Down from the clouds

I’m back from my three day pass and feeling a little strange. Being able to spend time with my girlfriend was amazing. To see her smile and wrap my arms around her was enough to make me the happiest man in Texas. I have missed her so much. The most difficult part of this deployment has been the distance between me and the people I love. For a few short days it seemed like I was home again. I know I wasn’t the only soldier that felt this way. Snuggling up together to watch a movie I felt absolutely content, though I don’t thing content conveys a strong enough description. Meghan and I spent our time laughing, eating great food and basking in each other’s company. For those soldiers who were able to fly their wife or girlfriend down here it was an incredible weekend. For those who couldn’t, it was at a minimum a much needed opportunity to relax and recharge their batteries.

Now we’re back at our training camp, back in our uniforms ready to finish business. There are only 23 more days to go until we are all back on planes headed for home. Our Christmas leave is just around the corner and that has made saying goodbye to our loved ones just a little bit easier. Admittedly, though I know I’ll see her in a few weeks, I already miss Meghan desperately. It’s difficult to have such a wonderful though short time together and have to go back to an Army life without her. She is still in Texas as I write this and won’t catch a plane back home until morning. It makes it even harder to know that she is less than 30 miles away and yet I still can’t be with her. It’s sad to know that she’ll be sleeping alone in our hotel room tonight. Hopefully she won’t let the quiet make her sad.

My training here in Texas is nearly complete. A few more weeks left and we begin packing up our junk and shipping it off to wherever we’re headed next. The first chapter of this story is coming to a close and I’m excited and apprehensive to see how it all ends.

This weekend was great. I wish I could put it more clearly into words. Seeing Meghan has reminded me how much I truly miss home and how excited I am to see my family and friends after so much time. For those readers who have soldiers in Iraq or on their way, know that you never leave our thoughts. You are what keep us going and what inspire us most.