So here I am, in the middle of nowhere, miles from civilization (and McDonald's), surrounded by nothing but tall trees and ravines as far as the eye can see. This place kind of reminds me of what I imagine a rehab center to be like. But to be honest, all this quiet, early rises and an abundance of nature only makes me want a drink even more. I guess I'm just not that country.
I've been in rural Georgia for the last couple of days on a hostile-territory training course, but don't worry, it's not as hostile as it sounds. It's basically a seven-day course that teaches you how to survive when working in a hostile territory, namely Iraq or Afghanistan. I think it's MTV's polite way of telling me I'm going to a war zone real soon.
I arrived late last night at Atlanta's airport after missing my first flight, but after a one-hour drive I finally arrived at the lodge I would be calling home for the next five days. I guess the best way for me to describe this place is "Little House on the Prairie" meets "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." By day this place is beautiful with acres upon acres of forest, lakes and stunning wildlife, but by night it turns into something else. The trees become creepy, the coyotes come out and howl, and a lot of things go bump in the night. Maybe I've just watched too many horror films, but on our drive a few miles from where Joseph (one of MTV News' top producers) and myself are staying, something caught my eye. We were a few miles from our destination, and the last building we saw was a very old gas station, not at all like the ones back home in Manhattan. This one was straight out of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," complete with a one-eyed old man sitting in a rocking chair outside, his face lit up by a solitary flickering light. No lie! We truly are in the deep, deep South.
Anyway, where we're staying is fantastic, and this course is undoubtedly one of the best that I've been on. It's a military warfare-based course that fuses theory with actual practical hands-on exercises. The course is taught by Curt, a special-forces officer from New Zealand, and Tom, a British medic — and believe me, these guys know their stuff. Both have served their country at the highest levels, and Curt in particular has spent over 10 years living and working in the world's most war-torn countries on Earth, like Iraq, Afghanistan and Haiti to name a few.
Taking the course with me are some of CNN, NBC and NPR's top producers and news correspondents (no joke!), and although a big part of the day is spent in the classroom, learning about personal security, the dangers of a hostile territory and advanced first-aid trauma, the crazy part of the course comes in the afternoon. The course includes surprise real-life role-playing scenarios ranging from delivering first aid whilst under gunfire, evasive driving maneuvers, hostage situations, kidnapping, emergency evacuations, weapons combat, CPR, navigating rough terrain and all that Rambo stuff. I love it!
Apart from not being in Iraq or Afghanistan, the instructors put a lot of effort into making these scenarios as real and as engaging as possible. For example, you never know when something is going to happen; you just know that it will!
When they did this course a few months ago, the instructors actually kidnapped a student in the middle of the night, threw a black bag over his head and forced the guy into the back of a car to simulate a real-life kidnapping. Maybe that's just a rumor, maybe the course is that intense or maybe, just maybe, the instructors just didn't like the guy. Either way, it's pretty damn cool.
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