Rough Awakening The day was over and I lay in my rack wide awake wishing I was in my bed at home. As I recalled the events of the day, I began to fully understand the significance of my decision to join the Navy. I was about to spend my first night in Navy boot camp. I thought about the shower I had experienced before. It was my first experience of a mass community shower. The shower was a very large yellow-tiled stall with 12 chrome shower heads. Six on each hip evenly spaced. Showering with two girls in the lead, the order to hurry was barked by the RDC women monitoring us. RDCs are recruiting division commanders; they are responsible for our boot camp learning experience. The next group of girls nervously waited their turn just outside the box. The shower experience was definitely something I had to get used to. I lay on the top shelf of my bunk, feeling sad and a little silly. I missed my family and friends and felt like a fool for feeling so emotional and sad. I was surprised at how sad I felt and thought maybe I was a child. I turned my head to take in my surroundings and noticed the girl in the top bunk next to me. She was lying on her stomach propped up on her elbows and crying as she wrote, probably a letter to someone she missed from home. I could hear her soft, weak sobs. I could see from the look on his face that he was suppressing the urge to cry hard. I looked around the rest of the room and soon got the impression that this girl and I weren't the only ones feeling sad. I was cold and tired and knew I should get some sleep, so I curled up and fell asleep. I don't remember actually falling asleep. I only remember being woken up by a series of loud crashes. The crashes were followed by voices piercing the darkness. I sat down and without thinking I jumped out of bed, not remembering that I was on the top shelf, and surprisingly landed on my feet.