Bay Area mother, son reunited on USS Somerset Tiger Cruise to Fleet Week
Kim Rixen, the mother of a Navy navigation technician, was reunited with her son aboard the USS Somerset, as the ship embarked to San Francisco Fleet Week.
Her son, Connor, joined the Navy one-and-a-half years ago.
Connor grew up in the East Bay, spending most of his upbringing in El Sobrante. Kim moved to the East Coast, while Connor stayed in the Bay Area where his father, sister, brother, and cousins still live.
"A lot has changed in my life in the last year and a half. I've seen a lot of new things (and have had) a lot of new experiences. It's been great. I learned a lot, as well. I'm just excited to take this new journey that the Navy's brought me upon," Connor said. "I miss my family the most. I got a new niece (and) a new nephew I can't really see much because I'm out here."
As for how this reunion happened, Connor was able to bring Kim aboard the USS Somerset on a Tiger Cruise, a naval voyage allowing family and friends of deployed soldiers to spend time on an open-sea embarkment.
Kim said she found out about Tiger cruises online and asked Connor to look into it.
"I was really stoked to get her onboard, so she could see what I see every day. And get a little bit of the life," Connor told CBS News Bay Area. "(When) you go to bed late in your rack every night, you think about your family and how much you miss them. It's good that I can just wake up in the morning (and) go eat breakfast with my mom while I'm here out at sea."
Kim and Connor were able to share meals together and spend time whenever Connor wasn't working on the ship. Their voyage last three days and two nights, as the USS Somerset embarked from San Diego to San Francisco.
"It's amazing what he's done. Amazing what all these people have done. It's great. Everyone's got their job to do," Kim said. "It's just been a great experience for me to be here with my son (and) see what he does."
After attending Fleet Week several times growing up in the East Bay, Connor is looking forward to be a part of his first one.
"Now, I get to be in the middle of it. I'll have my family and friends there to see what's going on," Connor said. "I'm just happy to be here. (I) get to have my mom with me (and) get to hopefully go see my family while I'm there if I get a little bit of time away from work."
There is some heartbreak Connor will experience while he's briefly back home: he's an Oakland sports fan and is returning to the Bay Area for the first time since his A's played their final game at the Coliseum.
A full list of CBS News Bay Area SF Fleet Week stories and videos can be found here.