Senses Wide Open: bringing a sensory perspective to the professional and personal world

Imagine closing your eyes for an entire day and experiencing the life you live through your other senses. Do you think you would discover something new? Would you feel like you would acquire a more detailed understanding of the people, places, products, services, objects, and even your own profession or hobbies you interact with? How about your emotional response to a day in the life of you with your eyes closed; do you think the experience would evoke different emotions or opinions about your world?

I am a professional who is visually impaired, and I do all of these things every day. Where some people might view the lack of eyesight as a weakness especially in the workplace, I see it as a strength and a unique asset. In order for me to fully understand something, my other senses must compensate for my lack of eyesight. Touch, taste, smell, hearing, a sliver of light contingent eyesight (less than 10 degrees of visual field), and the emotions produced by these senses form a sensory package that allows me to experience life from a holistic perspective. Since I do not have a primary sense, all of my senses work together, allowing me to be aware of my surroundings, and providing for a sensory perspective.

This is more than just a method for being aware of my surroundings without the use of eyesight. My sensory package is a well-refined set of tools that gives me strengths in a variety of people-centered professional roles. I have chosen to apply this unique asset to the sometimes overlapping fields of marketing, public relations, and corporate or nonprofit storytelling. Before these roles, I discovered this skill set which I call Experiential Communication from my work in tourism and hospitality. It’s a well-refined and complex skill-set that I’ve developed. Simply put, Experiential Communication has two parts:
First, I interact with a product, service, or just about anything else while using all of my senses. You do this to, but the difference between you and I is I don’t have an established primary sense, so I must use all of my senses together to experience something.
Second, I develop an emotion based on sensory feedback. The combination of detailed sensory feedback, and the emotion it evokes produces detailed knowledge about the very thing I’m interacting with.

This body of knowledge gives me an advantage in the professional world. It’s more than simply seeing the product or service and generating several factual bullet points; instead my strategy provides a holistic approach to marketing something. Sure, I can produce several bullet points for today’s consumers who want quick facts now, but it’s what’s in those bullet points that connects people with products, services, and experiences in a very real way.

Let me give you a couple of applicable examples:

Alaska Airlines Premium Class

In early 2017 Alaska Airlines rolled out premium class on it’s mainline flights. Think of premium class as a step between coach and first class.
Let’s say that I’ve been tasked with promoting this new onboard feature. Sure, I could look at a quick mockup or even a high definition photo and generate some facts, but that would not give me a full understanding of the service. Instead, I would take the time to experience premium class from a sensory perspective. Answering such questions as “what does the food taste like?” How does my body feel relative to the space around me?” “What does it sound like sitting in premium class?” “Spatially, how does my body feel sitting in this space?” Even “what does it smell like?” After answering all of these questions, I would condense this sensory knowledge down to the appropriate communication, marketing, or sales channel to tell people about this service from a holistic and sensory perspective. All while informing them about what they will get in this new class of service.

A Tour Of Hells Canyon

My parents own and operate a business that gives tours of Hells Canyon by jet boat. I grew up working in the business, and know what it takes to give a good tour. Especially when describing or pointing out things that I can’t physically see. My success in achieving this was to take a sensory approach while interacting with the features of Hells Canyon. For example, instead of reading about the challenges early pioneers faced when traveling through Hells Canyon, I hiked a crossed the rugged and sometimes treacherous landscape that makes up Hells Canyon. The intensity of walking along a trail carved into a 400 foot high bluff, or sliding a crossed large slippery boulders gave me a very real, detailed, and emotional perspective of what it was like for early explorers.

The sensory experiences of interacting with Hells Canyon, along with emotions evoked from these experiences has allowed me to bring features of Hells Canyon alive to tourists. Sure, I could read a script, or I can take my already sharpened sensory knowledge base and tell a story that is unique and tangible.

The Moral Of The Story

The reason I believe Experiential Communication is valuable is because people today want to feel emotionally connected to a product or service. Gone are the days when people responded to “buy this now!” Instead, people appear to be more interested in forming a brand relationship. It’s not enough to simply sell a product, service, or experience anymore; consumers want to know that both the organization creating the thing people want to buy, as well as the thing itself alines with customer values. Most people like a good story, and good corporate storytelling sells.

My life long sensory perspective and craft of experiential communication is a unique asset that can be applied to a variety of settings. Experiential Communication has been an amazing personal and professional discovery, and I look forward to sharing this wonderful asset with others.

Interested in What The Guide Dog Lifestyle Is All About ?

Have you seen or heard about a guide dog, and wondered about the fantastic roles these amazing dogs play?

Visit my youtube channel called Forward With Forli to learn about the guide dog lifestyle, and how guide dogs do what they do.

Here is my latest video to get you started:

https://youtu.be/U0iNlh6qC8I

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Thank you for watching!

Single Traveler To Europe: One Year Later

It has been one year to the day since I took a two-week guided trip to Europe as a single traveler, and it was absolutely one of the best decisions of my life. Throughout this post, I’ll (1) tell you why traveling to Europe was one of the best decisions of my life, and (2) provide you with inspirational take-aways that you can apply to your own ambitions.
My two-week tour took me through 10 european countries and provided me with dozens of experiences that I will never forget. It’s safe to say that I loved every minute of the trip. Traveling as a single tourist as part of a group tour significantly increased my travel experience, enhanced my social connections, and gave me the confidence to get out there and explore to satisfy my own interests and hobbies.

Inspirational Point Number One: don’t be afraid to fly solo in order to take on your own life ambitions.

I almost didn’t take this trip, as I was unable to find somebody to accompany me on this great adventure. On one hand, I’m a social person and really enjoy traveling in the company of others. On the other hand, I wanted to give myself the opportunity to travel regardless whether or not I could find a travel partner. After much consideration, and just about as much research as is required to write an A-grade 10- page term paper, I chose the option to join a guided tour as a single traveler. This option satisfied both of my needs: I could travel abroad as a single traveler, and I would have the opportunity to travel with other like-minded individuals. I had never planned or taken such an ambitious trip before, but my need and desire to travel abroad inspired me to leave concerns of the unknown behind and just go for it.

Inspirational Point Number Two: you don’t have to physically see to get a rich cultural experience

Much of today’s world emphasizes the use of eyesight as a primary means of taking in information. As somebody with little eyesight, I am well aware of the power of the other four senses, and the role they play in all facets of my life. I quickly learned while In Europe that I didn’t need to see to take in all that the cities and towns of Europe had to offer. Actually, I found that the lack of eyesight allowed me to have a rather rich cultural experience. Instead of making the physically seeing of a famous landmark my number one priority, I instead focused my energy and time on finding cultural experiences that enriched my time in Europe. Examples of these included feeling my way along the architecture of Windsor Castle in London, exploring the Roman Coliseum , indulging in local cuisine, interacting with the locals, and many others. Sure, I physically saw landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the canals of Venice, and feel lucky to have been able to see them. However, I also made it a point to take advantage of what experiences my other senses could give me. To give you a perspective of what this was like, I’ll provide some examples below. Please note that this list is nowhere near comprehensive; I have so many experiences from this trip that I could probably write a small book.

Exploring and Eating My Way Through the City Center of Brussels, Belgium:

After a rather long travel day, my tour group arrived in Brussels, Belgium. As the 30-minute orientation to the city center concluded, I introduced myself to one of my fellow tourists, a nice British man who was a retired book publisher. He, like me, was a single traveler. It was a fantastic feeling: eating our way through all the fried food, sampling the chocolates from the many candy shops, checking out the architecture, and finishing the night with a true Belgian beer. The air was cool and somewhat moist, but not humid or sticky. The people around us, very friendly and inviting. The vibe of the city was bright, excitable and vibrant.

A Morning in Lucerne, Switzerland:

I awoke just before sun rise on a warm July morning in Lucerne, Switzerland. I took the time to take in the mostly quiet city center from my corner room in a vintage, but well-kept small hotel. As a side note, in all the times I’ve stayed in hotels, this place was the only one where I was issued a metal door key to my room. Okay, so I’ve just given you a clew as to the era that I grew up in.
After a hearty swiss breakfast, I set out with some of my newly-made tourist friends to take a cruise of Lake Lucerne. A beautiful aqua-marine lake set in the middle of the valley where the town of Lucerne resides. I remember sitting on the deck of the boat and listening to the gentle slap of water against boat hull and shore. These small sounds adding to the peace and quiet of the lake. as the captain shut down the main engines half way through the tour, allowing everybody to take in the beauty of the lake and surrounding area. I remember telling my friends “if I lived here, and had a bad day, I would just come to this lake.” It was one of those experiences where I felt light as air; not a care in the world.
Later, our group traveled by cable car to the top of Mount Stanserhorn. It was a clear day, and the air was crisp and clean. My friends and I hiked to the very top of the mountain, and what an experience. My feet planted on solid, flat ground, the wind in my face, and the smell of earth, water and pine trees. It was a very freeing experience.

Tuscany Dinner Party:

About half way through the trip, our tour overnighted in a small town just outside Florence, Italy. The big attraction for the evening was a tuscany dinner party. The event was held at an olive farm/winery. (In Italy, they go hand in hand.) After a short demonstration on how they make extra virgin olive oil,, (a personal interest as it’s one of my cooking staples), we were treated to a three course meal complete with properly paired Italian wine. Later, and after several glasses of wine, we danced to the live authentic Italian music. The food, full of flavor, some of which I had never tasted before. The wine made me feel like royalty; so smooth and full. On a side note, wine is cheaper to purchase than Coka-Cola in Italy, and buying a five Euro bottle of wine from a service station is loads better than wine you might be served in a typical Italian themed chain restaurant in the United States.

A Swim in the Mediterranean:

After a late night party in Monaco, a half dozen of us awoke early, and walked 30 minutes to where we could take an early morning swim in the Mediterranean. The beach we found was a rocky shoreline, but we didn’t care. The clear-deep blue water of the Mediterranean was calling. I ditched my white cane and shoes a few feet from the water’s edge, and dove in. I couldn’t believe how warm the water was; probably 24 Degrees C (75 degrees F) or so. It really felt like bath water. I swam out a few strokes into the waves, and simply enjoyed swimming around in the warm, clear, deep blue water. The group of us agreed that we could’ve stayed there all day. I’ll never forget the smell (and taste) of salt water, the soft feeling of my skin after getting out of the sea, and the smooth rocks under my feet. The experience was incredible, and definitely worth getting up early for.

Inspirational Point Number Three: be yourself, and don’t make excuses for what you want and need out of life

It’s okay to have your own ideas, ambitions, and dreams. Even if they don’t follow the normal progression of society, or others think your plans are foolish. I say, “go for it; if you want something and you are willing to own its outcome, then just do it.” Do it for yourself and your well-being. Planning and taking this trip to Europe taught me to embrace my ideas, ambitions, and dreams. It was a fantastic adventure, and one that I will never forget. My senses came alive to give me a rich european experience, and I met a lot of great people. As I reflect on my experiences from one year ago, I can’t wait to travel abroad again, and hope to sooner rather than later.
I will conclude this blog post by saying “get out there and explore; take a bit of a risk; work hard; and enjoy your life.”

Five Transferible Life Concepts Learned in College

The lessons that I learned from my active participation in college are many, and I could probably write a small book, or at least dedicate this blog to them. Instead, here are five transferable attributes that I learned in college.

There’s absolutely no such thing as “college material.”

I’ve sometimes heard the phrase “she/he isn’t really college material.” Really? Nothing could be more inappropriate or discouraging to an individual who is pursuing college. I still don’t know what these people’s definition of “college material,” is. It’s possible that if somebody told me at age 18 that I wasn’t “college material,” I might have believed them. I wasn’t the strongest or most dedicated student in high school; making honor role a few times, and just barely maintaining a GPA of 3.0 at the time of my high school graduation. My parents for the most part, chose to let me make my own decisions regarding higher education. So, I enrolled at a community college, and tested into the lowest level of classes offered, and worked my way up. Six years, two colleges, and a constant drive to finish concluded my undergraduate education. There’s really no such thing as “college material.” If an individual thinks she or he can do it, and they are willing to put in the effort, anybody can be successful in college. Even if you aren’t the strongest academic, or are a first-generation student like myself. If you want it, go for it; and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise!

multitasking

Who says guys can’t multitask? Apart from my first year of college, I attended school full-time, and worked part time, and I worked every type of shift: day, swing, graveyard, and weekends. I learned to work under deadline, and manage competing priorities. Research papers and work reports were often done side by side, and almost any physical space could be turned into a makeshift office or study space.

If Done Correctly, the 9-5, Mon-Fri work week Doesn’t Exist in College.

In the roughly seven years it took for me to earn my Bachelors Degree, I can count on one hand how many weekends I wasn’t either studying or working. Unlike the stereotypical image of a young 20 something rolling out of bed late on a Monday morning after an action-packed weekend of epic partying and binge drinking, myself and many other college students find ourselves working, studying, and keeping up in classes. Yeah, my weekends were action-packed alright, packed with homework assignments and a job. Perhaps the 24-7, always-conected mentality of modern western society places less emphasis on down time, and more expectations on an individual to produce more. As hard as it was, I’ve learned to own my goals, and accomplish the required tasks to reach them.

Creativity, Flexibility, and Adaptability

Sometimes the answer to an assignment, or the solution to a problem (academic or other) isn’t always obvious. As a result, I learned to view creativity as an asset. Mastering academic subjects non-visually isn’t always the easiest task, and sometimes the conditions for learning aren’t ideal. Being creative, flexible, and adaptive are a must for overcoming challenges and breaking down learning barriers. No matter how sophisticated, technology will fail at some point; electronic learning options may simply not be accessible; or course concepts may not be presented in a way that gyves with your learning style. My success in several classes during my undergraduate career was contingent upon my ability to find a solution to one or multiple problems, and to do it quickly. Sometimes the lowest tech solutions were the answers to the highest priority problems. For example, I didn’t have access to diagrams and graphs for use in a Micro Economics class. My solution? Raised lined graph paper, and several strands of wax-covered yarn, called Wiki Sticks. I think they are intended for craft projects, but they sure helped me to understand the concepts of marginal utility, supply, demand, price points, and many others.

Social Savvy

During my time in college, I interacted with a lot of people: professors, disability support staff, teacher’s assistants, supervisors and co-workers, classmates, roommates, and social service professionals. Every 11 weeks, I introduced myself to new professors, classmates, and depending on the course, a teacher’s assistant or two. All of this interaction gave me a lot of experience in a variety of social settings, and uncovered my interest in public relations.
There is often a stereotype or stigma (they are two different concepts) that accompany a person with a visual impairment. Not wanting to be the only guy on campus who went through his entire degree program knowing none of his classmates, I made it a point to meet and get to know at least three of my classmates in each of my classes. The advantages of getting to know your classmates are many. I made friends, knew more people in my degree program, and found it pretty easy to collaborate with classmates on group work.

The Moral of the Story?

There’s no such thing as college and the real world, rather college is one part of the real world, and there’s a lot of positive, transferable skills that can be learned in an academic setting. If you have any interest in attending college, go for it!! Don’t let anybody hold you back, explore your options, and settle on a school that works for you. If you want it bad, and you are willing to work for it, anybody can obtain a college education.

Landing A Job 1.0

As graduation approaches, the job hunt is on. According to the American Foundation for the Blind, roughly 70 percent of people who are visually impaired or blind are unemployed. Those are some very scary statistics. However, I simply refuse to be an unemployed person with a visual impairment, so I’m doing all that I can to obtain gainful employment. If you have a visual impairment and are reading this, know that you are not alone. I hope this post will give some insight into what it takes to avoid becoming another high unemployment statistic.

The Power of Networking

I quickly learned the power of networking. We hear about networking all the time, but what is it and how does one network? First of all, it’s important to employ a resourceful mindset. Anybody that you know has the potential to be a link in your professional network chain. If you are finding yourself a little short on professional contacts, you may have to go looking for network contacts. I think the best and easiest way to establish this is by asking professionals in your field of interest if they would allow you to conduct an informational interview. This social exchange gives you the opportunity to create contacts out of complete strangers, as well as raise awareness about your intent for employment without directly asking for a job. You can start by contacting the human resources department at your organization of interest, introducing yourself, and asking to be connected to somebody in your job of interest. Most people are open to this concept, because people love to talk about themselves. Remember to plan ahead, think about what it is you want to know, write out strong questions, take good notes, and be very appreciative of people’s time and information.
Perhaps you have one or many professional contacts. Use this to your advantage and reach out. Maybe your contact knows of the perfect job for you, or maybe they know somebody who knows somebody who is looking for your skill-set. Either way, take advantage of people who want to see you succeed.

Writing More than 140 Characters Still Gets You somewhere

In today’s fast-paced society, writing has been shortened to somewhere between 140 characters and a few short sentences. A few months ago, I read Richard Branson’s new book, The Virgin Way. If you need a little inspiration, and or you want to know how one man dropped out of high school and still did well for himself, I recommend you read The Virgin Way. One concept that stood out to me was the positive effect of writing a letter to somebody. I have found this to be true in my own job searches. In keeping with the times, an email with appropriate subject line and good grammar/spelling will do. Though I haven’t received a solid job offer as a direct result of my writing a letter or email to a professional contact yet, the action of sending that letter has opened up other potential job leads.
If you find yourself wanting to send a letter of interest to a key contact of a specific organization such as a Human Resources Manager or President/CEO, there’s a relatively easy way to find their email address.
First, get their name. If it’s a CEO or other top leadership figure, and depending on the type of organization, you can usually find her or his full name on a bio page of the organization’s website.
Then, you will need to figure out how the organization structures their email addresses. A good place to start is the employment or media inquiries sections of the website. Sometimes a specific contact and email address will be listed. Take note of how this person’s email address is structured. After doing this, apply the same format to your desired contact. This doesn’t always work, because some organizations may have more than one person with the same name, and as a result, may put numbers before the at sign in the email address. Still, this method is a good way to start when attempting to develop cold contacts. If this method doesn’t work, call or email the human resources department and ask to be connected to your new contact. Remember, human resources is there to be a resource for humans wether they work for the organization or not.

Practice Strategic Communication

Everybody has the ability to use strategic communication to her or his advantage. Actually, you probably use it often without realizing it. Do you talk or write differently to the various groups of people in your life? If you answered yes, then you are using strategic communication.
You can also use this concept in your job search. When communicating with potential employers or professional contacts, think about the best form of communication to use. Remember, apart from your resume, professional skills, and personal attributes, all you’ve got is the message that you want to transmit to your contact. It’s very important that you consider the best method for communicating with this individual. Some people love email, while some prefer speaking over the phone. If you are networking with a person for the first time, you may not know what method they prefer, so it’s a bit of a shot in the dark. You could try calling the human resources department and asking for the best way to contact this person.

The Moral of the Story

Finding a job non-visually isn’t the easiest thing I’ve ever done, then again nobody said it would be either easy or hard. It’s important to realize in most instances the job opportunities will not come to you; but instead you will have to go to them. So get out there, meet people, ask favors from total strangers, ask good questions, be grateful for any information given to you, be resourceful, developed your professional network, don’t be afraid to take risks, and put your all into it. Remember, it takes a lot of good ideas to create some great ideas, and it may only take a few great ideas to achieve personal and professional success.

Just in Time for Valentine’s Day: 9 Reasons Wy You Should Consider Dating A Guy Who is Visually Impaired

*One visually impaired guy’s somewhat humorous, but realistic list of reasons for why a woman should give dating a man who is visually impaired a try.


1. We are good listeners: Women often complain that men only listen to what they want to hear, and are often not really listening at all. Consider this: A visually impaired person relies on hearing as a form of communication, as a means of orientation, and to gain knowledge about the environment around them. These attributes make up a good listener. We do it all the time, and if we don't listen, there's a good chance we will get hit by a car while crossing an intersection or miss an important concept being discussed during a lecture or meeting.


2. We are good talkers: Because we are visually impaired we do not have the luxury of using most nonverbal forms of communication. Therefor, we must make up roughly 80% of communication with speech alone. The benefit to being a good talker is it reduces confusion of nonverbal cues. So, if you struggle with nonverbal communication and its somewhat ambiguous meanings, try dating a visually impaired guy; we are really good at making up for our lack of nonverbal communication through speech.


3. We are touchy-feely: So you want a guy who is more touchy feely huh? Give a visually impaired guy a chance! We are used to touching all sorts of things; touch is one of the tools that help us make up for our lack of eyesight, as well as form the basis of literacy through the use of Braille. We are also very good at feeling things. Happy, sad, angry, frustrated, hopeful, stereotyped, discriminated, rejected and optimistic are some of the feelings that are sometimes magnified because of our visual impairment. Remember, we are not good at the whole nonverbal communication thing, so we are more likely to talk to a woman about our feelings and emotions, which appears to be what women like to talk about at times.


4. We won't judge you based only on physical appearance: Remember, we can't see very well or even at all, so if you are self-conscious about your looks, relax, we aren't even looking! If you are the woman who has a lot to offer and believes there's more to MR. Perfect than just looks alone, a visually impaired guy as your lover may be the answer. This is not to say guys who are visually impaired have lowered standards, or have no concept of physical attraction. Instead, some of us choose to define physical attraction as something more than just looks. We have skipped the physical looks thing and are already checking you out on much deeper levels: Do we have the same interests? Do we get along? Do I enjoy this person's company? Do they have similar morals and ethics? These are things visually impaired guys are thinking about wen getting to know a woman. Pretty cool huh?


5. We remember the important details about you: Most visually impaired people are pretty darn good at memorizing. Keeping track of traveling routs, remembering the placement of the bar at our favorite local brewery or recognizing family, friends and of course our lover by the sound of their voice give us a lot of practice. There's good potential that your visually impaired lover won't forget your birthday, your favorite type of flowers or your favorite dinner. Even though we are guys, we strive to be masters at memorizing, and we'll memorize you too!


6. Love dogs, and wish you could take your furry friend with you wherever you go? Your pet dog may not be allowed into shops, restaurants, grocery stores, or on all forms of transportation, but your visually impaired lover's dog may be and that's almost as good. Some people who are visually impaired choose to travel with a guide dog instead of a white cane. You as a lover have the best of both worlds: you get to enjoy the company of a well trained dog without having to take care of he or she, and the dog gets to accompany you and your visually impaired lover wherever you go. Win-win I'd say.


7. There are shortcuts in lines and discounts on some products and services: Nobody likes lines and everybody likes a discount every now and again. Imagine, you and your visually impaired lover are waiting in line to ride an epic roller coaster and you hear the people in front of you say "we've been waiting here for an hour already." You, the amazing girlfriend with your magical sighted powers look ahead and see that the line twists and turns out of sight. You and your visually impaired lover settle in for a long wait. Then out of nowhere an amusement park employee comes up and says something like " sir with the white cane, there's a people with disabilities lane for this ride just over here. It's much shorter and we can get you on the ride in no time. Is this lovely lady here with you?" Your visually impaired lover takes the park employee up on their offer and confirms that yes, the beautiful lady standing next to him is indeed his partner. Boom! Both of you just skipped ahead of a whole lot of people, and they are all okay with it. You can also be the first one's on and off the airplane, pay for nosebleed seats for your favorite band/sports team and be re-located to the "disability section," which is usually much, much closer than those 300 level nosebleed cheap seats, or get an up close and personal tour of artifacts in a museum. You didn't know a visually impaired person's white cane or guide dog was a universal discount pass to all kinds of products and services did you?


8. we will grocery shop with you: If you are a woman who enjoys spending a Saturday afternoon leisurely picking out your groceries for the week with your lover you are in luck! Most visually impaired people must get assistance with grocery shopping from the store's customer service staff, some of whom are not cute, not friendly and most certainly aren't our type. Simply put, we are used to shopping with others and are okay with it; it's how we get our food. Your visually impaired lover may even be able to recommend a new product to try.


9. If you are a woman who is sighted, there will be no arguing over who drives while traveling together: Many visually impaired people have driven primarily for the humor and the novelty of trying out this very visual task. Don't worry though, the DMV will not issue licenses to a visually impaired person. So guess what? You are free to do the driving all you want! So what if you don't like driving, are tired of driving around, or are a woman who is visually impaired? No problem, your visually impaired lover will be happy to escort you around the metro area using the public transportation system. You will be able to kick back and enjoy the relatively inefficient bus/train transportation along with a group of your favorite strangers.


If you are single, and looking for that perfect relationship, think outside the box, and consider dating a guy who is visually impaired, you just might find your true lover!

A Mariner for Life

"If I can't see a body of water, I'm too far away." I come from a long line of maritime professionals; mainly Alaskan commercial fishers. Growing up, I was frequently around boats of varying sizes do to the fact that my parents own and operate a jet boat guide service on the Snake River that gives tours of Hells Canyon. If I was not around boats, I was playing in the creek that ran through my parent's property. As the oldest of three, and a Male, my parents expected that I would not go empty-handed, and would be treated like anybody else, regardless of my visual impairment. As a child of two maritime parents, I learned quite a lot about water, about vessels of all shapes and sizes, and a moderate amount of nautical terminology. For example, I learned the terms Left and Right, and then the nautical equivalents (Port and Starboard). Like many kids, I played with Legos, and put my nautical knowledge to work building vessels, and then testing their "seaworthiness," in the kitchen sink or the bathtub. My father was often present for these buoyancy tests, and was happy to provide me with suggestions for improvement. It was a great father-son bonding experience, but my father's suggestions also taught me several scientific principals, including buoyancy, density and water displacement. Knowing these concepts would help me to master my physical science classes in high school and college. I learned to run a jet boat by age eight. Often times on a calm stretch of the river, usually on a cargo run into Hells Canyon my father would let me drive; and what an experience. Running a jet boat, specifically a 40-foot aluminum landing-craft style boat on a free-flowing river is nothing like, say, a pontoon boat on a lake. My father and I had a system down: He would tap on my Left shoulder indicating a Left (Port) turn, and would tap on my right shoulder, indicating a Right (Starboard) turn. In addition, the terms "throttles ahead, or throttles astern meant speed up or slow down respectively. As I got older and more confident at the controls, my father would guide me through one or two class 2 (smaller sized rapids). Traversing the rough and rocky waters required cat like reflexes; if I hesitated, I could've run over large, sharp rocks that often times lay less than 2 feet below the surface of the water. My father added additional commands for manipulating the throttle controls in these situations: "throttles ahead/astern a quarter," meant to increase or decrease power by one quarter. I went kayaking and stand-up paddle-boarding with some friends a few weeks ago, and was reminded of how natural I feel around water. I have always been relatively good at water sports, and they always give me a sense of freedom that is hard to describe. These freeing sensations were born with my maritime experience. As a teenager helping my father around the jet boats, I can remember sitting in the captain's chair, putting my right hand on the heavy, chromed, ball-shaped throttle lever handles and pushing them all the way forward. The bow of the boat rising out of the water and planing smoothly a crossed the surface is one of the most freeing experiences I have ever felt. Using the joystick in my left hand to turn the boat gave me the sensation of being connected to the vessel. It was if the joystick was an extension of my hand. Perhaps that's why I felt confident in driving a boat. Whenever I participate in water sports, or handle boats of varying shapes and sizes, I'm reminded of this natural connection to the watercraft. Being around the water, and running a boat is an incredibly tactual and freeing experience, and is second to the same type of freedom that I get from walking at a heart pounding, three-and-a-half mile an hour pace with my guide dog.