A few months ago I wrote about about how I will be learning something new due to a new role in my career. Indeed that new role has started and I am currently in an island made out of steel in the middle of nowhere. How did I end up here? Well it just takes one half an hour chopper flight and here I am, quite simple really.
It took me a while to get my orientation on this rig, I forgot where my office is every now and then. Going outside is dangerous, you’re exposed to high pressure hoses and lines, heavy objects dropping, heavy machineries crushing you and the likes. Situational awareness is crucial in a place like this. I met around 40+ new people in a day and of course, I forgot everyone’s name in an instant. People here takes care of each other, it really is like a one big dysfunctional family.
The more I hangout with the people here, the more I know about their story. Everyone is either married or have someone to talk to back at home. As for me? Not so much but it didn’t bother me…. Or at least that’s what I thought. The first few days were no problem, I had a lot of things to learn so no worries. Coming days, with the onset of second wave of COVID-19 and the whole country in lockdown, going home seems like a pipe dream with all the chopper home cancelled to keep infections at bay. I went to bed feeling alone that night.
The thing about being new in a place where no one knows you is that you can’t really talk about how you really feel. I think it’s more of my own issue with opening up but honestly, I’m not kidding when I say people here look after each other. I started to open up more, was involved in more activities and people was just so inviting to share their experiences with me.
I’ve always said to myself; if I find a job, I don’t want to go offshore. It turns out, it’s not so bad once you go there. They look after you and you look after them. It’s simple really. Sometimes you might have a bad day because you get told off for not knowing the simple drilling terms but that’s okay, the people and the sunset talks to you.
Just when I started to know the people here and learn the pace, I was told that due to the current rise in cases, they have to send me back return to my old team. I don’t know if I’ll miss this place or not but it’s definitely an experience that really made me see many things in a different way.
Until then,
Exploration Cycles 