Let the celebration begin! Happy Ramadan everyone.

If you don’t mind, I’ll be blowing my noise maker in the bunker celebrating with a case of vodka and bag of pork rinds.

 

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Back in Texas. My flight left out of Chicago this morning at 6:40am. It’s approaching noon now, and soldiers from all over the country are starting to trickle into the USO office. We won’t be leaving for several hours, so here I am… taking advantage of the wireless internet service. I’m feeling very relieved to be heading back to my obligations. Part of the relief is to finish what’s already been started, and another part is to leave the oddness that was home. I’m still having a hard time sorting everything that I felt or that I did while on leave. I think I’ll just let it all fester for a while and write it out when it’s ready. There is still a long journey ahead of me as I’ve only just begun the trek back to the middle east. So, I’m just trying to relax and let the plane take me back to my fate. Also, I am admittedly horrible at goodbyes. I’m sorry if it wasn’t exactly the picture perfect farewell that people may have wanted, but that just isn’t my way. I’m the kind who would rather just dissapear instead of long, sad, drawn-out partings. So, for whomever I may not have hugged or kissed or said ‘I love you’ to, forgive me. Understand that I will truely miss everyone.

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Well, I have arrived. A full 24 hours are behind me on R & R. The flight/s to get here were abismal. 4 flights (Iraq to Kuwait to Ireland to Texas to Chicago). A total of 22 hours in the air. Nearly 3 days to get home including layover time. But I’m home.

It’s hard to process feelings right now so I’ll leave that for another blog. For now, everyone should know that I’ve made it safe and sound.

Things that are making me giddy right now:
1. Taking a hot shower whenever I damn well please! (I am determined to take at least 3 a day while I’m home.)
2. Taking a crap in something other than a porta john or a toilet where you can’t throw toilet paper into! (It’s amazing how much nicer it is to take a #2 without having to smell someone else’s in the waste basket next to you.)
3. Driving. Driving. Driving. I’m actually having a hard time pushing the gas past 55 mph. It feels so GD fast compared to the 20 mph speed limit on Anaconda!

Till next time!

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