I got home I was so tired from my training as well as the margarita. I went to bed early. :)

6/5 
Today was my first official day of work! I'm pretty sure my feet hate me. I worked from 2-10:30pm, and I was walking and standing most of the time. It feels so good to be off of them, and I'm wondering how they're going to feel at work tomorrow. I was at WL today, and I was super nervous to be on my own without a trainer. However, I got the hang of the rotations, etc fairly quickly. I'm still learning and trying to remember as much as I can, but I know learning everything will come with time. I didn't have to jump in today, but I felt like I yelled "please walk" 100 times.

6/6
Today I was at Fort Wilderness. I'm glad I get to help with the children's activities because it gives me more interaction with the guests.

6/7 
I was back at FW today. I had my first save!!! A boy slid out the bottom of the slide and was struggling to swim in the current, so I jumped in! He was fine, but his grandmother wasn't paying attention to him. A few minutes later an older man came up to me and said he saw the whole thing. He told me he was about ready to jump in, and told me that I didn't hesitate and did a great job. That was incredibly nice of him, and it made me feel good. There were some other kids that were dropped off at the pool, and some of them were way to young to be alone. Lifeguards are not babysitters, but unfortunately some people think of it that way.

6/8 
This morning I went for my second run this week. I'm still trying to get used to the humidity, but one thing I don't have to worry about down here are hills. Before heading in to work I went to an outlet mall near my apartment. I bought my first pair of Crocs because my feet weren't fairing so well in my sandals, so I thought I'd try Crocs. So far, they're working well. :) Today I was at WL. I had a good day, and there was nothing too eventful. I am continually learning more and more, and I'm starting to feel more comfortable. At the end of this week I will have logged 53 hours of work. My day off this week is Friday, and I can't wait!!! I'm going to Typhoon Lagoon with one of my roommates.

Below are photos of my apartment, the pool, and the night we went to the Mexican restaurant. We made a hidden Mickey with our margaritas. :)

Thanks for reading!
Erica :)