Military Reflections

18 days from now marks the anniversary of my leaving home for basic training. Until that time, I had never been away from home for more than a week and a half. Upon leaving, I was gone until late July (with a 3 day visit home in May). Then in November, I left once again. This time, to return the following December. In my first 12 months of Military service, I have been gone for 8 months with 11 months to go!

Looking back at 2007, it was a turning point for my life. I haven't been home long enough to see how I've changed, but I know when I left that January 30th,it was the first time I stayed in a hotel without knowing anyone there! I was scared. 21 years old and scared to go to a hotel by myself! Basic training, it was the first time I had woken up before the sun twice in the same year, much less, 9 weeks in a row! AIT, I got my first tattoo and experienced life with roommates. (Basic Training doesn't count because there's no resemblance of real life :) ). I had to start over with all new friends. It was the first time in my life, since I was too young to remember, that I was told what to eat, what to wear, where to go and when, when to wake up, when to go to bed, when to eat, basically every aspect of my life was out of my hands! During my time away from home, it surprised me what I missed and even more, what I didn't miss. Things that had seemed so important before were now nothing. Yet, things like photography, listening to music, pizza, even going to Wal-Mart, I began to miss. It really brought things into prospective! It goes without saying that I missed my friends and family.

There were some really good things about this too. To date, I haven't mowed my lawn since late summer '06! I haven't mowed at all since Aug '07. My goal is 1 year. If only to make up for years past! Oddly enough, I did find myself missing the smell of fresh cut grass, or grass at all for that matter! The east coast has a ton of sand and not much grass!!! I got to spend a few weeks with my aunt and uncle. Their house is pretty cool! Just 4 blocks or so, there's a downtown/restaurant area with some really good food. I hear that in the summer, there's a lot going on at night including outdoor live music! Go another 2 blocks, and you're at the train station into Chicago! I drove up there (150 miles) with 1/2 a tank of gas. Over the next 2 weeks, I used less than the other 1/2 tank of gas! I could walk to places! It was awesome! Twice, I hopped the train to Chicago, watched an episode of Prison Break on my trusty laptop and I was there!

Already, I'm making plans for '09. If I have any control over it, '09 will be a normal year again. I'm gonna party like it's 2009! 2009 includes going to college, which is what got me into this position in the first place! Frequent trips to Chicago are likely. Maybe try to pick up a job at the local music store. I'm having a car worked on while deployed. If things go as planned, I'll be driving around in a '67 MGB convertible! I'll also be visiting my Aunt and Uncle at least once a month. None of these things would have been possible if I hadn't signed up! Plus, I get an all expense paid trip for one, to Iraq! I'm looking forward to what will come, and looking back, seeing what God has brought me through. I may not have understood it at the time, and I'll admit, I'm not completely sure at this point. But I know that God brought me here for a reason. I know I made the right choice.

P.S. I am convinced that hell is 34 degrees, raining and perpetually 5am with no coffee.