#024 - Outdoor Adventures and Summer Trainings for Midshipmen with Rob Roy '11

I'm joined again by my guest in episode #023 Rob Roy who is a class of 2011 graduate from the United States Naval Academy.   He is a Navy pilot and currently serves as on the Commandant's staff at the Academy as the conduct officer. Rob was in the 9th Company. 
Rob and my conversation on this episode has nothing to do with conduct and all about ADVENTURE. 

Rob loves the outdoors and shares his passion and the why behind it.  He is a fellow podcaster and he has a GREAT podcast called The Adventure Bound Podcast with Rob Roy.

We talk about his podcast and how Midshipmen have so many opportunities to take advantage of some amazing outdoor adventures.

This episode will answer your questions about what are some of the things available to Mids who love the outdoors and have the adventure-bound spirit like Rob.

Rob provides some great tips and ideas and will inspire you to plan that trip now to get away and take in the fresh air, nature, and the wilderness.

This is a great episode to understand some of the less traditional leadership opportunities for Midshipmen.  You will get to know Rob even better in this episode and you will have another person you feel you know on the yard.

Listen and subscribe to Rob's Podcast now. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adventure-bound/id1464306524

Listen to Grant and Rob discuss the USNA Conduct System on Episode #023 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/023-the-naval-academy-conduct-system-with-rob-roy-11/id1463594323?i=1000461427251

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The mission of Academy Insider is to guide, serve, and support Midshipmen, future Midshipmen, and their families.

Grant Vermeer your host is the person who started it all. He is the founder of Academy Insider and the host of The Academy Insider podcast and the USNA Property Network Podcast. He was a recruited athlete which brought him to Annapolis where he was a four year member of the varsity basketball team. He was a cyber operations major and commissioned into the Cryptologic Warfare Community. He was stationed at Fort Meade and supported the Subsurface Direct Support mission.

He separated from the Navy in 2023 and now owns The Vermeer Group, a boutique residential real estate company that specializes in serving the United States Naval Academy community PCSing to California & Texas.

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Transcript

spk_0:   0:03
This is your host Grant Vermeer Naval Academy class of 2017 and I'm your academy insider. It's my goal to be your guide through the Naval Academy experience. By sharing my stories and providing you inside information into the life of a shipment. Academy insider is in no way officially affiliated with the United States Naval Academy. All of the content on Academy Insider is my own. It does not reflect the views of the United States Naval Academy, the United States Navy nor the Department of Defense. Hey, everyone. And I hope you're ready to go on an adventure today on this episode of the Academy insider podcast as I'm again, joined by Rob Roy, who's a class of 11 graduate from the United States Naval Academy and currently a Navy pilot. If you remember on a previous episode, Rob joined us. We talked all about the conduct system at the United States Naval Academy. If you missed that episode and interested in it, go head to the show. Notes will provide a link to that podcast episode, but on this episode we talk about Rob's passion of being in the outdoors and being adventurous and talk about some of his travels with an emphasis on how midshipman can achieve the same thing. So make sure to check out this episode as we talk all about the summer training opportunities that allow the chipping to be in the outdoors, including Philmont Northern Tier Knowles in a couple of El Rocks that allow midshipman to get to travel and be in the outdoors. So make sure to check this episode out as well. We talk about Rob's podcast called The Adventure Bound Podcast. So if you're interested and learning more about Rob's adventures and you really gain a liking for Rob after this episode, which I think you will because he's a fantastic guest, then go check out his podcast, which can be found on any of the main podcast players. Again, it's called the Adventure of Bound Podcast. But tune in. Listen to the episode. I think you guys get a lot of useful information about summer training opportunities for mid shipment that allow them to travel, and I think you guys will enjoy it. Thanks. All right, count me inside her audience. Let's welcome back, Rob Roy. Thank you so much again, Rob, for taking the time to come on the podcast. Ah, and talk to the academy insider audience again.

spk_1:   2:10
Grant again. Thanks for having the show. It's a pleasure to be here.

spk_0:   2:13
Absolutely. All right, So the focus of this episode today is gonna be all about travel and adventure and just doing things that you really enjoy. Because a lot of times, midshipman, maybe don't have the resource. Is information necessary to take advantage of all the really cool opportunities that are out there for them during their time at the academy as well as in the fleet? So we're gonna take this time. Rob is a very big, adventurous kind of person and even has his own podcast about that exact topic. So I'm gonna turn it over to rob, to let him introduce himself once more to the academy insider audience and then a little bit about his podcasts and what he is doing to support this topic.

spk_1:   2:57
Yemen again. Thanks for everything. The podcast that love, what you're doing and a huge fan. Uh, as I said before, on the last episode that we did together, I'm a 2007 graduate, United States Naval Academy. I was in ninth company originally from Allentown, Pennsylvania, nearly have Allie and Ah, yeah, just kind of had my eye set on becoming a teapot when I was in high school and was really fortunate and lucky and grateful toe get accepted to the academy. Eventually service selected aviation and went on to fly the mighty C two Greyhound out of fear. See, 40 in Norfolk, Virginia, for a few years. And now I'm back at the academy. Ah, working full time for the commandant. But, yes, I do have a podcast. It's called the adventure bound podcast. I think, actually, Grant, you and I were probably like, what, two or three days off from our official launch dates back in right after, Doesn't 19 so kind of exciting that we're, you know, we're for years apart from the academy are were pod buddies, if you would, um, you know, we ah, we didn't succumb to the hashtag pod fade, which obviously this podcast isn't for podcasters. But you and I have both listen, a lot of podcasts about podcasting enough with that word. But a lot of you know, it's exciting that we're both doing something on the side. What we'd love, which I was happy to talk to about all comic things on the last episode, I'm super stoked to talk to you about adventure. A Zone is an academy graduate but also is a fellow podcast year. And my niche is all about adventure in the outdoor space.

spk_0:   4:18
Absolutely. And do you mind just telling your audience about some of the adventures that you've been on and things that you really care about and why you really started that podcast and why you continue to do it? For sure, I It's

spk_1:   4:31
funny because, you know, when I was, I'm from Pennsylvania originally, and it's beautiful. It's called God Country, which, until you've been to Montana, you like, That's great, but it's not, You know, it's not much, but ah, growing up, I just kind of took the outdoors for granite. I think, um, a lot of spent a lot of time outdoors playing outside, you know, classic. You know, parents, the 90 say, go out and play and you'll see for dinner that kind of thing. You said just go exploring, and then when you go the academy and you wear leather shoes for four years and you do plenty of outdoorsy things, but you're not really like getting lost in nature. I mean, you might go like, on a rough ground or like Oh, the obstacle course. Or like gently speaking, you're not really around a lot of greenery. You know, the academy is really beautiful, and I would say, very bias lee way more beautiful, the WestPoint Air Force, but not like in the mountains or any, even sell it. You go sailing, but you know, you're on the water, and that's great. And so I think for me when I graduated and I was so focused on becoming a pilot, getting my wings of gold, and you literally head in the books for hours at a time, I am not the sharp, the smartest guy out there. Ah, by any means, I'll be the first tell you that I was. I'm a much better pilot that I am a study or so it was really hard, because unfortunately require that you be good at both. So I spent a lot of time studying Um, did do some neat stuff with my buddies, but I think I want a deployment to the Middle East for several months and didn't really see the color green for a while, I kind of realized something was missing my life. Looking back, anything like that. Even the academy. You know, it wasn't, like in the Rockies like the Air Force Academy is, But I still had the chance to get outside and go exploring, and you go home to Pennsylvania. But when I was on deployment, what kind of rules? Okay, like here I am, like, I'm a Navy pilot like, that's what I wanted to do, and I'm doing it. But I still feel like I'm missing something. And obviously, when you're on deployment for eight months, you know you have to do your job, do your mission. And I was on Lee married at the time. I didn't have any kids. Um, and so I kind of just started thinking a lot about what? What was important to me and looking long term with my life. You know, I really enjoyed being the military, but I've said I'll be doing that forever. And I kind of just realized I had a passion for the outdoors and long story. Short had listen to a lot of podcast on deployment, and especially when I got back, got into a lot of real estate podcast. Shout out to bigger pockets Podcast. They were one of the ones I listened to all the time and I'd say, like, two years into And I was like, I I could become a podcaster. I could do that. Um, it's funny, though, because I don't really listen to the outdoor adventurous podcast. And eventually I was trying to figure, you know, I often thought it's funny you have a solo show. I have a solo show. I was like, I gotta start with a friend I gotta do. Ah, you have a co host because they're, like, really fun podcast. And I I've got my best friend and he's just not really kind of that scene. So I would, you know, thinking, Okay, who? Who can I ask me? Do pockets where they just didn't really, really find the right guy or girl and that kind of slow me down. But eventually I was like I could do it on this and I tried to niche down as best I could without going too small and eventually someone upon the ah, the adventurous outdoor space. Um and then fast forward. Actually, I took the back. Ah, big catalyst for this whole thing was I had a son who was born. Ah, he spent Hey, was medevac from, uh, his hospital to no hospital in D. C. Spent five days in the nick. You, uh he was cool down for several days. Um, he had a one out of 10 apple. Our score for anyone. Any moms out there listening. It really was looking good. Ah, but long story. He's thriving. He did really, really well. Ah, lot of prayers came our way. And that experience my wife and I, who, you know, is adventurous, but we weren't really like the adventure bound people at the time. We kind of were just, like, really felt like we were given. Like, I don't see a second chance, but like, you know, we had a close call there. It could have been a lot worse. Especially when you go to the Nick. You and people have been there for months, like through different holidays. We were there in and out in less than a week, and that kind of inspired me. And my son is just so and I've got several podcasts episodes on this whole whole journey. But my son, um, did really well recovery, and I had the chance to go to San Diego with the Naval Academy for a month for procurement, actually being a military liaison officer. And on that trip, I took some leave in the back end, and I'm going to the Grand King in had a trip planned with my my best friend from the academy and his wife. We spent five days or a couple days of five was in our recent to Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon and Yosemite and then, like Tahoe. And then a few months later I was like, really getting, you know, stir crazy back in Annapolis, and we went out to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. At that point, I was like, Man, I did 12 Nash or six national parks and six months I want if I could get to 12 national parks and 12 months I went to Florida for Thanksgiving, which I've been to 100 times, except this time I was like, I need to go the Everglades. I never been there. That's a national park. Did seven and seven months. It was okay, I'm committed. I need to knock out the last five, and we've foot in Montana a few months later. Ah, you know, thank God for credit cards. Ah went to Glacier for the eighth and then went to Seattle and went to Glacier in January, by the way, and they went to Seattle in February. My son was born in April, so he was 10 months old and he knocked out Olympic National Park, North Cascades National Park, Mount Rainier National Park, and then back home here in Shenandoah National Park for his 12th. My son went to 12 national parks before he was 12 months old. And after all that was sitting down, I was like, Okay, that's kind of neat. And then that kind of honestly, like, launched the podcast idea, and I don't My pockets isn't really National Park and the centered I has a huge focus on it. Um, when I say for me, that was a big inspiration of like, Hey, I really enjoy this stuff, obviously. And I think having my son have what happened to him really kind of show my wife and I that and we were kind of just hell bent on not letting that slow us down, and we would just became these extremely of interest people and my son, as everyone says, he's going to go back the next Parks. But I'll be honest with you. And now he is a year and 1/2. I mean, you can tell right now as a young Tyler versus other kids his age like it. It affected him in some way. I mean, he is very comfortable outside. He's very comfortable in hiking, backpacking. He's been he's seen wolves in Yellowstone, has been 12,000 feet. He's been two miles below the Grand Canyon. He sounds pretty gravel stuff before he was even walking. So if nothing else, I think helped our family. So all that in a nutshell. That's a lot about how I stumble upon the adventure bound podcast idea.

spk_0:   10:38
I love it and that, and that's fantastic. And I think what's really cool is that, Ah, large majority of people who go to the Naval Academy go to service academies, have that outdoor spirit and really enjoy being outdoors. Um, and so I kind of want to push this now little bit towards potential opportunities that you may have during your time at the academy to go and travel or be out in nature. And some pass this back over to you in terms of Are there any good opportunities for midshipman to spend time out in nature or be involved out there and kind of do outdoorsy things, like while they're a midshipman?

spk_1:   11:14
Yeah, absolutely. Ah, Big one that comes to mind. I mean, at the academy, Miss Sherman, get certain leave breaks. You know, it's not like being in the actual Navy Marine Corps. We have to take leave. I mean, you are a college student, and the Navy is very generous, and they give you certain times toe Go be a human being and you have Generally speaking, most maids have a month in the summer, you know, for certain block. I'm sure you've talked with your pockets episodes, you know, blocks 12 or three months. That's a month off. And then Thanksgiving. Uh, it's a Christmas break. And then spring break. I would say a lot of people do something adventurous during spring break. If not during that, That block I am again back up. My story just told you I I was adventurous and I was on the sky diving team. Went to the academy, Actually, the sky diving team Officer in charge currently, Um, so I I I jumped out of airplanes and I jump in airplanes now, but I wasn't really into the outer space. And I was, uh, pretty good at Spanish, since I would go to, like, you know, Latin America when I could. But I had a lot of buddies that went on, like, hiked Mt. Rainier, you know, over spring break or did something crazy. One of this crazy backpacking trip or I don't like a scuba diving, extradition or whatever. They're our opportunity academy. Um, you can where you can go to Antarctica, depending on your major there. So I would say, like, in a nutshell, a big chance to go. Do you think of interest? Is your time off of the academy and you you get like most college kids do. But you get that time So But the difference is, I would say you're around a lot of like minded and adventurous people. I mean, everyone is I was like I said, but I wasn't really in the outdoor scene as much them now, but a lot of you'll meet a lot of good, you know, guy friends and girlfriends that you can take these trips with. And that's a grab to me. As a midshipman at the academy, I talked about Antarctica. I'm not sure the details with that. I know that many of the major you have maybe could jump in AA. They do send people to Antarctica. Believe ah, maybe it's over. Ah, summer break. I'm not sure exactly. Um, I recent data knows Trip. Yes, Knowles stands will use a stand for National Outdoor Leadership school. You know, it's just knows. I don't know. Just just answer Knowles. And they changed it because I'm actually with my podcast. I'm gonna have one of them on the show soon. So I just had a nose trip as a faculty member of the Naval Academy. That being said, it's really from a Chipman. Ah, when I was at the academy, my best friend and roommate, he didn't knows. Trip to Alaska. He's from Utah. It's a pretty adventurous guy, but he went see Chi King for a month in Alaska, so they literally would kayak. The first day was like 10 miles that last, you know, week they were doing, like, 30 mile days or something crazy like that, literally. And the kayak coming through glaciers in the summer in Alaska. And then they would, you know, make camp on the shore line. You know, watch out for bears and wake up, do it over again. And they went X number of miles from point A to point B over the whole trip. I did a nose trip in the Wind River range of Wyoming last summer, which was awesome. Was all, like, faculty and staff. The noble county. By that do you do trips with Midshipman? Mine was unfortunately for a week, but most trips with mid czar during a block, like at least three, not four weeks. Um and so I highly encourage you check out knows it's ah, Knowles dot e d u I think to learn more about their websites. Google knows, uh and don't ask me why, but the Naval Academy has a huge connection with them. They're completely not affiliated with the military. West Point does not. Air force is not. But the academy does. I think just ah, maybe 20 years ago, somebody that was a Knowles graduate and also enable kind of graduate link. The two together got whatever people were in charge. Now look at the time to buy off on it, and I'll be honest, like I did it as an officer's lieutenant, the Navy. But my my friends who did it as midshipman, maybe you did, I don't know. But it was like an amazing leadership opportunity. And you imagine, is a 21 year old like what it's like to spend a month in Alaska? All right, Cambodia or whatever and remain the outdoors. It's It's an amazing leadership laboratory. So that's another thing that comes to mind that the Noles opportunity. Um, other than that, I mean, you can jump in here. Yeah, Grant, there's so many things with depending on your major in your sport. I mean, you're always you're always traveling. I went to Mexico twice the academy. I got to spend a month on a Mexican tall ship as the only American only Ah ah, you know, Caucasian, like on a tall ship, like speaking Spanish like it was it was awesome. Um, so a lot of the opportunities that you could d'oh I mean, you could do a semester abroad at the academy. You never had a chance to do so. A lot of new things. You can you, uh, certainly not limited to just one thing.

spk_0:   15:35
Absolutely. And tomb or things that I specifically just want to touch on. Just as opportunities for midshipman that are not only like you were saying you don't even have to do it during your leave period. Another one of these training opportunities That would count, as we talk about Ah, the summer training box again. You have three blocks, one of which has to be a would call a cruise. So in between your freshman sophomore year, it's a surface. Cruz, you're gonna go on a ship or at least be assigned to a ship for a month, whether it's importer underway on going into your junior year. Ah, you'll be a part of pro TEM ID what you mentioned, which is basically spending a week with every community and then going into your senior year that crews will be something a little bit. You have a little bit more preference. Whether it's a submarine cruises, surface cruise and aviation cruise Leatherneck, there are a lot of different, You know, the special warfare, like quote unquote many buds, down and corner, huh? So you have all those opportunities. But then the second of your third block is we talked about his leave where you have those three days off. But then that third block is something that we call a professional training event. A PT Um and that's where when we're talking about Knowles, that is where that would fit in Is that would be considered a PT Well, there are also a lot of really other cool p t ease that allow you to travel and be outdoors in nature. Specifically, the Naval Academy has a relationship. Um, with the Philmont program, which is basically, you would get a month to lead a Boy Scout troop, Um, kind of going through in, ah, again in nature and kind of going through. I don't know the specifics. I never was able to do one of these trainings. However, you do have the opportunity to apply for that in to lead a scout, um, through this in like monthlong adventure in different locations around the country, which is truly fantastic. And then we also have a relationship with the Northern tier program, which gives you another opportunity to spend a month out in nature and outdoors and kind of go through that whole process so we can talk. Ah, at a later time about the specifics off all these different programs. But I just want to get out to the academy insider audiences that there are a ton of opportunities if you are interested in this outdoorsy, adventurous kind of lifestyle. To do that and do that as a literally a training event through the Naval Academy. Um, and I had a ton of friends in my company 26 company who were a part of the film program in the Northern Tier program who absolutely loved it. Ah, and couldn't you know, say, ah, negative thing about it because they had such a great time. Um, so that's kind of the big thing is I just want to bring awareness to the fact that these are legitimate opportunities

spk_1:   18:12
training program. Also key word being free for you as a as a mature man, you know? Well, lebron tens of purposes. I mean, but yeah, like Knowles was even my one is a staff of it was completely paid for. I completely paid for Ah, and I'm super grateful. It's Ah, you know, there's a whole foundation and a fundraising effort that goes along that it's not just like magical money that comes from the government. People do pay for it. But, um, it's really great that there's some people that care about the Naval county and what with the end all be all academy is obviously, for that matter. But I would say everything that we talked about. What I mentioned, what you mentioned except the exception of Hey, you're gonna take some leave time on your own, your own dime. Everything's, you know, covered under your military expense. When I was in Mexico was you know, it was paid for one trip and it was just and only that like I would have paid for it. It was just an amazing opportunity to do it. And it's kind of neat also that the academy and I'm sure all service academies but the noble county, particularly they put a lot emphasis on being exposed to other things. I mean, you're just like they want a well run in high school student to go to the academy, not just somebody who's like book smart or not, just a jock. They also wanted office would be well rounded. And I mean, we do a lot with foreign militaries and, like, talk about Antarctica and the full moon program and knows I mean the fact that they send you to a month in the wilderness in some bar, the country or the world. Scuse me is incredible, but they ultimately realize that that's gonna help you lead sailors underway on the ship. You know, Is there a correlation? Obviously there is. And I think it helps us all become better human beings and which is obviously it's near dear to my heart as the adventure bound podcast host. But getting outside your comfort zone and in doing things that, you know, quite frankly, scare you sometimes. But they ultimately make you a better human being

spk_0:   19:48
without a doubt. And so, ah, couple more activities at the Naval Academy that we have. So we talked about semester abroad, where you can do that at civilian institution there, civilian universities or at foreign naval academies as well. They're those opportunities on then other summer training opportunities. There. These things called El Rex. Um, and it's, you know, leadership like resource education or something. I forget the exact break out, but it's a part of the language and culture department at the Naval Academy, and these give you opportunity to go and travel and visit, um, other countries, other foreign countries, and I know one specifically as a cyber major. In the past, we've done a lot of El Rex to Estonia to take part in, like cyber policy conferences, which were truly fantastic. And recently, in 2019 I believe there was one that went, um, to, uh, basically the Asia Pacific Forum for Cyber um, which was a fantastic opportunity for Midshipman who are part of the cyber major to get to travel. I believe it was to Japan, South Korea and Australia. But I mean talk about three opportunities won if you're interested in cyber operations to go to these conferences, but then also get the opportunity to visit Japan and South Korea and Australia, and they have all of these things that one cyber specific, But they have a ton of El Rex, depending on what language you're taking, or depending what your major is or if you're just interested in specific opportunities, there are a ton of El Rex. Ah, in order to get to do all that stuff. Yeah.

spk_1:   21:19
No, Absolutely. Like I said, I think the Mexico the tall ship, I want to say that it probably wasn't a wreck looking back on it. And that was in a credit opportunity. I had to be decently fluent Spanish going to do that. But it really helped me. And I'm just an American from heads. I mean, s O that was awesome to be to do that opportunity. Ah, but now it kind of, you know, draw something back. It's not just like where you get to go the cab, but also, like, who comes to you? I mean, if the academy there Thanh of conferences, I mean, the leadership conference, other conferences and, um, you know, eyeball International ball. And I've met some new people that to this day, especially with social media, uh, we talk all the time. Uh, I have two very good friends that air ones from Scotland once from England, You know, his brother in the UK and I've been over there to visit them several times. They've been over to visit me several times. I've got buddies that are in the El Salvadorian navy. Um, I've got a Honduran friend, Costa Rican friend in a Panamanian friend. All you know, that I met at the Naval Academy into this day. Like I even went to one of one of their weddings in Costa Rica. I mean, somebody I living metal wall in Annapolis. And they were they were here. You know, the academy really does bring a lot of people from out of the country Ah, to the academy, just like this and this other place. So I would just say, keep that in mind, t like, now that made my thirties. You know, I'm still lifelong friends of some of these guys. And the guys, some, like my best friends were like the Mexicans on the Mexican tall ship. Um, and you know, how cool is that? I like, And I'm an officer up going up in the Navy, ranks in the American navy, and I've got no equivalent rank like pretty good friends that we speak Spanish in English to that air in Mexico, like in a savage or in Brazil. We're still talking to this day, So it's kind of neat

spk_0:   22:53
with without a doubt, and that's as we just continue to have this conversation. So for me, there was a midshipman ah, from South Korea who was a part of the 26 company during my time at the academy who actually was there for all four years. So you'll see to separate types of like foreign exchange midshipman at the academy there, one who were doing basically, like a year longer, a semester long exchange. Ah, and then there will be people who are literally coming for all four years where they are technically like a United States Naval Academy midshipman. But then, upon commissioning, they will commission into their respective country's navy, which is a really cool opportunity as well. But if you are walking around the Naval Academy, ah, lot of times you'll see people in military uniform that doesn't look like the rest of the other magicians perform. And that's because we do have a bunch of foreign military, whether it's instructors and staff that we have now, the Naval Academy auras well as midshipmen that air there that will be wearing their country's uniforms as well. So it is just something that you're walking around Academy that you may

spk_1:   23:52
notice. It's really need. We had a guy in my company, ninth Company from Lithuania. I mean, like he was and he was like, just Well, we started playing summer together and we graduate together, and now he's, you know, active duty Navy Naval officer in Lithuania. We still, you know, we saw keeping in touch on social media, but it is in the opportunity, I'm I. There's a Japanese instructor here, commander of the academy, because I work, you're not full time and like I'm very, very not good at Japanese. But I got practice with him, and he's like a legit from Japan like here for a couple of years, and it just it's just a really neat opportunity because because we are the Naval Academy, not just like a random college that with the whole, you know, part of the military is that you know, we try, the military tries to relationships other countries, and so I feel like the grand level, you know, basis for all those really ships oftentimes is carried out through places like the Military Academy in the Naval Academy, in the air Force Academy, it multiple countries across the world. And because we are, you know, we're not just like a part of the Navy were then the the Naval Academy. So we have a lot of dignitaries that come from other countries, you know, not just, you know, lieutenants and chairman, but like admirals and generals, from Asian countries in South American countries, in European countries. So it's really need to be able to have those opportunities. For sure,

spk_0:   25:08
I couldn't agree more. It is super special, which is it's another fun, unique aspect of the Naval Academy is we talked about that as you're just getting exposure to all of these different cultures and how they handle themselves in, like, the different things that they have within their military, their standards, their cultures, their rules and regulations that they're used to are not used to it. Just a great way to get exposure to all those different things. Absolutely. Um, but I do want to move now back a little bit, Maur into some of the adventures that you have been on for all these interested parents out there. That may be, you know, maybe want their babies to come home during leave, but they're also want them to do cool, fun things. What are some of out of all of the places that you have been? Now, what are some of the favorite places that you've been to? And what place is that? You think that a midshipman during their leave period coat could go do, um and that you would recommend? Yeah, that's a

spk_1:   26:05
great question. I mean, because a lot of my adventurous activities have been in there over the last year and 1/2. Um, I talked with Mexican tall ship. I went to Puerto Rico once or twice for spring break more for the Spanish side to speak Spanish than anything else. Um, I recently just climbed amount Whitney a few weeks ago with my brother and my best friend, which is the tallest mountain in the lower 48 like 14,500 feet tall. Ah, and that is certainly something that anybody could do. You could apply for you. It was about, ah, week, long time. We flew out there for the time that we summited and came back down and got, you know, acclimatized all the good stuff. That something you could certainly do over a spring break. Uhm, what need eventually comes to mind that I've done with my wife and my then six month old son actually flew into Jackson Hole, Wyoming rented a sprinter Mercedes Benz sprinter camper van for a week, and we toured around the Tetons and Yellowstone for about six days and got to explore Yellowstone at Evan out of a cameraman, which is really great vehicle because my wife was nursing at the time. Ah, we didn't really, you know, want to pay for lodging, but it was cool because we were sleeping in the vehicle, were driving around and talk about just a neat opportunity to experience outdoors and the wildlife that is in Yellowstone. The tee times when we saw literally every single animal. I mean Grizzlies, wolves, you know, Bull moose, elk. You know, Black bears me everything. Ah, you know, in our week there, it's just it's everywhere. So that was really the opportunity and something. Certainly one that and even shipment with a week or a month off. Long as they put the the perfect leave shit and they go, D'oh! Ah! And it was relatively not too expensive. especially view. You're smart about a trip like that, and maybe you've got a really good credit card to get those airline points and look for me in that situation, like renting a camper van like you could split that you could, you could you could asleep. You could sleep. You know, four people, nothing to a pop top, a queen size bed and two down below. So it is on your knee things you could do those somebody's a kind of mine. I was like I said earlier, that going to 12 national parks in 12 months and now my son's been tomb or just randomly, and I have been a few more than that. I mean all kinds of opportunities in any national park. I'm a huge fan from Pennsylvania, but a huge fan of going out West. If you're gonna go to Seattle like out hiding hers, you took out one of three national parks. I mean, the Grand Canyon was incredible. My adventure bound podcast pro tip would be go to the North Room at the South Rim. They have Ponderosa pines, and it's 1000 feet higher in elevation. It's just way more beautiful. A Zabar's with scenery. I mean, there's so many cool things, like go to Yosemite. But maybe dio in an off season, Um, just incredible things. And also that would encourage, you know, midshipman listening this or, you know, parents that, like, you know, your son or daughter like we'll need an escape and you're coming home is really great and like, But at the end of the day, like you can I come home and, like, you know, watch TV and throwing genes for so many days, it'd be nice to do an adventurous activity as a midshipman. Home on brakes are like if you live in South Florida like maybe take him to the Everglades like if you're up in Maine like, definitely go to a Katie like a national park or even just a national force, you just go for a camping trip. I mean, midshipmen are like campers, but, um, you said they are adventurous type people, generally speaking, and it's always fun to do something that's completely different than what you're doing 300 days of the year, the Naval Academy. So that's why I've kind of encouraging, like doing these crazy hikes or go on a camping trip or go skydiving or do something that's gonna like, you know, blow your socks off because the day today, the academy you know your heads in a book or multiple books you're sending out e mails. You're shining your shoes, you know you're going to class. And it's nice to go to do these adventures activities when you're not there.

spk_0:   29:37
Absolutely. And thank you so much for sharing that for anyone. Anyone listening, Who wants to learn more about your input that you talk about through adventure bound and kind of just want to listen to some of your adventures, your stories and things that you talked about on your podcast? Where can they go to learn more about you? Ah, and Maura, about adventure bound?

spk_1:   29:58
Absolutely. Yes. So my podcasts have said, is the adventure bound podcast. It can be found anywhere you have Podcast. Ah, and where you get your podcasts? ITunes, Spotify stitcher, Pandora. Ah, the website is live adventure bound dot com and we've got a pretty good all me. I've got a pretty good, um, social media presents on instagram and the the handle is at adventure bound pod P o D Ah, and also working on a Facebook group right now, I'm not sure which nature I want to go, you know, kind of just like an adventure bound the group from listening or maybe more of like an itch, like adventurers and national parks, but a place that we can all connect and link up and share like my ideas. So working on the app about Time is this episode airs probably every disc Regal adventure bound and the group's tab under Facebook. You'll find a little bit what we're doing in some of the guests we've had on there.

spk_0:   30:45
Fantastic. And if you missed any of that, but you are interested, we will put links to everything that Rob has mentioned. So you can go to the show notes and be able to find. All the resource is that you need to learn more about Rob and the adventure bound podcast. Um, Rob, thank you so much again for taking the time to come on here and share. Ah, you're inside your stories and expertise with us, so we always always appreciate it.

spk_1:   31:11
Grand brother again. Thanks for another podcast. Love what you're doing. Keep it up and thanks

spk_0:   31:15
for just being awesome. I appreciate it. And likewise and again for anyone who is listening to this episode and may be interested in some of the summer trainings that we talked about, You can find a ton of information, actually just on the Naval Academy website. If you Google things like Philmont or Northern Tier or Knowles along with U. S. N a. N L. Rex, you'll be able to find a ton more information. Or if you do want to learn more, you can shoot me a message, um, on my Facebook page. Or you can send me an email support at academy insider dot com, and I'll be glad to get you the information that you are looking for. But again, Rob, thank you so much for taking the time to come on here. This episode was really just talking about all the awesome opportunities that are presented to Midshipman Ah, that want that outdoorsy or adventurous side of things that they can do Ah, four free on the Navy or, you know, on their own. So again, thank you so much into the Academy Academy insider audience. Thanks for listening. I hope you guys enjoyed it. and have a great day. Thank you guys. So much for listening. I hope you enjoyed Rob, and you should definitely go check out his podcast, the adventure bound podcast. And I hope you enjoyed and learned a little bit about some training opportunities for Midshipman that will give them the opportunity to be outdoors, be adventurous and get to travel around the world. Please leave me a review on Apple podcast and be sure to subscribe. And if you want to learn more about the Naval Academy, experience, the life of a midshipman or just generally life in Annapolis, go check out my page, www dot academy insider dot com or my Facebook Page Academy insider Again. All links discussed in the show are listed in the show notes to go check them out and again, I'm Grand Premiere, your academy insider and thank you so much for letting me be your guide to the United States Naval Academy