My Real Job: Jamie Burke

My Real Job: Jamie Burke

I guess what you call my real job depends on the time of year. For many months of the year I am a PhD student in Outdoor Education at the University of New Hampshire. That job does not really lend itself to entertaining videos or photos. I suppose I could just take a lot of pictures of the piles of books in my room and the inside of my office and library, but what fun would that be (well, I guess if you were a bibliophile you might enjoy it).

So instead, I'll write about the job I have when school's not in session, which is being an Outward Bound Instructor and Outdoor Educator. When I work for Outward Bound, my primary role is as a sailing instructor... I spend 20+ days out on a 30 foot sailboat with ten to twelve, 14-18 year olds. It is quite the adventure.
We have some turbulent seas and crazy weather and see some beautiful sights off the coast of Maine. We sail, we rock-climb, we do service projects, and most of all we have a lot of fun. I absolutely love being able to watch as the kids, who have never sailed before, become so comfortable and confident in themselves out there. It really does make the long, sleepless nights worth it!

I will say, sometimes it's hard to stay in shape when you're out on a boat for that long, so I usually talk the kids into doing intervals while we row and also make sure we go ashore every other day to run on the many islands off the coast. They sometimes make fun of me because I am constantly rigging up something to use to exercise while we are underway. I'll lift our 45 pound water jugs or do planks on the deck... anything to make sure I don't lose any fitness while I'm out for three weeks. It's always a challenge but always worth it!