Palau Reflections- Chloe Hypes

What was it like traveling to Palau?

Traveling to Palau for the second time was amazing. I had a better idea of what to expect, so I was better packed. I absolutely love the people, culture, and nature of Palau. Being in Palau was a unique experience because I was so detached from my regular world. The lack of contact back home was unusual for me, but it also let me focus more on the beauty of Palau.

What was the biggest challenge you or your team faced and how was it handled?

The biggest challenge our team faced was either navigation or GoPro management. Navigation was new to all of us because in prior years, we weren’t functional enough to run GPS search patterns. I think most of the team stepped up to learn how to navigate, but we will definitely practice more before next year’s mission. Also, I don’t think we were exactly prepared for the amount of cameras and footage we had. We consulted Rick from GoPro for help, and we learned from our mistakes in organization.

What was the most memorable part of the trip?

The most memorable part of the trip for me was the morning on the boat that Dr. Scannon talked about Operation Desecrate. Imagining the calm, beautiful spot the way he described it would be during battle, with ships and planes and gunfire, further brought our mission into perspective. It was very powerful experience and I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to be a part of it.

Do you feel the trip was a success, why?

I feel that the trip was a success. We made it to Palau for a third year, and our ROV worked the best it ever has. Also, our teamwork on the boat went exceptionally well. However, I think that we should continue to challenge ourselves as a team to have even more successes. I believe that if we keep improving our teamwork, ROV, navigation skills, organizations, and other team aspects, we will be more successful.

What is the one thing you will remember the most from the trip?

One thing I will always remember from this trip was getting to drive the Deep Trekker over the Jake SeaPlane. I was really happy I got the opportunity to do something more engineering related, and imaging the SeaPlane was a really cool experience. It was memorable because driving the Deep Trekker, at first, was really out of my comfort zone. I am happy I got the opportunity to challenge myself.

If you could do it again would you?  Why?

I would love the opportunity to go to Palau again. I am passionate about this mission, I have invested a large amount of time and energy into this project over the last two years, and I feel that I could be a better leader and teammate next year because of my experience level. This mission and trip has changed my life by shaping my character and giving me many new opportunities, as well as giving me something to be truly passionate about while learning.

What did you learn about yourself on this trip?

On this trip, I learned that I am capable of more than I thought. Many things that I was terrified to do the first year like take charge on the boat or during briefings became easy for me this year. I feel like I have discovered that I have potential as a leader. I also learned that I am getting better at working under pressure and handling problems that crop up while in Palau. Mostly, I saw a change in my confidence level on this trip.

How do you feel this experience will help you in the future?

This experience has helped me become a more confident, motivated individual. I also have learned how to work with people I don’t always get along with and handle stressful situations. This will help me in the future because I will be more prepared for a job environment than others that didn’t have this experience. I will be able to draw from my experience on the team when I am in a job setting, and I will be better equipped to deal with problems.

What should we do differently the next time?

Next time, I think we should avoid the media distractions. I understand that positive attention is a good thing, but it was hard to focus on the mission with the distraction of all the camera crews. Also, avoiding a typhoon would be ideal. Other than that, I feel that our team should just keep challenging ourselves to be better teammates, engineers, and marketers.

-Chloe Hypes, Junior, Team Leader