3 Life Lessons Chandelle Learned from Firefighter Recruit School

For the past few months, I have been training to become a Volunteer Firefighter. It has probably been one of the hardest experiences of my life. But it has also been one of the best experiences as well.

Before becoming an actual firefighter for the department, each person must first pass a recruit class that teaches us as much as a person can possibly learn about firefighting in a a short amount of time. The class is somewhat military style, in that we have to call every person on the department by their full title, we basically have to do anything they say, at any time, and one wrong move is going to get you pushups. It's definitely not easy. Lets just say, the class started with 10 people just two weeks ago - we are already down to 5.

So as you can imagine, the class is anything but easy. But so far, I have learned about more than just firefighting. Like some important things to remember throughout life...

1. Your arms will never actually fall off - but you'll wish they would

I have literally never done so many push ups in my life. Any little thing you do wrong is going to get you, or your team, push ups. Have you ever heard the term 'I think my arms are going to fall off?' You'll hear that a lot in recruit school. But unfortunately, they never actually do. Which means you're stuck doing more push ups.

2. Everything is a trick

Literally, everything. If you think you are being asked a simple question, it's definitely a trick. And, the even trickier part? It doesn't matter how you answer - you're probably going to suffer in some way, shape or form. But the constant guessing keeps things interesting. You never know what you're going to get. (It's most likely going to be push ups though.)

3. DON'T DATE ONE OF YOUR SUPERIORS!

Don't get me wrong, I love my boyfriend. But I don't necessarily LIKE him after a long night of recruit class. A girl can only do so many pushups with her boyfriend watching before things start to get weird. Speaking of weird - having to refer to someone your dating as 'Senior Firefighter, O'Grady' kind of tops that list. Not to mention, you're probably going to get called out more than anyone else, just because of your relationship status. Hope you like pushups!

We are only two weeks into recruit school, and have way more to go. So I'm sure more life lessons are to come - all involving pushups.