Well, today was the day! I took Laura to the Tucson airport this morning (which was a lot closer than I thought. After constant driving of 8, 10 and 12 hours, driving only an hour is no problem.) and had to say goodbye. And yes, it was as hard, if not harder than I thought it would be. It’s not that I was upset because now I’m on my own officially, we’d just grown so close during the trip that it really was hard to say goodbye and acknowledge that it was over. But, we’ve both got a life to live and work to do … so we deal, just like everybody else. (Secretly though, we were trying to make plans on when we could see each other again. My buddy Mike, who’s been in the Army longer and done more than I have, says that the key to getting through it is to always set a date of when you’ll see each other again and focus on that date. Sounds like good advice.)
After getting back to Sierra Vista I took the time to drive through town. I stopped at Radio Shack to pick up some electronic stuff I need, then Target to fill up the fridge (it’s funny shopping for food when all you have to cook it with is a microwave … kind of limits the options). After Target I just started driving around, and I”m honestly surprised at how much stuff is here at Sierra Vista. While Fort Huachuca is smaller than I thought, Sierra Vista is bigger than I imagined. There’s actually a good bit to do here (not to mention the countless places to visit in the area).
I found a bike shop and went in to introduce myself (I consider myself a fairly avid mountain and road biker, and brought both bikes with me in hopes I’ll get to use them). Turns out, there’s a mountain bike race on post at the end of the month and the course (which I hope to try to ride this weekend) isn’t too bad. I’m not sure if I’ll enter or not, but I definitely want to get out and ride the course.
I also saw a BofA, which reminded me I need to square away my finances, a Toyota dealer, which reminded me I need to have my brakes and shocks looked at, and a Quizno’s, which reminded my stomach it was lunch time.
After lunch at Quizno’s I jumped on the computer for a bit and got some great news: I’ve been accepted into the PhD program in International Relations at the University of Georgia. I’m completely and totally excited about this opportunity, and now I really can’t wait until I get back so I can get started. I’m going to order a few entry-level Int’l Rel textbooks so I can start brushing up on my fundamentals.
I drove around post a bit, found the barber shop, the clothing and sales store, and dropped by the field house so I could get registered as a member. Then went for a nice little run. I tell you, this elevation up here takes its toll. I wasn’t pushing too hard (though there were a few hills I ran), but I was breathing hard and could definitely feel it. It’ll take a few weeks to get adjusted, but after that (especially with the bike riding), I should be an in-shape maniac.
Tomorrow is the big day … I’m going to go out and take some pics of the mountains and post them, but then just hang out around the room and make sure I’m ready for in-processing tomorrow. I anticipate it being a long day filled with paperwork, waiting in line, paperwork, and more waiting in line.
Gotta love the Army.
If you’re interested in seeing pics from the trip, I posted the one’s from my camera to my shutterfly account: www.wesriddle.shutterfly.com (there’s a link to the right as well).
