Final Goodbyes

Yesterday was the final half-day of my pass, and the last time I'll be home before the trip overseas. The pass was a bittersweet event for me. I had a lot of fun and a great weight lifted for a couple of days. However, I had to say my goodbyes all over again, with the absolute knowledge that this will be the last time to see these faces for some months. It opened the wound of homesickness afresh. Even so, I would not have missed it for the world. It's incredible how much I miss Ashley. I think she's taking the whole thing in stride. We keep telling each other, and I know it's true: we'll make it through this, together.

The next couple of days are important in the Big Army's process, but as an individual soldier I'm getting a lot of down time. We leave for the next station in a few days, and I couldn't be more mentally ready for the change. Or rather, couldn't be more ready to get out of The-Middle-Of-Nowhere, Wisconsin. I don't know what to expect in Iraq, but I'm anxious to get there and learn what my daily rhythm will be like. Once that happens, I can learn when to relax without keeping myself at the constant high alert.