This is the last post before I leave. I kinda thought I'd never get to write that. I've been terrible about updating this blog, and I doubt many of you even read this anymore, but I just wouldn't feel right if I didn't sum this up somehow.
I would like to preface this with how I've done here, and point out that I've had a great couple days, so anything written in this part of the blog is written in complete emotional stability.
I am officially class Ironwoman. I wanted that award SO BAD, but had pretty much figured I wouldn't get it, because something always happens and lets face it, there's a couple females here who can out push me and that's worth more than seconds on the two mile run (14:15 thank you very much). Due to some events, some demonstrating my mental strength, some demonstrating the functionality of my fitness level, I have earned that award. The cadre chalked it up to my physical strength, mental strength, and working my butt off for it. I am finally proud of my accomplishments here, it almost makes the significant emotional events I experienced here worth it. My academic performance wasn't quite as strong, but I managed to demonstrate a capability above the average of the class, and while I don't really test that well, I do brief extremely well. Well enough to stand up in front of a Major General (two stars) and brief a product I developed.
Most of you know me well enough to know how goal oriented and competitive I am. That worked to my advantage and disadvantage here. To my advantage, I worked my ass off and got more out of this course than some people might. To my disadvantage, I was miserable out here. Its hard to work as hard as you can on something, then watch people who haven't get credit for the same accomplishments you've worked so hard to earn. I'm not naming names, but those of you reading this who were in my class, know who I am talking about. I've been fortunate though. I met a few really great people here, I've met a few I wish I hadn't as well...but that goes for some folks I met before I got here too. That's life I reckon.
Aside from what I just mentioned, there's been some issues with the class just getting along. Naturally in a situation like this there's going to be a few personality conflicts, but this goes beyond that. A member of our class, without the intestinal fortitude to behave like an adult, took extremely serious action against another couple classmates. That one action, taken by someone who didn't have the balls (sorry) to say anything to anyone, gave our class the nickname "Bad News Bears" our class has been so black listed that other classes have been briefed on "our" behavior. OUR?? No, I'll take responsibility for joking about making similar complaints, but I will not take responsibility for the stupidity and irresponsibility of that classmate's actions.
I should mention that we also had a group in our class get in a fight at the beginning of the course, and had another classmate make a pretty bad decision that I won't mention here. Long story short, as I write this I realize that we were pretty much a bunch of trouble makers. However, I resent being labeled a troublemaker simply because of the class I happened to join when I got here.
After what I've mentioned, it may be easy to see that Fort Huachuca is a suicide hotspot. There have been three suicides here in the last month. I challenge anyone who thinks I'm being dramatic about the mental challenge of this course to come try it, with my classmates, during a wildfire, get broken up with while you're out here, watch half your home state get ripped off the map by tornadoes, and make it through without ever being depressed. That said, it could have been worse...it must've been for the three soldiers we lost this month. The positive is not only that I learned a few new skills while I was here- from Site Exploitation (think CSI/NCIS stuff), to learning EVERYTHING about being an intelligence officer, to rock climbing- but I also got to see a good friend I haven't seen in two years, made some incredible new friends, the most important positive is how much closer I am to God now. He is the reason I got through this experience. He has blessed me with a capable body that not only is strong enough to allow me to be a soldier, but to be one of the strongest female soldiers here. He has blessed me with a capable mind, smart enough to get me through this course, and strong enough to handle the homesickness, pain of heartache and worry, and challenge of being accused of being a part of a bad class. With a little more work, I hope I'll get better at giving Him my worries and concerns, and trusting that He will give me what I need, not what I think I need.
To end I'll say that I'm glad to have this experience behind me. I'm lucky to have met the people I did out here that made the times that could be fun an incredible adventure (Thanks Robin and Garrett, and All you other folks...you know who you are), I'm thankful for the wonderful support I have through my family (all 60+ of y'all!!) and at my Unit, y'all have been amazing, and are the reason I could not give up, I'm thankful for the beauty of the mountains out here, and of all the fun places there were to go here (East and West Cochise Stronghold, Tombstone-even though Rick and I were hanged there, Phoenix, Tucson and Mount Lemmon) the people I went there with, Robin, Garrett, and our climbing crew.
This has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life, and I'm better for it.
Thanks to everyone who listened throughout the last 4 months!!!
The View
The view of Sierra Vista on the way to Carr Peak before the fire
Friday, August 19, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Weeks 13 and 14 (11-24 July, Days 53-62)
Hi, I know its been a while since I've talked to y'all. Its been an INSANE couple of weeks.
I won't bog you down in the drama of what's been going on here. All I'll say about it is that we've had some LONG days, because naturally I was getting into a groove again...I'm beginning to think this is all on purpose. Either way, I've come to a conclusion. I don't care even the slightest about what's going on here besides what's going on in class. I've been here for 3 months now, and all I've been trying to do is get my job done (my job being doing well in class) despite distraction after distraction. I'm here to prove to myself that I can handle as much crap as life can throw at me! With the help of God I'm learning lessons about myself and pushing myself to follow my personal goals, even when most people would say its impossible (eh-hem, qualifying for Boston in October and making it to the Olympics one day).
I know I write one of these super motivated blog entries about once a month, I hope I'm not annoying anyone with them! I think though, that most of you will relate to the constant struggle to maintain that motivation throughout life's daily challenges, that motivation is a week to week, sometimes day to day, struggle, a rollercoaster that's obviously reflected in my blog.
My excitement about class is mounting, as we've started to be tested on the entire process of Intelligence production, versus learning and being tested on tiny parts. We can see the entire picture, and its so exciting! This past week has given me such confidence in my ability to take broad information and turn it into something that can be used for not only conventional military operations, but more importantly peace operations.
Aside from class, the past week (not the one before that) resulted in me getting all the little things that were stressing me out, out of the way, freeing me up for a weekend of relaxation and working out! I even got to lay out! If I do say so myself, I should have set a goal to LOOK healthier, because despite the time constraints and stress of the last two weeks, I've managed to eat much healthier than before, and it shows! :)
I finished an amazing book- Between a Rock and a Hard Place, by Aron Ralston (PICK IT UP!!!) and I've started a book called Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone, by Mark Goulston, M.D. The latter of which I plan on putting to good use when I work on starting my non-profit horseback riding program. It opens up the doors that cannot be opened with too much persuasion, arguing, and fighting. I hope that it eliminates the unnecessary conflict from my life, whether it be between me and my friends, future (and former) boyfriends, my brother, my family, and my current and future co-workers. I'm so exciting about learning how to get my point across to people without escalating it through emotion.
Anyways, I've got to get ready for tomorrow, so I'm signing out for now. Thanks for reading! I'll update again soon! Post if you have questions!
Natalie
I know I write one of these super motivated blog entries about once a month, I hope I'm not annoying anyone with them! I think though, that most of you will relate to the constant struggle to maintain that motivation throughout life's daily challenges, that motivation is a week to week, sometimes day to day, struggle, a rollercoaster that's obviously reflected in my blog.
My excitement about class is mounting, as we've started to be tested on the entire process of Intelligence production, versus learning and being tested on tiny parts. We can see the entire picture, and its so exciting! This past week has given me such confidence in my ability to take broad information and turn it into something that can be used for not only conventional military operations, but more importantly peace operations.
Aside from class, the past week (not the one before that) resulted in me getting all the little things that were stressing me out, out of the way, freeing me up for a weekend of relaxation and working out! I even got to lay out! If I do say so myself, I should have set a goal to LOOK healthier, because despite the time constraints and stress of the last two weeks, I've managed to eat much healthier than before, and it shows! :)
I finished an amazing book- Between a Rock and a Hard Place, by Aron Ralston (PICK IT UP!!!) and I've started a book called Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone, by Mark Goulston, M.D. The latter of which I plan on putting to good use when I work on starting my non-profit horseback riding program. It opens up the doors that cannot be opened with too much persuasion, arguing, and fighting. I hope that it eliminates the unnecessary conflict from my life, whether it be between me and my friends, future (and former) boyfriends, my brother, my family, and my current and future co-workers. I'm so exciting about learning how to get my point across to people without escalating it through emotion.
Anyways, I've got to get ready for tomorrow, so I'm signing out for now. Thanks for reading! I'll update again soon! Post if you have questions!
Natalie
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Week 12 (5-10 July, Days 49-52)
Can you believe it? I'm updating my blog on time!!!! -so you know it had to have been a pretty good week :)
Tuesday 5 July (Day 49)-
We worked on a Battle Update Brief, which is basically just an intelligence update for the commander. We will do 4 of these briefs, the first being presented on Wednesday, and the fourth on Monday. Tuesday was one of the longest days we've had since Module A. While I hate (HATE) cutting into my "Me" time, I'd rather cut into it while working actively on something than being beaten to death by powerpoint. Adding to that, my new TOC and I work really really well together, we all respect each other and think pretty similarly, making it easy to work on a bunch of separate products and put them together. We've been so much on the same page that we forget to break down who will brief what part of the presentation, so that could use some work. Our analysis though is spot on, which is a real confidence booster.
Tuesday 5 July (Day 49)-
We worked on a Battle Update Brief, which is basically just an intelligence update for the commander. We will do 4 of these briefs, the first being presented on Wednesday, and the fourth on Monday. Tuesday was one of the longest days we've had since Module A. While I hate (HATE) cutting into my "Me" time, I'd rather cut into it while working actively on something than being beaten to death by powerpoint. Adding to that, my new TOC and I work really really well together, we all respect each other and think pretty similarly, making it easy to work on a bunch of separate products and put them together. We've been so much on the same page that we forget to break down who will brief what part of the presentation, so that could use some work. Our analysis though is spot on, which is a real confidence booster.
Wednesday 6 July (Day 50)-
Our first day of combatives! We learned just the very basic moves, such as the fighter stance, getting up while protecting ourselves, and some simple ways to begin a clinch (when you close on your combatant so they can't hit you effectively). It was all really useful information, but I think the fact that we had to be at formation at 0445 won out when it came to my attitude.Class was the second day of the Battle Update briefs, once again another long day, but at least I was working on something again!
Thursday 7 July (Day 51)-
I'll bet you can't guess what Thursday was like! Ok, fine, yeah you can- combatives and BUB. Combatives was a little more exciting because we worked on clinches, but its still too early in the morning!!! After class I realized that I had finally heard back on an issue I've been having with getting reimbursed for the cost of living here, I found out too late to follow up...but that's for Friday's paragraph...
I'll bet you can't guess what Thursday was like! Ok, fine, yeah you can- combatives and BUB. Combatives was a little more exciting because we worked on clinches, but its still too early in the morning!!! After class I realized that I had finally heard back on an issue I've been having with getting reimbursed for the cost of living here, I found out too late to follow up...but that's for Friday's paragraph...
Friday 8 July (Day 52)-
Ohhhh Friday.... Its amazing how one week can go from kind of boring (to tell people about, not to be living-life out here is much more entertaining than is sounds on here! :P) to crazy as all get-out in a matter of hours. Friday began with combatives again, while it was a much more exciting (and PAINFUL) day, I was starting to feel the lack of sleep. It didn't help that we basically did clinch drills with each other...most of us wanting to beat the crap out of each other for various reasons-mostly friendly competition- and I ended up getting my shoulder popped in a not so good way. I think the way my classmate moved it ended up pinching a nerve briefly, which was really painful initially but has since worn off for the most part. We did actually get a workout Friday morning though, because we were so aggressive with each other (or at least me and Robin were).
After combatives I worked on following up on my pay issue...which ended up being an all day project. I feel terrible that I barely helped my TOC out, but the issue concerns my ability to pay rent, so I prioritized in hopes that I'd be able to work it out quickly. Those hopes were dashed as it seems no one can help me with this, we'll find out Monday how this issue will be resolved.
Friday evening was the highlight of the day...The Clinch Drill. The Clinch Drill involves our instructors donning 16 oz boxing gloves and swinging at us repeatedly until we achieve the clinch and stop them from effectively hitting us. Before anyone starts a riot about the Army allowing instructors to beat the hell out of us, let me explain its purpose. Achieving a clinch is extremely easy to do when you're not dodging punches...and also completely unneccessary. If we were ever in a situation where we'd have to clinch, it would be in a situation where someone was trying to land a punch or two-so what good would a clinch drill be if we couldn't prove that we are capable of clinching someone who is trying to stop us? So while I got the crap beat out of me, resulting in a really nice dead leg and a headache (not the concussion kind), I also gained the confidence in my ability to close with someone who is swinging at me. My day ended with a limp and a trip to my climbing friends' house for a birthday party, where I got some quality time with good people and their wonderful dog :)
Ohhhh Friday.... Its amazing how one week can go from kind of boring (to tell people about, not to be living-life out here is much more entertaining than is sounds on here! :P) to crazy as all get-out in a matter of hours. Friday began with combatives again, while it was a much more exciting (and PAINFUL) day, I was starting to feel the lack of sleep. It didn't help that we basically did clinch drills with each other...most of us wanting to beat the crap out of each other for various reasons-mostly friendly competition- and I ended up getting my shoulder popped in a not so good way. I think the way my classmate moved it ended up pinching a nerve briefly, which was really painful initially but has since worn off for the most part. We did actually get a workout Friday morning though, because we were so aggressive with each other (or at least me and Robin were).
After combatives I worked on following up on my pay issue...which ended up being an all day project. I feel terrible that I barely helped my TOC out, but the issue concerns my ability to pay rent, so I prioritized in hopes that I'd be able to work it out quickly. Those hopes were dashed as it seems no one can help me with this, we'll find out Monday how this issue will be resolved.
Friday evening was the highlight of the day...The Clinch Drill. The Clinch Drill involves our instructors donning 16 oz boxing gloves and swinging at us repeatedly until we achieve the clinch and stop them from effectively hitting us. Before anyone starts a riot about the Army allowing instructors to beat the hell out of us, let me explain its purpose. Achieving a clinch is extremely easy to do when you're not dodging punches...and also completely unneccessary. If we were ever in a situation where we'd have to clinch, it would be in a situation where someone was trying to land a punch or two-so what good would a clinch drill be if we couldn't prove that we are capable of clinching someone who is trying to stop us? So while I got the crap beat out of me, resulting in a really nice dead leg and a headache (not the concussion kind), I also gained the confidence in my ability to close with someone who is swinging at me. My day ended with a limp and a trip to my climbing friends' house for a birthday party, where I got some quality time with good people and their wonderful dog :)
Saturday 9 July-
TRIATHLON DAY!...not... I actually made the decision to not participate in the triathlon I entered (on Wednesday) the night before, because of the amount of sleep I've been getting, and our plans to go to Tucson to climb on Sunday. Further supporting my decision was a pounding headache, surprisingly not my leg or shoulder! Instead of swimming, biking and running, I went to the range to qualify on the 9mm for my German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge... which I have officially earned (Gold too, the highest you can get *smug smile*), can't say I'm sorry, shooting was awfully fun! Especially Garrett's .22 revolver! He has a holster for it that fit on my belt, I probably looked ridiculous but I felt so country it was worth it! Saturday afternoon was filled with Olive Garden and a cookout, as well as some quality time with a classmate who's a former boxer and a speed bag...and a pullup bar...its almost as if I forgot that I was going rock climbing the next morning...oh crap...Sunday 10 July-
Valuable lesson of the day- DON'T FRY YOUR SHOULDERS AND BACK BEFORE YOU CLIMB ROCKS. I am dumb, and I ended the weekend with frustration because I didn't plan ahead. I blew a shot at finishing my first difficult route because I worked too hard on Saturday. I feel that way because while I'm out here my priority is improving my climbing skill, while I love working on boxing, I can do that back home. Climbing when I get home is going to be challenging, I'll need a partner and lots of equipment that I can't afford just yet. I am glad that I still tried though, and managed to push myself to basically muscle failure, that's the best way to work on muscle endurance. Get your muscles tired, then keep training!! So while I'm pissed that I failed a climb I really really wanted, I'm proud of myself for trying something I knew was going to push my arms past their limit, and pushing hard enough to fail.
Next week is more combatives, more BUBs, and hopefully a solution to my pay issue!!
Love y'all and miss you!!!
Valuable lesson of the day- DON'T FRY YOUR SHOULDERS AND BACK BEFORE YOU CLIMB ROCKS. I am dumb, and I ended the weekend with frustration because I didn't plan ahead. I blew a shot at finishing my first difficult route because I worked too hard on Saturday. I feel that way because while I'm out here my priority is improving my climbing skill, while I love working on boxing, I can do that back home. Climbing when I get home is going to be challenging, I'll need a partner and lots of equipment that I can't afford just yet. I am glad that I still tried though, and managed to push myself to basically muscle failure, that's the best way to work on muscle endurance. Get your muscles tired, then keep training!! So while I'm pissed that I failed a climb I really really wanted, I'm proud of myself for trying something I knew was going to push my arms past their limit, and pushing hard enough to fail.
Next week is more combatives, more BUBs, and hopefully a solution to my pay issue!!
Love y'all and miss you!!!
Monday, July 4, 2011
4th of July Weekend!!!!
"An excellent weekend if I do say so myself..." ~Robin
A Little Background...
For a girl like me, there's little that reminds me of my blessings than a weekend with great friends, the great outdoors, a tent, and tons of rocks just begging to be climbed (is that a word?). This weekend was exactly what I needed; though the fire nearly ruined it for our class. Since we missed classes to "fight the fire," TRADOC decided to take away the 4 day pass we had for the holiday in order to make it up...two weeks out. Many of my friends had plane tickets bought (one to Hawaii to see his wife and 4 month old!) that they were fearing would need to be cancelled. They had to write a paper to the commander explaining why they should get to use the tickets they bought! I was a little disappointed in the Army for a few days. Luckily, two days before the weekend we were able to get the passes back and my friends with tickets were able to use them.
Since I couldn't afford a flight home, and Robin and Garrett's plans got cancelled we decided to go on a climbing expedition to Flagstaff, AZ.
Adventure Day 1:
Friday 1 July
Our adventure started with loading out backpacks (yeah, the backpacking kind) into the back of Robin's Subaru-how glorious is that? We stopped at Walmart and headed out on our way. I wasn't the most social thing on our roadtrip, I got the backseat and promptly made myself a nice cozy reading den. Turns out "Between A Rock and a Hard Place" by Aron Ralston is a great book to read when going rock climbing :)
We finally arrived at the meetup place around 6 Friday evening, waiting for our climbing buddies by sitting on top of the Subaru sipping iced coffee from the nearby Starbucks. Once we found our camping spot, and introduced ourselves to the other climbers we were camping with, we all settled down to get to know each other the way other outdoorsy people do. We didn't get to know each other really personally, but we got familiar with the important parts- hardest routes climbed, pets, other outdoor activities, favorite organic dishes, etc. It was glorious! The night ended with a look at the stars, a view of the Milky Way (yeah you read that right), and a lesson on constellations. I'm so in love with this lifestyle! A friend of mine once mentioned his goal to hike one of the three major trails across the United States straight through...the more I spend time backpacking, climbing, and day-hiking out here, the more I want to try that myself. I'll give myself some more time to think about it, and of course figure out the logistics to see if its important enough to me that I sacrifice other important things in my life, but I would say that its a possibility!!
Adventure Day 2:
Saturday 2 July
I woke up the next day around 7am, I blame that on the sun and the fact that I froze my butt off in my not-rated-under-50-freakin-degrees sleeping bag. Fortunately for me, I got to appreciate my favorite part of the day, in one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I've been to so far. I welcomed the day on a comfortable rock with my Kindle and a cup of coffee courtosey of Daryl. I wish I could start every day like that. One day, when I've earned enough to start Legends Farm, and have it up and running like I want, I'm going to do that. I'll wake up and watch the sunrise in a rocking chair on a wrap around porch in the company of several dogs, a few cats, and more than a handful of healing horses....and maybe a guy if I find one deserving enough to share that wonderful lifestyle with me ;)
We were hiking out to climb by 10:30, the hike nearly ruined my knees and hips after the 7.5 mile ruck the morning before. That's what I get for packing too much for a day by the rocks!!
*Just as a side note* As I write this, there's a thunderstorm brewing outside. This happens nearly every afternoon now, and I check the Coronado National Forest website everyday to check if they deem the moisture level high enough to re-open the Forest. So far I think they're absurd for thinking they need more rain, but then again I'm not the expert! For now, I just enjoy coming home after class to blog while it rains and thunders outside, with the door wiiiiiide open :)*
Ok, back to climbing (I should break this one up into two blogs!) Robin and I started out on a nice 5.8 route, might have been a 5.7, we're not really sure. Neither of us had much trouble finishing it though. After that we moved on to the next route over, not being quite sure what the rating was, but being pretty confident we could complete it. Since Robin went up the first route first, and I had the benefit of watching her scale it (I was able to do it just a tiny bit faster- but I'll readily admit that its because I didn't have to figure it out), I got the honor of scaling the second route first. I definitely did not climb the second route faster, in fact I got stuck twice and leaned on the harness for support a few more times than I care to admit. But I finished it! I was also successful in only sustaining one injury on the route, from shin-kicking the crap out of a ledge just before the anchors. I'm proud to say I finished the route with blood running down my shin! Robin, made my effort at the route look like crap, and she didn't even take notes from how I scaled it! Though I feel I could have done a bit better, and that I need to work a little harder on getting up more challenging routes, I'm still proud of myself, and even more so of Robin. As I was taking the rope off the route, a woman stopped by with a friend and was talking about the 5.9 route on the face I was standing next to. Shocked, I double checked that she was referring to the route Robin and I had just accomplished, finished wrapping up the rope (and getting filthy while I was at it) and nearly ran up to Robin to tell her the news. She and I had graduated up a level in climbing skill!
Brimming with confidence, Robin and I sat in intrigue as we watched our more experienced climbing buddies complete a 5.10 with a difficult start. The beginning of the route was over a small cave/overhang, requiring the climber to grasp two handholds (luckily they were easy to grip!) and step up with their right leg onto a less than ideal foothold while swinging the left leg up onto the top of the ledge while standing up and moving to a better handhold for the new foot positions. Lets just say it was a dynamic move that was a little difficult to master. After watching friend after friend complete the start and finish the climb, Robin and I had our chance. After several attempts, and Robin ripping a good chunk of skin off of her pinkie finger, we had both completed the start. Ending the day (for me) on a great confidence building note!
Robin climbed one more 5.9 route before we headed back to the cars. We found food at a local brewery where we enjoyed food and GREAT beer from the comfort of leather couches and end tables while watching SportCenter. A perfect end to the perfect day.
Adventure Day 3:
Sunday 3 July
Sunday was the close of the weekend, there was rain on the way so we weren't going to be able to climb. Robin, Garrett and I decided more time in Sedona was needed, so we spent the day shopping and exploring there. After meeting up with an old friend of Robin's, and some yummy coffee by a great view, and lunch out by an overlook as the rain came in, we decided to head back to Sierra Vista. Overall, it was a weekend centered around self-improvement and the beauty of the outdoors.
Post Adventure:
Monday 4 July HAPPY INDEPENDANCE DAY!
Monday was a nice relaxing day. I used the free time to clean my equipment and read, as well as catch up on this crazy blog I'm writing. I'm glad that we had a free day after the camping, it gave me a day to get my mind back to work and prepare for this weeks big activities- combatives and Battle Update Briefs!
A Little Background...
For a girl like me, there's little that reminds me of my blessings than a weekend with great friends, the great outdoors, a tent, and tons of rocks just begging to be climbed (is that a word?). This weekend was exactly what I needed; though the fire nearly ruined it for our class. Since we missed classes to "fight the fire," TRADOC decided to take away the 4 day pass we had for the holiday in order to make it up...two weeks out. Many of my friends had plane tickets bought (one to Hawaii to see his wife and 4 month old!) that they were fearing would need to be cancelled. They had to write a paper to the commander explaining why they should get to use the tickets they bought! I was a little disappointed in the Army for a few days. Luckily, two days before the weekend we were able to get the passes back and my friends with tickets were able to use them.
Since I couldn't afford a flight home, and Robin and Garrett's plans got cancelled we decided to go on a climbing expedition to Flagstaff, AZ.
Adventure Day 1:
Friday 1 July
Our adventure started with loading out backpacks (yeah, the backpacking kind) into the back of Robin's Subaru-how glorious is that? We stopped at Walmart and headed out on our way. I wasn't the most social thing on our roadtrip, I got the backseat and promptly made myself a nice cozy reading den. Turns out "Between A Rock and a Hard Place" by Aron Ralston is a great book to read when going rock climbing :)
We finally arrived at the meetup place around 6 Friday evening, waiting for our climbing buddies by sitting on top of the Subaru sipping iced coffee from the nearby Starbucks. Once we found our camping spot, and introduced ourselves to the other climbers we were camping with, we all settled down to get to know each other the way other outdoorsy people do. We didn't get to know each other really personally, but we got familiar with the important parts- hardest routes climbed, pets, other outdoor activities, favorite organic dishes, etc. It was glorious! The night ended with a look at the stars, a view of the Milky Way (yeah you read that right), and a lesson on constellations. I'm so in love with this lifestyle! A friend of mine once mentioned his goal to hike one of the three major trails across the United States straight through...the more I spend time backpacking, climbing, and day-hiking out here, the more I want to try that myself. I'll give myself some more time to think about it, and of course figure out the logistics to see if its important enough to me that I sacrifice other important things in my life, but I would say that its a possibility!!
Adventure Day 2:
Saturday 2 July
I woke up the next day around 7am, I blame that on the sun and the fact that I froze my butt off in my not-rated-under-50-freakin-degrees sleeping bag. Fortunately for me, I got to appreciate my favorite part of the day, in one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I've been to so far. I welcomed the day on a comfortable rock with my Kindle and a cup of coffee courtosey of Daryl. I wish I could start every day like that. One day, when I've earned enough to start Legends Farm, and have it up and running like I want, I'm going to do that. I'll wake up and watch the sunrise in a rocking chair on a wrap around porch in the company of several dogs, a few cats, and more than a handful of healing horses....and maybe a guy if I find one deserving enough to share that wonderful lifestyle with me ;)
We were hiking out to climb by 10:30, the hike nearly ruined my knees and hips after the 7.5 mile ruck the morning before. That's what I get for packing too much for a day by the rocks!!
*Just as a side note* As I write this, there's a thunderstorm brewing outside. This happens nearly every afternoon now, and I check the Coronado National Forest website everyday to check if they deem the moisture level high enough to re-open the Forest. So far I think they're absurd for thinking they need more rain, but then again I'm not the expert! For now, I just enjoy coming home after class to blog while it rains and thunders outside, with the door wiiiiiide open :)*
Ok, back to climbing (I should break this one up into two blogs!) Robin and I started out on a nice 5.8 route, might have been a 5.7, we're not really sure. Neither of us had much trouble finishing it though. After that we moved on to the next route over, not being quite sure what the rating was, but being pretty confident we could complete it. Since Robin went up the first route first, and I had the benefit of watching her scale it (I was able to do it just a tiny bit faster- but I'll readily admit that its because I didn't have to figure it out), I got the honor of scaling the second route first. I definitely did not climb the second route faster, in fact I got stuck twice and leaned on the harness for support a few more times than I care to admit. But I finished it! I was also successful in only sustaining one injury on the route, from shin-kicking the crap out of a ledge just before the anchors. I'm proud to say I finished the route with blood running down my shin! Robin, made my effort at the route look like crap, and she didn't even take notes from how I scaled it! Though I feel I could have done a bit better, and that I need to work a little harder on getting up more challenging routes, I'm still proud of myself, and even more so of Robin. As I was taking the rope off the route, a woman stopped by with a friend and was talking about the 5.9 route on the face I was standing next to. Shocked, I double checked that she was referring to the route Robin and I had just accomplished, finished wrapping up the rope (and getting filthy while I was at it) and nearly ran up to Robin to tell her the news. She and I had graduated up a level in climbing skill!
Brimming with confidence, Robin and I sat in intrigue as we watched our more experienced climbing buddies complete a 5.10 with a difficult start. The beginning of the route was over a small cave/overhang, requiring the climber to grasp two handholds (luckily they were easy to grip!) and step up with their right leg onto a less than ideal foothold while swinging the left leg up onto the top of the ledge while standing up and moving to a better handhold for the new foot positions. Lets just say it was a dynamic move that was a little difficult to master. After watching friend after friend complete the start and finish the climb, Robin and I had our chance. After several attempts, and Robin ripping a good chunk of skin off of her pinkie finger, we had both completed the start. Ending the day (for me) on a great confidence building note!
Robin climbed one more 5.9 route before we headed back to the cars. We found food at a local brewery where we enjoyed food and GREAT beer from the comfort of leather couches and end tables while watching SportCenter. A perfect end to the perfect day.
Adventure Day 3:
Sunday 3 July
Sunday was the close of the weekend, there was rain on the way so we weren't going to be able to climb. Robin, Garrett and I decided more time in Sedona was needed, so we spent the day shopping and exploring there. After meeting up with an old friend of Robin's, and some yummy coffee by a great view, and lunch out by an overlook as the rain came in, we decided to head back to Sierra Vista. Overall, it was a weekend centered around self-improvement and the beauty of the outdoors.
Post Adventure:
Monday 4 July HAPPY INDEPENDANCE DAY!
Monday was a nice relaxing day. I used the free time to clean my equipment and read, as well as catch up on this crazy blog I'm writing. I'm glad that we had a free day after the camping, it gave me a day to get my mind back to work and prepare for this weeks big activities- combatives and Battle Update Briefs!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Week 7-11 (31 May - 30 June, Days 26-44)
Hey All!
Its been a little while so I'll catch y'all up on what's been going on...
Memorial Day Holiday
Memorial Day weekend was good, and quiet. Something I very much needed since I spend most of my days here with 40+ people in a high stress environment. Of course the flight back to Arizona from home didn't help. Not only was I leaving my comfort zone to go back to a place I've had difficulty enjoying (c'mon its intense school and barely any time off, I'm miserable cause I'm trying!) but the flight back was less than peaceful. From Huntsville to Denver was alright, it was getting from Denver to Tucson that took a little work. I already felt like I was getting back too late, I had no idea what was going to happen. My flight was at first delayed about an hour for some routine work (why wouldn't you schedule that in?), then it was delayed another hour, pushing the time I was going to leave to after 8. Soon, after several more delays it became apparent that I wasn't going to get out of Denver without hopping on another flight. Fighting through throngs of people who had the same realization, and after a brief argument with the attendant about the bag I had checked, I got myself on another flight. I was told my bag would arrive a half hour after I got to Tucson (11:30pm). I waited until after midnight to find someone to ask about the flight, only to discover that they hadn't updated the arrivals television to reflect that my original flight was cancelled and my bag wouldn't be in until the next day. Needless to say, PT the next morning wasn't a party.
Class
As far as class goes, we recently began the third section of the school, so far its more interesting than the last two blocks. Unfortunately the lack of windows in the classroom tends to blur everything we do...they say its to help us focus, but honestly it puts me right to sleep, which brings me to my next explanation.
Healthy Stuff...or not...
Nutrition here SUCKS! I can do the best I can (which honestly still isn't very good) when I'm home, but considering I tend to only be home between 1730 (5:30pm) and 0430/0500 (4:30/5am) I find it hard to motivate myself to cook something healthy during that time...which means I take shortcuts which result in unbalanced meals. I also don't like taking the time to make myself a lunch, creating more issues when I need to eat on post. Add to that the fact that I have been drinking MAJOR amounts of caffeinated beverages to keep myself awake in class, and you get pure unhealthiness. I honestly think that's the biggest contribution to my lack of energy, motivation and general happiness while I'm here, and I still care about working on it. I keep waiting to get into a routine so I can better manage my time. Aaaand once again that leads into the next topic!
The Monument Fire
The damn fire.
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/wildfire/collection_3f9cf44c-96ec-11e0-8fb4-001cc4c03286.html?photo=1
I was finally getting to routine stage when a dumb fire broke out 10 miles from my apartment. Talk about distracting, its been literally 10 days, and its totally screwed up every schedule and routine I had organized for myself. Suddenly we have to report at odd times, PT is cancelled but maybe not, GAFPB is cancelled then it isn't and we find ourselves at a pool at 0500, oh and lets not forget the lack of weekends! I had already felt like I hadn't gotten any relaxation time since memorial day, lets add a fire to make things a little more stressful!!
The Upside of Arizona
I feel like I'm ranting here, and I guess I am. So lets dissect this, I LOVE the National Forests and Outdoor activities in this area, I LOVE my friends in class and my new climbing friends, so its not all that bad. The problem is mostly that I only have 4 hours in the evenings and hopefully the weekends to spend time doing the things I love. In fact, I would even go as far to say that I'd love what we work on in class (cause its getting pretty badass now, can't lie) except there are no windows here so therefore it sucks.
Being here has shown me more and more about myself than I ever imagined. I've learned that I'm useless without access to horses, particularly ones that like to jump over stuff as much as I do. I've learned that I hate being alone, not single alone, but alone with no dog or friend or family in my apartment with me. Luckily my friends, Garrett and Robin, have covered down on that and occasionally stop by to keep me company :) This is great from the perspective that I'm rarely alone to think and analyze myself to death, and also because the constant threat (are there good threats? cause this would be one) of someone stopping by, causes me to be slightly neater than I would be otherwise.
All Caught Up
As I write this, the 4th of July 4 day weekend is ending. I'm sad because the free time is over, and because that means I have to go back to the hectic day to day around here. There's an upside though, without an insane airport story like the one I had over memorial day, I've actually had time to relax and reflect (As well as work on my climbing skills, which I'll explain shortly). I have 8 weeks left here, and I swear they will change my attitude, my health, my body, and my life. Watch out Alabama I'm coming home a new woman!!!
PS. I love everyone reading this! And I promise my next blog will be more positive! (All this ranting is the reason I haven't updated in so long. I've struggled a lot with negative feelings in the month I haven't been on here, but those are behind me now, and I'm working to improve my confidence, attitude, and faith.) Thank you all for your patience!
Its been a little while so I'll catch y'all up on what's been going on...
Memorial Day Holiday
Memorial Day weekend was good, and quiet. Something I very much needed since I spend most of my days here with 40+ people in a high stress environment. Of course the flight back to Arizona from home didn't help. Not only was I leaving my comfort zone to go back to a place I've had difficulty enjoying (c'mon its intense school and barely any time off, I'm miserable cause I'm trying!) but the flight back was less than peaceful. From Huntsville to Denver was alright, it was getting from Denver to Tucson that took a little work. I already felt like I was getting back too late, I had no idea what was going to happen. My flight was at first delayed about an hour for some routine work (why wouldn't you schedule that in?), then it was delayed another hour, pushing the time I was going to leave to after 8. Soon, after several more delays it became apparent that I wasn't going to get out of Denver without hopping on another flight. Fighting through throngs of people who had the same realization, and after a brief argument with the attendant about the bag I had checked, I got myself on another flight. I was told my bag would arrive a half hour after I got to Tucson (11:30pm). I waited until after midnight to find someone to ask about the flight, only to discover that they hadn't updated the arrivals television to reflect that my original flight was cancelled and my bag wouldn't be in until the next day. Needless to say, PT the next morning wasn't a party.
Class
As far as class goes, we recently began the third section of the school, so far its more interesting than the last two blocks. Unfortunately the lack of windows in the classroom tends to blur everything we do...they say its to help us focus, but honestly it puts me right to sleep, which brings me to my next explanation.
Healthy Stuff...or not...
Nutrition here SUCKS! I can do the best I can (which honestly still isn't very good) when I'm home, but considering I tend to only be home between 1730 (5:30pm) and 0430/0500 (4:30/5am) I find it hard to motivate myself to cook something healthy during that time...which means I take shortcuts which result in unbalanced meals. I also don't like taking the time to make myself a lunch, creating more issues when I need to eat on post. Add to that the fact that I have been drinking MAJOR amounts of caffeinated beverages to keep myself awake in class, and you get pure unhealthiness. I honestly think that's the biggest contribution to my lack of energy, motivation and general happiness while I'm here, and I still care about working on it. I keep waiting to get into a routine so I can better manage my time. Aaaand once again that leads into the next topic!
The Monument Fire
The damn fire.
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/wildfire/collection_3f9cf44c-96ec-11e0-8fb4-001cc4c03286.html?photo=1
I was finally getting to routine stage when a dumb fire broke out 10 miles from my apartment. Talk about distracting, its been literally 10 days, and its totally screwed up every schedule and routine I had organized for myself. Suddenly we have to report at odd times, PT is cancelled but maybe not, GAFPB is cancelled then it isn't and we find ourselves at a pool at 0500, oh and lets not forget the lack of weekends! I had already felt like I hadn't gotten any relaxation time since memorial day, lets add a fire to make things a little more stressful!!
The Upside of Arizona
I feel like I'm ranting here, and I guess I am. So lets dissect this, I LOVE the National Forests and Outdoor activities in this area, I LOVE my friends in class and my new climbing friends, so its not all that bad. The problem is mostly that I only have 4 hours in the evenings and hopefully the weekends to spend time doing the things I love. In fact, I would even go as far to say that I'd love what we work on in class (cause its getting pretty badass now, can't lie) except there are no windows here so therefore it sucks.
Being here has shown me more and more about myself than I ever imagined. I've learned that I'm useless without access to horses, particularly ones that like to jump over stuff as much as I do. I've learned that I hate being alone, not single alone, but alone with no dog or friend or family in my apartment with me. Luckily my friends, Garrett and Robin, have covered down on that and occasionally stop by to keep me company :) This is great from the perspective that I'm rarely alone to think and analyze myself to death, and also because the constant threat (are there good threats? cause this would be one) of someone stopping by, causes me to be slightly neater than I would be otherwise.
All Caught Up
As I write this, the 4th of July 4 day weekend is ending. I'm sad because the free time is over, and because that means I have to go back to the hectic day to day around here. There's an upside though, without an insane airport story like the one I had over memorial day, I've actually had time to relax and reflect (As well as work on my climbing skills, which I'll explain shortly). I have 8 weeks left here, and I swear they will change my attitude, my health, my body, and my life. Watch out Alabama I'm coming home a new woman!!!
PS. I love everyone reading this! And I promise my next blog will be more positive! (All this ranting is the reason I haven't updated in so long. I've struggled a lot with negative feelings in the month I haven't been on here, but those are behind me now, and I'm working to improve my confidence, attitude, and faith.) Thank you all for your patience!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Week 6 (23-26 May, Days 22-25)
As I sit here, taking a short break from the monotony of the work that we're doing here, I'm reminded that its a 4 day week, and though its Thursday it might as well by my Friday. Augmenting my elation is the simple fact that tomorrow I will be surrounded by the familiarity of home. It may sound silly, but what I'm looking forward to the most is hugging my fur-baby Dixie. There's something about hugging your pet that just melts stress away. I also can't wait to meet Isis's new filly! A beautiful little coal-black Friesian, and she'll be barely more than a week old when I get to see her, I'm so lucky!! Of course there's endless other things I'm looking forward to, such as possible boat time with the family, seeing friends and former clients, and in general just enjoying Alabama. My only disappointment about this weekend is that EVERYONE I want to see just cannot be there, but such is life and abscence makes the heart grow fonder right?
This week has been a rollercoaster so far, likely because I'm barely still here physically (sooo burned out right now) and my mind is about 1700 miles away. It's been a push to motivate myself to do anything this week, but as always, I've gotten it done. After lunch is the worst, you're full, warm (its gettin hot around here), and you're tired of the work already. Luckily last night I got a chance to drive up to Carr Canyon, pictures will be up this evening. I can't wait to show y'all. It appears my lack of motivation is leading to a little bit of writer's block as I ramble on about how annoying the work is around here. I will post pictures soon, and hopefully pair those with a post that is a bit more exciting than this one.
Miss y'all!
This week has been a rollercoaster so far, likely because I'm barely still here physically (sooo burned out right now) and my mind is about 1700 miles away. It's been a push to motivate myself to do anything this week, but as always, I've gotten it done. After lunch is the worst, you're full, warm (its gettin hot around here), and you're tired of the work already. Luckily last night I got a chance to drive up to Carr Canyon, pictures will be up this evening. I can't wait to show y'all. It appears my lack of motivation is leading to a little bit of writer's block as I ramble on about how annoying the work is around here. I will post pictures soon, and hopefully pair those with a post that is a bit more exciting than this one.
Miss y'all!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Week 5 Part 2 (18-22 May, Days 19-21)
Hello again!
I believe I left you last week complaining of the boringness of class and all the homework. Good news! The oppression of the homework has been defeated! The workload is still enough to keep us busy, but not overwhelming. I've been able to find a way to manage my time well enough to get in some pretty good workouts last Thursday and Friday. Luckily there's a functional fitness room at one of the on-post gyms, so I can play around with some more crossfit-type workouts! Since I've gotten a chance to work out I've been MUCH happier! Everything seems to be a little more managable, especially my time. I'm much more motivated to do better in both my classwork and my heathly living habits.
Perhaps the only downside is that my classmates are finding me increasingly less social. In some respects I regret that, because there's a few people in my class that I quite enjoy hanging out with, at the same time though I'm not as interested in partying all night like I'm back at Auburn. It was fun, and still is when I'm in the mood for it and out with the right people...and when its not at Rendevous... It also works against my goals. Being sleep deprived not only wastes half of my weekends (the only time I have to do anything fun) and makes me grumpier and decreases my motivation to workout.
Since I had all kinds of free time this weekend...well kind of...I got some things checked off the ole bucket list. There were two significant activities that I took a part in this weekend, Rock Climbing and Horseback riding.
Saturday 21 May
Rock Climbing was my activity for Saturday. A friend of mine from class (Garrett) and I left the apartment complex (he's also my neighbor) around 1pm and headed out to a place a few miles outside of Tombstone. I should mention that Tombstone appears to be hilarious, and I very much look forward to spending some time there enjoying the kitschy Western "Wyatt Earp" atmosphere. The real joy of the trip however, was riding with the windows down on a dirt road for nearly ten miles leading up to the rock, getting lost in a herd of Angus cattle, then stumbing upon our destination and meeting several new (and very awesome) people.
I'll first mention that my first experience climbing went very well! Vibram Five-Fingers are not meant to climb rocks, so it's worth it to have some actual rock-climbing shoes, but aside from that it was a great way for me to get out of my comfort zone with my fear of heights, and a great workout as well! My forearms were cramping and shaking all throughout church the next morning-very awkward. I unfortunately failed to make it to the top on both of my climbs (started with a 5-8, then a 5-7 aka easy climbs) I couldn't figure out how to get the rest of the way on the 5-8, and then I was exhausted (well my fingers at least) for the 5-7. No worries, there's always next time!! There's great camping (great=free) in that area, so I think next time we go, Garrett and I will get a group together and we'll all camp by the rocks!
The folks we met- 2 british guys, one of the guys that bolted the rock, and a man with his three young sons, were just a pleasure to get to know. One of the boys-the middle one I believe- said that everyone who climbs rocks together is family, even if they have just met for the first time. I think that's the best way to describe how the dynamic was while we were there. One could argue that we're all members of God's family, which is true, but how often do we act like it? I've noticed throughout my experiences with outdoor sports, be it hiking, kayaking, rappelling, and now rock climbing, that the people you meet nearly always treat you like family, or at least a family friend. It is people being good to each other at the most basic level-sharing powerade, bananas, equipment- everyone's goal there is to have a great day, and to make sure everyone they are with or meet has a great one too. It was a refreshing experience, and I'm so glad I have the sunburn and bruised up knees to remember it by until next time!
Sunday 22 May
Now for the horseback riding...its an outdoor sport right, so I should theoretically have wonderful things to say about riding at Buffalo Corral...theoretically...
Horseback Riding is unfortunately, very very unfortunately, the exception to the rule about everyone in outdoor sports being good to each other. In particular the woman who runs the stables on Post. Yet another friend of mine from class and I went riding on Sunday after church, we were assigned a couple horses- I was on Linger, she was on Red, and we started walking towards the trail...I think... Here's were the problems started (oh yes, its that kind of story-please keep in mind that I've been riding for 17 years-it makes the experience funnier)
Problem #1- Red's ears were glued in the 'I freaking hate you' position, and he refused to walk forward and leave the barn, no matter how he was cajoled otherwise.
Problem #2-The trails are unmarked, we have no guide, and I've never been out on the trails here before.
Problem #3- Red still won't move, he alternates walking with as angry an expression as he can muster and stopping and kicking at my friend's feet.
Problem #4- We still don't know where we are going
At last relief! I found Wren Arena and decided that was a good place to see if we could get my friend and Red on the same page (preferably one of friendship, but we'll take tolerance)
After successfully aquainting Red and my friend, my confidence was up that we could now enjoy our trail ride...little did I know that would never happen...
Problem #5-The gate of Wren Arena, I couldn't latch it and hold onto Linger well, and Linger took this as an opportunity to head on home...
Problem #6- I am wearing cowboy boots and trying to run across sand with patchy grass (try it sometime)
Problem #7-Linger is now trotting (much quicker than I am running) towards a road...and I know what happens when horses and cars mix-its not something I want to deal with. Ever.
Problem #8- Linger now thinks this is funny, periodically stopping on the road long enough for me to think I might finally catch him, then continues to trot away-down the middle of a road I know people haul butt on
Problem #9-my friend is slightly inexperienced/rusty and I've now left her alone with Butthead Red
Another break in the misery! My friend catches up to me and asks if I think I can catch him if I ride Red up to him-I seize the opportunity! PS I also discovered that Red can go fast
Yet another bit of good news-I successfully caught Linger! Unfortunately that's where the relief ends.
Upon reaching the stable, the woman who runs the place asked us what happened-not "Are you ok?" or "Did someone fall off?" both of which would be my questions if two strangers rode out on horses they've never met and one came back walking on her own two feet...Instead we got lectured about switching horses and how she doesn't appreciate that I came back on the SAFER horse, because she put me on Linger and I quote "because you SAID you were the more experienced rider." Correct, I said that, and its true-its not like I fell off, or put my friend on Linger, I was on Red in order to CATCH Linger so he didn't get hit by a car. I could have continued to run, but there's also the question of whether or not it would have been a good idea to leave my friend on the trail alone with Red. Did I get lectured for letting him escape? No. I got lectured for about the only thing that day that I think was handled as well as possible.
Wrapping up my little soapbox moment here, I will definately not be returning to Buffalo Corral to ride, not because of the horses, but because of the unprofessional nature of how its run. Just be prepared to deal with a crazy girl when I come back-we all know 4 months without horseback riding can't be good for me...
I'll have more good news by Thursday! And for those of you in my hometown-See you FRIDAY!!!!!
PS- Congratulations to Robert's sister and the whole family on the new addition!!
I believe I left you last week complaining of the boringness of class and all the homework. Good news! The oppression of the homework has been defeated! The workload is still enough to keep us busy, but not overwhelming. I've been able to find a way to manage my time well enough to get in some pretty good workouts last Thursday and Friday. Luckily there's a functional fitness room at one of the on-post gyms, so I can play around with some more crossfit-type workouts! Since I've gotten a chance to work out I've been MUCH happier! Everything seems to be a little more managable, especially my time. I'm much more motivated to do better in both my classwork and my heathly living habits.
Perhaps the only downside is that my classmates are finding me increasingly less social. In some respects I regret that, because there's a few people in my class that I quite enjoy hanging out with, at the same time though I'm not as interested in partying all night like I'm back at Auburn. It was fun, and still is when I'm in the mood for it and out with the right people...and when its not at Rendevous... It also works against my goals. Being sleep deprived not only wastes half of my weekends (the only time I have to do anything fun) and makes me grumpier and decreases my motivation to workout.
Since I had all kinds of free time this weekend...well kind of...I got some things checked off the ole bucket list. There were two significant activities that I took a part in this weekend, Rock Climbing and Horseback riding.
Saturday 21 May
Rock Climbing was my activity for Saturday. A friend of mine from class (Garrett) and I left the apartment complex (he's also my neighbor) around 1pm and headed out to a place a few miles outside of Tombstone. I should mention that Tombstone appears to be hilarious, and I very much look forward to spending some time there enjoying the kitschy Western "Wyatt Earp" atmosphere. The real joy of the trip however, was riding with the windows down on a dirt road for nearly ten miles leading up to the rock, getting lost in a herd of Angus cattle, then stumbing upon our destination and meeting several new (and very awesome) people.
I'll first mention that my first experience climbing went very well! Vibram Five-Fingers are not meant to climb rocks, so it's worth it to have some actual rock-climbing shoes, but aside from that it was a great way for me to get out of my comfort zone with my fear of heights, and a great workout as well! My forearms were cramping and shaking all throughout church the next morning-very awkward. I unfortunately failed to make it to the top on both of my climbs (started with a 5-8, then a 5-7 aka easy climbs) I couldn't figure out how to get the rest of the way on the 5-8, and then I was exhausted (well my fingers at least) for the 5-7. No worries, there's always next time!! There's great camping (great=free) in that area, so I think next time we go, Garrett and I will get a group together and we'll all camp by the rocks!
The folks we met- 2 british guys, one of the guys that bolted the rock, and a man with his three young sons, were just a pleasure to get to know. One of the boys-the middle one I believe- said that everyone who climbs rocks together is family, even if they have just met for the first time. I think that's the best way to describe how the dynamic was while we were there. One could argue that we're all members of God's family, which is true, but how often do we act like it? I've noticed throughout my experiences with outdoor sports, be it hiking, kayaking, rappelling, and now rock climbing, that the people you meet nearly always treat you like family, or at least a family friend. It is people being good to each other at the most basic level-sharing powerade, bananas, equipment- everyone's goal there is to have a great day, and to make sure everyone they are with or meet has a great one too. It was a refreshing experience, and I'm so glad I have the sunburn and bruised up knees to remember it by until next time!
Sunday 22 May
Now for the horseback riding...its an outdoor sport right, so I should theoretically have wonderful things to say about riding at Buffalo Corral...theoretically...
Horseback Riding is unfortunately, very very unfortunately, the exception to the rule about everyone in outdoor sports being good to each other. In particular the woman who runs the stables on Post. Yet another friend of mine from class and I went riding on Sunday after church, we were assigned a couple horses- I was on Linger, she was on Red, and we started walking towards the trail...I think... Here's were the problems started (oh yes, its that kind of story-please keep in mind that I've been riding for 17 years-it makes the experience funnier)
Problem #1- Red's ears were glued in the 'I freaking hate you' position, and he refused to walk forward and leave the barn, no matter how he was cajoled otherwise.
Problem #2-The trails are unmarked, we have no guide, and I've never been out on the trails here before.
Problem #3- Red still won't move, he alternates walking with as angry an expression as he can muster and stopping and kicking at my friend's feet.
Problem #4- We still don't know where we are going
At last relief! I found Wren Arena and decided that was a good place to see if we could get my friend and Red on the same page (preferably one of friendship, but we'll take tolerance)
After successfully aquainting Red and my friend, my confidence was up that we could now enjoy our trail ride...little did I know that would never happen...
Problem #5-The gate of Wren Arena, I couldn't latch it and hold onto Linger well, and Linger took this as an opportunity to head on home...
Problem #6- I am wearing cowboy boots and trying to run across sand with patchy grass (try it sometime)
Problem #7-Linger is now trotting (much quicker than I am running) towards a road...and I know what happens when horses and cars mix-its not something I want to deal with. Ever.
Problem #8- Linger now thinks this is funny, periodically stopping on the road long enough for me to think I might finally catch him, then continues to trot away-down the middle of a road I know people haul butt on
Problem #9-my friend is slightly inexperienced/rusty and I've now left her alone with Butthead Red
Another break in the misery! My friend catches up to me and asks if I think I can catch him if I ride Red up to him-I seize the opportunity! PS I also discovered that Red can go fast
Yet another bit of good news-I successfully caught Linger! Unfortunately that's where the relief ends.
Upon reaching the stable, the woman who runs the place asked us what happened-not "Are you ok?" or "Did someone fall off?" both of which would be my questions if two strangers rode out on horses they've never met and one came back walking on her own two feet...Instead we got lectured about switching horses and how she doesn't appreciate that I came back on the SAFER horse, because she put me on Linger and I quote "because you SAID you were the more experienced rider." Correct, I said that, and its true-its not like I fell off, or put my friend on Linger, I was on Red in order to CATCH Linger so he didn't get hit by a car. I could have continued to run, but there's also the question of whether or not it would have been a good idea to leave my friend on the trail alone with Red. Did I get lectured for letting him escape? No. I got lectured for about the only thing that day that I think was handled as well as possible.
Wrapping up my little soapbox moment here, I will definately not be returning to Buffalo Corral to ride, not because of the horses, but because of the unprofessional nature of how its run. Just be prepared to deal with a crazy girl when I come back-we all know 4 months without horseback riding can't be good for me...
I'll have more good news by Thursday! And for those of you in my hometown-See you FRIDAY!!!!!
PS- Congratulations to Robert's sister and the whole family on the new addition!!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Week 5 Part 1 (16-17 May, Days 17-18)
I'm not going to write these up by days, for the simple reason that I'm not doing anything exciting. My days consist of reading 80 pages, doing 20-45 questions a night, and giving briefs that me and my TOC (tactical operating center) have had only a couple hours to prepare.
The good news is, I tend to get out a little earlier now. If I hadn't spent two hours on the phone last night (you know who you are ;) and for the record I'm thrilled to have talked to both of you) then I probably would have gotten to work ahead for today...that's the price of having a life I imagine, and I couldn't be less sorry!
Today I've decided to work ahead during lunch and our breaks, so that I can get a head start on the rest of the week. That way I might actually get to the gym when I'm out for the day! I tell everyone that I have worked out like 3 times since I've been here, but I guess I should mention that I do PT Monday through Friday. The running has been good, but I need to do something else to improve my pushups and situps, as well as improve my health and fitness as a whole while I'm here.
So, today, 17 May I am stating my goals for my time here in Arizona for all of internet-land to read!
1) EAT HEALTHIER (particularly find a better solution for staying alert in class than Mountain Dew)
2) Improve all PR's
3) Max PT test (300+) by Record PT Test (13 June)
4) Max PT test on male scale by August
5) Look into (complete if possible) a level 1 Crossfit certification
6) Become a more spiritually healthy person (go to church every Sunday, pray/thank God everyday)
7) Be ready to run the Marine Corps Marathon by August (even if it is in October)
8) Be able to complete 12 dead hang pullups
9) Be proficient in Kickboxing (still working on how to define that)
10) Be a better/heathier/happier person than I've ever been!!!
Thanks for reading! Hold me accountable!!
The good news is, I tend to get out a little earlier now. If I hadn't spent two hours on the phone last night (you know who you are ;) and for the record I'm thrilled to have talked to both of you) then I probably would have gotten to work ahead for today...that's the price of having a life I imagine, and I couldn't be less sorry!
Today I've decided to work ahead during lunch and our breaks, so that I can get a head start on the rest of the week. That way I might actually get to the gym when I'm out for the day! I tell everyone that I have worked out like 3 times since I've been here, but I guess I should mention that I do PT Monday through Friday. The running has been good, but I need to do something else to improve my pushups and situps, as well as improve my health and fitness as a whole while I'm here.
So, today, 17 May I am stating my goals for my time here in Arizona for all of internet-land to read!
1) EAT HEALTHIER (particularly find a better solution for staying alert in class than Mountain Dew)
2) Improve all PR's
3) Max PT test (300+) by Record PT Test (13 June)
4) Max PT test on male scale by August
5) Look into (complete if possible) a level 1 Crossfit certification
6) Become a more spiritually healthy person (go to church every Sunday, pray/thank God everyday)
7) Be ready to run the Marine Corps Marathon by August (even if it is in October)
8) Be able to complete 12 dead hang pullups
9) Be proficient in Kickboxing (still working on how to define that)
10) Be a better/heathier/happier person than I've ever been!!!
Thanks for reading! Hold me accountable!!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Week 4 (9-15 May Day 12-16)
Monday, 9 May (Day 12)-
Day in the field number ONE! We hit the imaginary FOB (Forward Operating Base) early in the morning, had breakfast and started on STX lanes (Squad Tactical Exercises). I'm not sure what I can tell you about the STX, but in keeping with what I warned about earlier, I'm not going to tell you much. I'll just hit the parts that were significant in a non-military sort of way- such as how much it hurts to haul a third of your bodyweight around the mountains surrounding Sierra Vista, not that I'm complaining, just stating :) and also that I chipped a tooth for the first time while getting down to pull security during the exercises...I wouldn't have noticed if it hadn't been for the sharpness of my tooth and the white stuff left on the rear sight of my M-4...
It was SO windy! So windy in fact that the gusts reached 70mph! (If you watched the news this morning you probably heard about the jump castle that blew away) In regards to the wind, I must mention the Aerostat. The Aerostat is a huge blimp that surveyed the skies around Sierra Vista, loaded with expensive equipment used for monitoring weather patterns and such, the Aerostat is only approved to remain in the air in winds up to 35mph...I'd hate to be the guy who forgot to take it down last Monday... The Aerostat imploded shortly after lunch on 9 May 2011, crashing in a subdivision inside of Sierra Vista. Epic Fail Aerostat Controller. Epic Fail!
Tuesday, 10 May (Day 13)-
If I thought that Monday was fun I had no idea what Tuesday was going to bring. Urban Operations and Convoy Lanes were on the schedule. Both offered a unique opportunity for me to train in situations that I will likely face if I ever head overseas. I will say two things about each. Urban ops: I kick ASS at kicking in doors (I get amped up just thinking about it...hold on...gonna go kick in a classroom door!!), and do not enter a building by throwing yourself headfirst through a window... Convoy lanes: I wish I could be a gunner, and being the gunner is a very dusty and dirty job (I looked like one of those cartoons that had something explode in their face by the end of the day).
And just like that the field was pretty much over, just a night and a wakeup and its done. Oh the joys (sarcasm) of being an MI Officer... I will upload pictures of my screwed up knee (reference the window warning) soon, it looks like a rainbow and feels like I removed the cartilage.
Wednesday, 11 May (Day 14)-
Considering how much fun the field was, cleaning up was a huge disappointment. Between cleaning cots and other equipment, and our M-4s we weren't done until really late. PT in the morning, I was in bed nice and early.
Thursday, 12 May (Day 15)-
Our first day of the next section or module of school. We walked into the classroom and the instructors about near went drill sergeant on us, kind of dumb in a "we're trying to stress you out can't you tell?" sort of way...
That evening I just focused on getting my stuff cleaned up (no PT Friday for equipment turn in) and getting organized for the next day. I wanted to double check my homework too. Overall it was a nice night. Really started to miss home and Dixie though...
Friday, 13 May (Day 16)-
Eeek! Friday the 13th!! You probably think I'm going to tell you that something awful happened. It was a great day, class all day after successful turn in (yay less stuff to keep track of!) then home, dinner, and passed out on the couch by 7:30- yes you read that right, it wasn't even dark out, it was glorious!
Saturday, 14 May-
Woke up at 6am...probably because I fell asleep so early, worked on homework then got my hair highlighted-you can't see a difference... then mandatory fun at 2pm. We had a pool party hosted by the senior class out here, we were assigned a lieutenant in that class to be our "sponsor" and to answer any questions we might have. I never met 2LT Sims, so I guess it wasn't a big deal. I stuck around for a couple hours before deciding to peace out and read some more. Dinner at Cynthia's then some time on Skype :)
Sunday, 15 May-
Another early morning, I was out by the pool and studying by 11am. I pretty much spent the whole day doing homework. I promise to have cool stories about hiking and horseback riding soon (and workouts!) I'm still working on getting adjusted to how to manage my time out here. I'm making it a priority to take pictures this week too! I miss y'all and can't wait to see most of you over Memorial Day!
Day in the field number ONE! We hit the imaginary FOB (Forward Operating Base) early in the morning, had breakfast and started on STX lanes (Squad Tactical Exercises). I'm not sure what I can tell you about the STX, but in keeping with what I warned about earlier, I'm not going to tell you much. I'll just hit the parts that were significant in a non-military sort of way- such as how much it hurts to haul a third of your bodyweight around the mountains surrounding Sierra Vista, not that I'm complaining, just stating :) and also that I chipped a tooth for the first time while getting down to pull security during the exercises...I wouldn't have noticed if it hadn't been for the sharpness of my tooth and the white stuff left on the rear sight of my M-4...
It was SO windy! So windy in fact that the gusts reached 70mph! (If you watched the news this morning you probably heard about the jump castle that blew away) In regards to the wind, I must mention the Aerostat. The Aerostat is a huge blimp that surveyed the skies around Sierra Vista, loaded with expensive equipment used for monitoring weather patterns and such, the Aerostat is only approved to remain in the air in winds up to 35mph...I'd hate to be the guy who forgot to take it down last Monday... The Aerostat imploded shortly after lunch on 9 May 2011, crashing in a subdivision inside of Sierra Vista. Epic Fail Aerostat Controller. Epic Fail!
Tuesday, 10 May (Day 13)-
If I thought that Monday was fun I had no idea what Tuesday was going to bring. Urban Operations and Convoy Lanes were on the schedule. Both offered a unique opportunity for me to train in situations that I will likely face if I ever head overseas. I will say two things about each. Urban ops: I kick ASS at kicking in doors (I get amped up just thinking about it...hold on...gonna go kick in a classroom door!!), and do not enter a building by throwing yourself headfirst through a window... Convoy lanes: I wish I could be a gunner, and being the gunner is a very dusty and dirty job (I looked like one of those cartoons that had something explode in their face by the end of the day).
And just like that the field was pretty much over, just a night and a wakeup and its done. Oh the joys (sarcasm) of being an MI Officer... I will upload pictures of my screwed up knee (reference the window warning) soon, it looks like a rainbow and feels like I removed the cartilage.
Wednesday, 11 May (Day 14)-
Considering how much fun the field was, cleaning up was a huge disappointment. Between cleaning cots and other equipment, and our M-4s we weren't done until really late. PT in the morning, I was in bed nice and early.
Thursday, 12 May (Day 15)-
Our first day of the next section or module of school. We walked into the classroom and the instructors about near went drill sergeant on us, kind of dumb in a "we're trying to stress you out can't you tell?" sort of way...
That evening I just focused on getting my stuff cleaned up (no PT Friday for equipment turn in) and getting organized for the next day. I wanted to double check my homework too. Overall it was a nice night. Really started to miss home and Dixie though...
Friday, 13 May (Day 16)-
Eeek! Friday the 13th!! You probably think I'm going to tell you that something awful happened. It was a great day, class all day after successful turn in (yay less stuff to keep track of!) then home, dinner, and passed out on the couch by 7:30- yes you read that right, it wasn't even dark out, it was glorious!
Saturday, 14 May-
Woke up at 6am...probably because I fell asleep so early, worked on homework then got my hair highlighted-you can't see a difference... then mandatory fun at 2pm. We had a pool party hosted by the senior class out here, we were assigned a lieutenant in that class to be our "sponsor" and to answer any questions we might have. I never met 2LT Sims, so I guess it wasn't a big deal. I stuck around for a couple hours before deciding to peace out and read some more. Dinner at Cynthia's then some time on Skype :)
Sunday, 15 May-
Another early morning, I was out by the pool and studying by 11am. I pretty much spent the whole day doing homework. I promise to have cool stories about hiking and horseback riding soon (and workouts!) I'm still working on getting adjusted to how to manage my time out here. I'm making it a priority to take pictures this week too! I miss y'all and can't wait to see most of you over Memorial Day!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Week 3 (2-8 May, Day 7-11)
Monday, 2 May (Day 7)-
We started off the week with Basic Rifle Marksmanship, this time at the range! We grouped and zeroed our M-4's, meaning we learned and adjusted our M-4's and techniques to shoot a group of shots within a small area, and close to the second of the target. I was able to group and zero in 15 shots! When we qualified later that afternoon it didn't really go so well...I'm going to blame it on the SSGT coaching me though :P
That afternoon I came home, looked in the mirror, and saw that I had literally scorched my face. I was so red from the cheekbones down, and my ears were so fried. It's still painful actually, even as I write this nearly two weeks later! Hopefully one day my ears will heal...
Tuesday, 3 May (Day 8)-
ARM-Advanced Rifle Marksmanship was Day 8. That's stuff like shooting from behind barriers and while moving. I learned my lesson from the day before and wore SPF 70 sunscreen all day, re-applying on the hour until we went home...which resulted in me getting it in my eyes, which didn't come out until like 9 pm that night, but oh well, at least I saved myself from another 10% increase in skin cancer probability.
Wednesday, 4 May (Day 9)-
After two days out on the range and in the sun, they had mercy on us and gave us classes. The classes covered all kinds of things that we'd experience in the field. Boring, but helpful!
Thursday, 5 May (Day 10)-
Land Navigation Practical Exercise Day... Let me summarize the safety brief for you- weather concerns: its dry, its hot, there's a ton of fires around, the UV index is extreme, drink water or you'll die while out on the 4 hour land nav course. Terrain concerns: The ground is dry (and in some places on fire) the ground is rocky, there are mountains on course, be careful of cliffs...oh yeah and don't terrain-associate because the map is wrong (WHAT??). Plant concerns: once again...(bet you can't guess...) the plant life is dry (big surprise) in some areas it is on fire (hoooly hell, literally) if you fall on it, it will likely poke or cut you, there's cactus out there, it hurts even worse than the dry grass. Finally, animal concerns: spiders, snakes, scorpions-the usual, havolena, bobcats, bears, cougars (not the kind that love my former co-workers at FT), don't let me forget the 'Julios'! Y'all may recognize them better when I refer to them as Illegal Immigrants. Oh the joys of the mountainous area 12 miles north of Mexico. To clarify the sarcasm of my description of the safety brief, all that did was motivate me to get out there! Danger always makes boring land nav something to look forward to.
Cynthia's friend came in that evening, at like 9pm in Tucson, which is an hour away. Our hit time for Friday morning (when we have to be in formation on post) was 0245... Ouch.
Friday, 6 May (Day 11)-
0245-I haven't slept at all, I have decided that cougars at night are scary, but not as scary as the creepers that help out the immigrants get across the border. Did I mention it was cold? I literally found several different ways to be miserable for Friday's Land Navigation test. The test went well for my first two points, I literally walked into both of them...then came the third point, I spent an hour and a half looking for the damn thing and I couldn't find it. I ended up resectioning to find a point I had found the day before, where I knew a water point had been so it would be easy to find. I found it easily and plotted to the closest point, deciding I'd have to be ok with only 3/5 for the test (passing) instead of going 5/5. I found the point and made it back with only 5 minutes left. I was horrified to say the least to walk back to the TOC (the headquarters) with only 3 points, leaving no room for one of those points to be wrong. As it happened I was dead on with the 3 I found, and grossly misplotted the 3rd point I tried to find. It was shameful, but I passed.
That evening I enjoyed a nice dinner with some of my classmates that I don't usually hang out with, then joined Cynthia and her friend at WD's house for a party he was having there. Overall a nice evening!
Saturday, 7 May-
Busy morning! Saturday I was roused from my apartment by WD wanting to go to the gym with me to kickbox, he smoked me...again, but it was awesome and I'm getting a little more confidence in my technique. We followed that with a trip to the PX and Clothing Sales so I could pick things up for the field the following Monday and Tuesday.
That afternoon I joined the better part of my class by my apartment complex pool for some bratwurst and hot tubbing, it was a great bonding experience! Later that night we went across the street to a karaoke bar (Lord help us) where pretty much all of us sang...including myself, I just remembered why I only sing in the car... Here's where it gets interesting-I went home, because I'm the oldest 24 y/o you've ever met and I was tired and didn't want to go dancing at the local club. Smartest decision I ever made (aside from giving Robert my resume). That night my friends had a wonderful night of drinking and dancing, got themselves a cab to go home, and got assaulted by another group of people riding in the same taxi-van. One of the assaulters randomly suckerpunched a guy in my squad, and was then followed by the girls he was with who knocked out a friend of mine with a shoe and tried(key word) to break Cynthia's leg. Needless to say, charges were pressed against the assaulters, and the charge pressed against the member of my squad who was punched were dropped since he, like the others in our group, were acting purely in self defense. Needless to say, the Army has its own ideas of what to do with them that hasn't been resolved yet, I don't expect it will be an issue for much longer.
Sunday, 8 May-
0330 and I'm awake unlocking my door to provide shelter for my friends, by 1100 I was able to
work on re-packing and such. I didn't get as much done as I had originally planned, but I got enough done to allow me to feel good about leaving for the field.
We started off the week with Basic Rifle Marksmanship, this time at the range! We grouped and zeroed our M-4's, meaning we learned and adjusted our M-4's and techniques to shoot a group of shots within a small area, and close to the second of the target. I was able to group and zero in 15 shots! When we qualified later that afternoon it didn't really go so well...I'm going to blame it on the SSGT coaching me though :P
That afternoon I came home, looked in the mirror, and saw that I had literally scorched my face. I was so red from the cheekbones down, and my ears were so fried. It's still painful actually, even as I write this nearly two weeks later! Hopefully one day my ears will heal...
Tuesday, 3 May (Day 8)-
ARM-Advanced Rifle Marksmanship was Day 8. That's stuff like shooting from behind barriers and while moving. I learned my lesson from the day before and wore SPF 70 sunscreen all day, re-applying on the hour until we went home...which resulted in me getting it in my eyes, which didn't come out until like 9 pm that night, but oh well, at least I saved myself from another 10% increase in skin cancer probability.
Wednesday, 4 May (Day 9)-
After two days out on the range and in the sun, they had mercy on us and gave us classes. The classes covered all kinds of things that we'd experience in the field. Boring, but helpful!
Thursday, 5 May (Day 10)-
Land Navigation Practical Exercise Day... Let me summarize the safety brief for you- weather concerns: its dry, its hot, there's a ton of fires around, the UV index is extreme, drink water or you'll die while out on the 4 hour land nav course. Terrain concerns: The ground is dry (and in some places on fire) the ground is rocky, there are mountains on course, be careful of cliffs...oh yeah and don't terrain-associate because the map is wrong (WHAT??). Plant concerns: once again...(bet you can't guess...) the plant life is dry (big surprise) in some areas it is on fire (hoooly hell, literally) if you fall on it, it will likely poke or cut you, there's cactus out there, it hurts even worse than the dry grass. Finally, animal concerns: spiders, snakes, scorpions-the usual, havolena, bobcats, bears, cougars (not the kind that love my former co-workers at FT), don't let me forget the 'Julios'! Y'all may recognize them better when I refer to them as Illegal Immigrants. Oh the joys of the mountainous area 12 miles north of Mexico. To clarify the sarcasm of my description of the safety brief, all that did was motivate me to get out there! Danger always makes boring land nav something to look forward to.
Cynthia's friend came in that evening, at like 9pm in Tucson, which is an hour away. Our hit time for Friday morning (when we have to be in formation on post) was 0245... Ouch.
Friday, 6 May (Day 11)-
0245-I haven't slept at all, I have decided that cougars at night are scary, but not as scary as the creepers that help out the immigrants get across the border. Did I mention it was cold? I literally found several different ways to be miserable for Friday's Land Navigation test. The test went well for my first two points, I literally walked into both of them...then came the third point, I spent an hour and a half looking for the damn thing and I couldn't find it. I ended up resectioning to find a point I had found the day before, where I knew a water point had been so it would be easy to find. I found it easily and plotted to the closest point, deciding I'd have to be ok with only 3/5 for the test (passing) instead of going 5/5. I found the point and made it back with only 5 minutes left. I was horrified to say the least to walk back to the TOC (the headquarters) with only 3 points, leaving no room for one of those points to be wrong. As it happened I was dead on with the 3 I found, and grossly misplotted the 3rd point I tried to find. It was shameful, but I passed.
That evening I enjoyed a nice dinner with some of my classmates that I don't usually hang out with, then joined Cynthia and her friend at WD's house for a party he was having there. Overall a nice evening!
Saturday, 7 May-
Busy morning! Saturday I was roused from my apartment by WD wanting to go to the gym with me to kickbox, he smoked me...again, but it was awesome and I'm getting a little more confidence in my technique. We followed that with a trip to the PX and Clothing Sales so I could pick things up for the field the following Monday and Tuesday.
That afternoon I joined the better part of my class by my apartment complex pool for some bratwurst and hot tubbing, it was a great bonding experience! Later that night we went across the street to a karaoke bar (Lord help us) where pretty much all of us sang...including myself, I just remembered why I only sing in the car... Here's where it gets interesting-I went home, because I'm the oldest 24 y/o you've ever met and I was tired and didn't want to go dancing at the local club. Smartest decision I ever made (aside from giving Robert my resume). That night my friends had a wonderful night of drinking and dancing, got themselves a cab to go home, and got assaulted by another group of people riding in the same taxi-van. One of the assaulters randomly suckerpunched a guy in my squad, and was then followed by the girls he was with who knocked out a friend of mine with a shoe and tried(key word) to break Cynthia's leg. Needless to say, charges were pressed against the assaulters, and the charge pressed against the member of my squad who was punched were dropped since he, like the others in our group, were acting purely in self defense. Needless to say, the Army has its own ideas of what to do with them that hasn't been resolved yet, I don't expect it will be an issue for much longer.
Sunday, 8 May-
0330 and I'm awake unlocking my door to provide shelter for my friends, by 1100 I was able to
work on re-packing and such. I didn't get as much done as I had originally planned, but I got enough done to allow me to feel good about leaving for the field.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Week 2 (25 April-1 May, Days 2-6)
As I write this, as you may be able to tell by the time stamp, I have just received news that Osama bin Laden, is dead. We have the body, it hasn't been released yet as to how he died, but who the hell cares. Today is a great day for the United States, the US Military, and the world!
Now I'll update you on this past week, then I'll be all caught up!!!
Monday 25 April (Day 2)-
More inprocessing, and our first PT test. Overall the class did well, though there were more failures than there should have been. It was my second day as squad leader, and it went decently well. I got to spend some more time exploring Sierra Vista and admiring the mountains, not too much excitement.
Tuesday 26 April (Day 3)-
The first bit of drama as squad leader, there was a misunderstanding on the formation time and a couple of my squad members were pretty late. I spent most of the inprocessing (mostly medical) livid, but let go of it by the end of the day. I got half the day off because Active Duty soldiers had more to do that afternoon and Reserve and National Guard officers didn't need to be there, it was a great day to get more things done, lay out, and enjoy some reading...until the text messages started...one of the squad members that had been late double checked on the formation time and it turned into a bit of a discussion...while at first this inflamed my anger from the morning, it really helped us get together as a squad and understand each others concerns. It really was a positive discussion in the end, those two are now (and really always have been) extremely reliable and squared away, now we're all on the same page and I feel like a better leader because I was able to listen to their concerns and address them without getting too terribly defensive.
Wednesday 27 April (Day4)-
Wednesday! Halfway done with the week! Also day 5...only 79 more class days left! haha oh this may be a long school... Today at class was boring, that's honestly about all I can remember, probably just a bunch of classes...The best part was the afternoon!! Cynthia, Warrior Dog (nickname...) and I went to the big gym on post. Cynthia went to go swim, and WD and I went to go get in a kickboxing session. I've never really gotten any training in like that, and I gotta tell you, I loved the marks on my knuckles and shins that resulted. I'm hooked! Robert, I can see why that's your passion! To the uneducated observer it looks like you're just beating the hell out of a bag...but its about controlling your body so effectively that you are using your power in the most efficient way possible. Horseback riding offers much of the same elements, such as fine control and deliberate movements of your body. I can't wait til the next session, hopefully I'll add a hook to my new repertoire of jabs and straight rights. What a great day!
Thursday 28 April (Day 5)-
Another great day!! Well boring in the class sense...once again I don't remember much of what we did... I think we drew more equipment... oh well
After class Cynthia and I found a mountain to explore!!! Finally I get to get up to a higher elevation!!! We really didn't have any idea where we were going, so we just picked a road that we thought would take us kinda high, and we figured we'd work out in a parking lot of a trail or something. We didn't find a trail, we found a church! A Catholic Chapel to be exact, so we nicknamed the mountain "Cross Mountain." We hiked the Stations of the Cross, and ended behind a small prayer hut, a giant wooden cross stood in silhouette against a beautiful vista...it was a religious experience to say the least. I didn't have my camera, but I'll go back and take pictures soon, I promise!!
Friday 29 April (Day 6)-
At last, Friday!! Our first day of BRM...boring, but more fun than falling asleep in classes! EST was great, except that I didn't qualify because the laser was blocked during my first 20 shots...I have a witness that I would have qualified expert!! ;P Of course Engagement Skills Training doesn't count like actual qualifying will on Monday... That afternoon I got Cynthia to the Housing place so she could get her Townhouse... then I promptly passed out, boring night for me, but I hear it was exciting for everyone else, good for them is what I have to say!
Saturday 30 April-
Lazy, lazy, lazy day!! Luckily I got to catch up with my Mom and this guy I used to work for... I'll leave it at that... The highlight of my day was getting to check out Cynthia's place, do some laundry (Thanks Cynabun!!) and workout with her and WD! WD put together a workout for us that truly smoked my booty. I am forever grateful to have some new exercises in my bank now! Guess what I did after the workout? Yup, passed out! (I get a lot of sleep on the weekends)
Sunday 1 May-
Sleep, Church, back to bed, surprise breakfast with Cyn and WD...yeah they knocked on the door before I was dressed after I had told them that I'd meet them at the diner (btw, the diner is my new favorite place here, aside from Cross Mountain)...Kinda liked that they insisted on picking me up though :) Makes me feel a little loved. After that we did some more shopping, then some time at Walmart, then sushi and brownies for dinner with Cynthia while watching Red. Its been a good night...Especially since I've gotten to update my blog and Bin Laden is dead...I'll sleep well tonight :)
Now I'll update you on this past week, then I'll be all caught up!!!
Monday 25 April (Day 2)-
More inprocessing, and our first PT test. Overall the class did well, though there were more failures than there should have been. It was my second day as squad leader, and it went decently well. I got to spend some more time exploring Sierra Vista and admiring the mountains, not too much excitement.
Tuesday 26 April (Day 3)-
The first bit of drama as squad leader, there was a misunderstanding on the formation time and a couple of my squad members were pretty late. I spent most of the inprocessing (mostly medical) livid, but let go of it by the end of the day. I got half the day off because Active Duty soldiers had more to do that afternoon and Reserve and National Guard officers didn't need to be there, it was a great day to get more things done, lay out, and enjoy some reading...until the text messages started...one of the squad members that had been late double checked on the formation time and it turned into a bit of a discussion...while at first this inflamed my anger from the morning, it really helped us get together as a squad and understand each others concerns. It really was a positive discussion in the end, those two are now (and really always have been) extremely reliable and squared away, now we're all on the same page and I feel like a better leader because I was able to listen to their concerns and address them without getting too terribly defensive.
Wednesday 27 April (Day4)-
Wednesday! Halfway done with the week! Also day 5...only 79 more class days left! haha oh this may be a long school... Today at class was boring, that's honestly about all I can remember, probably just a bunch of classes...The best part was the afternoon!! Cynthia, Warrior Dog (nickname...) and I went to the big gym on post. Cynthia went to go swim, and WD and I went to go get in a kickboxing session. I've never really gotten any training in like that, and I gotta tell you, I loved the marks on my knuckles and shins that resulted. I'm hooked! Robert, I can see why that's your passion! To the uneducated observer it looks like you're just beating the hell out of a bag...but its about controlling your body so effectively that you are using your power in the most efficient way possible. Horseback riding offers much of the same elements, such as fine control and deliberate movements of your body. I can't wait til the next session, hopefully I'll add a hook to my new repertoire of jabs and straight rights. What a great day!
Thursday 28 April (Day 5)-
Another great day!! Well boring in the class sense...once again I don't remember much of what we did... I think we drew more equipment... oh well
After class Cynthia and I found a mountain to explore!!! Finally I get to get up to a higher elevation!!! We really didn't have any idea where we were going, so we just picked a road that we thought would take us kinda high, and we figured we'd work out in a parking lot of a trail or something. We didn't find a trail, we found a church! A Catholic Chapel to be exact, so we nicknamed the mountain "Cross Mountain." We hiked the Stations of the Cross, and ended behind a small prayer hut, a giant wooden cross stood in silhouette against a beautiful vista...it was a religious experience to say the least. I didn't have my camera, but I'll go back and take pictures soon, I promise!!
Friday 29 April (Day 6)-
At last, Friday!! Our first day of BRM...boring, but more fun than falling asleep in classes! EST was great, except that I didn't qualify because the laser was blocked during my first 20 shots...I have a witness that I would have qualified expert!! ;P Of course Engagement Skills Training doesn't count like actual qualifying will on Monday... That afternoon I got Cynthia to the Housing place so she could get her Townhouse... then I promptly passed out, boring night for me, but I hear it was exciting for everyone else, good for them is what I have to say!
Saturday 30 April-
Lazy, lazy, lazy day!! Luckily I got to catch up with my Mom and this guy I used to work for... I'll leave it at that... The highlight of my day was getting to check out Cynthia's place, do some laundry (Thanks Cynabun!!) and workout with her and WD! WD put together a workout for us that truly smoked my booty. I am forever grateful to have some new exercises in my bank now! Guess what I did after the workout? Yup, passed out! (I get a lot of sleep on the weekends)
Sunday 1 May-
Sleep, Church, back to bed, surprise breakfast with Cyn and WD...yeah they knocked on the door before I was dressed after I had told them that I'd meet them at the diner (btw, the diner is my new favorite place here, aside from Cross Mountain)...Kinda liked that they insisted on picking me up though :) Makes me feel a little loved. After that we did some more shopping, then some time at Walmart, then sushi and brownies for dinner with Cynthia while watching Red. Its been a good night...Especially since I've gotten to update my blog and Bin Laden is dead...I'll sleep well tonight :)
1 MAY, 2011
OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD- Today should forever be a National Holiday. I can't think of better news to get right now.
That is all :)
That is all :)
Week 1 (19-24 April, Days 0-`1)
Ok, now that Week 1 feels like ages away, lets see if I can remember what I did during that half week...
Tuesday 19 April-
Tuesday was pretty much spent entirely in the car. I've already told you about the drive and my lovely morning with Courtney, I think the only thing I left out was driving past the sign to Ft. Huachuca on my way to the hotel. What a sight, I was stopped at a red light and over to my right was the main gate. I about couldn't stand myself, I wanted to call everyone I knew and send them pictures...something I refrained from doing due to the time difference. For those of you who don't know, Arizona is on mountain time, minus daylight savings, so if you are in central time, I'm two hours behind you...now you know...
Wednesday 20 April-
I got a late checkout from the hotel so I didn't have to load all my crap back into my car to go exploring around Sierra Vista. I was able to get my statement of non-availability number so I could stay off-post, find my apartment, and explore Ft. Huachuca. Of course the first place I found while exploring Huachuca was the stables... It certainly isn't Flint Ridge, and the horses certainly aren't Indian, William or Isis, but they'll do for now. Looking at the prospect of enduring a ton of stress at a place where I in most cases wouldn't have a way of relieving that stress in my own equestrian sort of way, its a welcome sight. That exploring took most of the morning, I was a little bummed to not have time to go hiking, but in retrospect it was probably better to wait until I had a battle buddy to go with me... God was about to provide...
After I loaded the rest of my things back into my car, and double checked my room, I walked up to the front desk to check out. While I was waiting on my receipt, a tall blonde about my age walked up to the front desk looking a little panicked and a little more lost. She had a National Guard backpack with her name and a gold bar on it, I knew immediately she was in my class. I introduced myself and asked her what her plan was for the day, she said she needed to register her car and had no idea how, since I did, I offered to help. I can't imagine Sierra Vista without her now. Cynthia and I have been good friends ever since that day, up until she got her own townhouse she and I spent nearly all of our free time either at my apartment or Walmart. She's great! We have a ton in common, and I'm sure we'll have many more good stories to come!
After helping Cynthia with finding out how to register, and exploring Huachuca (and getting kicked out of Buffalo Corral-the stables) it was time to move me into my apartment. Aside from missing hangers, and several other items that would make organization easier, it only took about 20 minutes to move in. My apartment is tiny (I'll upload pictures soon) but its comfortable and holds all of my stuff.
Thursday and Friday 21-22 April (Days 0-1)-
INPROCESSING! For those of you who know what that means, you know the painful boredom that I experienced over those two days. The first two days consisted of getting our leadership positions assigned, and lecture after lecture and paperwork...provided the people walking us through the paperwork showed up. I was assigned to 5th squad, and guess who's squad leader! Yep, not such a bad job to have, but its a little more work and a little more stress. It was easy during in-processing, all I was responsibly for was keeping track of where my squad members were.
That night a couple guys in my squad and their roommate hosted a "non-icebreaker" party at their place to help everyone get to know each other. It was awesome! What a good idea, it offered us all to get to know each other in a non-Army environment. There's a ton of really great people in our class.
Saturday and Sunday 23-24 April-
More exploring, shopping, and organizing, preparing for the next week. Saturday night consisted of a honky tonk and karaoke. Sunday I managed to find a really great church!! The priest was really great, easy to understand and FUNNY!! I have found my church! or so I thought until the next week.
Whew! So not as exciting as you thought :)
Just wait until next week!
Natalie
Tuesday 19 April-
Tuesday was pretty much spent entirely in the car. I've already told you about the drive and my lovely morning with Courtney, I think the only thing I left out was driving past the sign to Ft. Huachuca on my way to the hotel. What a sight, I was stopped at a red light and over to my right was the main gate. I about couldn't stand myself, I wanted to call everyone I knew and send them pictures...something I refrained from doing due to the time difference. For those of you who don't know, Arizona is on mountain time, minus daylight savings, so if you are in central time, I'm two hours behind you...now you know...
Wednesday 20 April-
I got a late checkout from the hotel so I didn't have to load all my crap back into my car to go exploring around Sierra Vista. I was able to get my statement of non-availability number so I could stay off-post, find my apartment, and explore Ft. Huachuca. Of course the first place I found while exploring Huachuca was the stables... It certainly isn't Flint Ridge, and the horses certainly aren't Indian, William or Isis, but they'll do for now. Looking at the prospect of enduring a ton of stress at a place where I in most cases wouldn't have a way of relieving that stress in my own equestrian sort of way, its a welcome sight. That exploring took most of the morning, I was a little bummed to not have time to go hiking, but in retrospect it was probably better to wait until I had a battle buddy to go with me... God was about to provide...
After I loaded the rest of my things back into my car, and double checked my room, I walked up to the front desk to check out. While I was waiting on my receipt, a tall blonde about my age walked up to the front desk looking a little panicked and a little more lost. She had a National Guard backpack with her name and a gold bar on it, I knew immediately she was in my class. I introduced myself and asked her what her plan was for the day, she said she needed to register her car and had no idea how, since I did, I offered to help. I can't imagine Sierra Vista without her now. Cynthia and I have been good friends ever since that day, up until she got her own townhouse she and I spent nearly all of our free time either at my apartment or Walmart. She's great! We have a ton in common, and I'm sure we'll have many more good stories to come!
After helping Cynthia with finding out how to register, and exploring Huachuca (and getting kicked out of Buffalo Corral-the stables) it was time to move me into my apartment. Aside from missing hangers, and several other items that would make organization easier, it only took about 20 minutes to move in. My apartment is tiny (I'll upload pictures soon) but its comfortable and holds all of my stuff.
Thursday and Friday 21-22 April (Days 0-1)-
INPROCESSING! For those of you who know what that means, you know the painful boredom that I experienced over those two days. The first two days consisted of getting our leadership positions assigned, and lecture after lecture and paperwork...provided the people walking us through the paperwork showed up. I was assigned to 5th squad, and guess who's squad leader! Yep, not such a bad job to have, but its a little more work and a little more stress. It was easy during in-processing, all I was responsibly for was keeping track of where my squad members were.
That night a couple guys in my squad and their roommate hosted a "non-icebreaker" party at their place to help everyone get to know each other. It was awesome! What a good idea, it offered us all to get to know each other in a non-Army environment. There's a ton of really great people in our class.
Saturday and Sunday 23-24 April-
More exploring, shopping, and organizing, preparing for the next week. Saturday night consisted of a honky tonk and karaoke. Sunday I managed to find a really great church!! The priest was really great, easy to understand and FUNNY!! I have found my church! or so I thought until the next week.
Whew! So not as exciting as you thought :)
Just wait until next week!
Natalie
A Long Way From Home
Before I catch y’all up with my first couple weeks here in Arizona, I have some things to address. I’ve posted my feelings all over Facebook about the tornados that nearly ripped my home state off the map. Aside from being INCREDIBLY blessed that my family and friends were all safe, and that the property damage was significant yet not even close to as bad as it could have been, I still desperately want to come home. My desire to come home is strictly to be with my unit, not because there has been any emergency with my loved ones. To make matters more challenging, my unit made a mistake and activated me to come help. The problem has since been fixed and I no longer need to be in Athens today, yet I can't help but feel like that was an opportunity to come home...oh well
Here at Huachuca I work with lieutenants from a wide range of backgrounds. I am currently a squad leader, with 3 out of the 8 active duty lieutenants from my class in my squad. You could say that I am acutely aware of the prejudice that has been placed against National Guard and Reserve officers by the Active Army. The Active soldiers I have met, that have any experience overseas usually treat my decision to serve the Army at the state level instead of the federal level with respect, however, that is not so much the case with my freshly commissioned counterparts here at school. Unfortunately, the first few days here in my leadership position were extremely rough due in the most part to the stereotype that National Guard soldiers are less than squared away. This angers me. I have spent more time “active duty” through Auburn Army ROTC than they have since they got to basic last year. Aside from that, I actually have on-the-job training on how to be an S-2; also, they live the Army-a National Guard soldier must balance an obligation to a civilian employer as well as the Army. How many people do you know can rock at a job they only do one weekend a month? And yet we do. We deploy overseas with the active and reserve armies, and then again at home when disaster strikes. When those active duty soldiers are working at their respective posts and overseas, and disaster strikes the area their family lives, the National Guard is there to help pull their family and friends from the rubble and rebuild the community. We provide security against looting after storms like the tornados and Katrina, then provide security for cities like Bagdad and Fallujah. I know first hand that it’s a challenge to move back and forth between a civilian and a soldier, and the soldiers I work with at my unit back at home are extraordinarily skilled at that. While saying that, I would like to end with the bold statement- Anyone who will disrespect National Guard Officers as a whole, because of a few that have issues, is ignorant. The National Guard is an asset to the states, to the country, and to the Active Army. Without us they’d deploy more than twice as often as they already do, without us they’d need to help at the domestic level as well, without us their families would be lost in disaster. If you do not respect what the Guard does for the country and all it entails, then you can kiss my AL ARNG ass.
I’ve never been prouder to be in the Alabama National Guard, and I hope and pray that they can help the communities that mean so much to me get back on their feet as soon as possible. I pray that they pull more survivors from the rubble than dead. That they find items for people who thought they’d never see their favorite picture, stuffed animal, blanket, necklace, again.
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.
HOOAH,
2LT Natalie Weil
Sunday, April 24, 2011
The Drive...
Once again, just like in Germany, I'm finding myself having to catch up on writing about my trip. I really should learn not to procrastinate...
Anyways, as many of you know my trip started officially after a nice weekend in Birmingham visiting a few friends. Knowing myself well enough to know that I'd be emotionally distraught if I had to drive through Birmingham without time to stop and see everyone, I spent the weekend there, getting plenty of time to catch up with old friends. As much as I know it would have been horrible to just blow through, the stop made it a little bit more challenging to leave... too much fun I guess! To all of those I visited- THANK YOU!! I treasure the time I had to catch up with you, the only reason it made it difficult is because I didn't want to leave y'all.
Next stop was Shreveport, Louisiana. If you noticed that the bug population seemed to markedly decrease around Monday 17 April, its because I killed most of them with my car. By the way, Louisiana is FLAT. It was an amazing difference between Mississippi and Louisiana when I crossed the Mississippi River! I thought I was bored while driving to Shreveport...I had no idea what was to come...
San Angelo, Texas! If that's where I'm headed then it must be because I'm goin to visit COURTNEY AND DANNY! Oh what a great stop after a lonely night in the hotel at Shreveport. It was such a blessing that they were only a tiny bit out of the way on my trip across the U.S. I got to watch Danny's soccer game with Court, then spend hours upon hours having some major girl time with with her. Thanks again for recommending that amazing book Court! It's saving my life out here :) Also, thanks for giving me a comfortable place to sleep and for making me breakfast! It was much needed and got me through the very very very long drive across west Texas...
On to Sierra Vista...that leg of the trip took 10 hours. I've driven to and from Buffalo, NY on more than a few occassions, a 13/14 hour drive, and let me tell you, that 10 hours was MUCH worse. Not only is west Texas quite possibly the flattest, most unpopulated, driest place in the United States, that was 8 hours of the trip. The most exciting part of the trip consisted of my bike trying desperately to escape the binds of my bike rack, or maybe driving through a large dust devil (HUGE mistake), or maybe border patrol, no how about going 100 miles before seeing a gas station... So basically in between tying down my bike to my spare with 550 cord, nearly getting blown off the road by a dust devil, getting my citizenship verified by border control, and nearly running out of gas in the most God-forsaken place on earth, I was bored silly. Until I got to New Mexico. If you've never seen pictures of the Continental Divide, look them up, or scroll up on the page. Its amazing, and New Mexico is my new favorite place.
I rolled into Sierra Vista around 9:30 Arizona time (mountian time, but not on daylight savings), checked into the hotel, and promptly passed the heck out.
I hope I didn't disappoint with my recount of my drive, I promise it really wasn't that exciting. If you come away from this blog with anything please remember to avoid driving through west texas, and NEVER drive through a dust devil more than 8 feet wide...
I'll write up my first week in Sierra Vista too, then you should be all caught up until the end of this week! Miss everyone and God Bless!!!
~Natalie
Anyways, as many of you know my trip started officially after a nice weekend in Birmingham visiting a few friends. Knowing myself well enough to know that I'd be emotionally distraught if I had to drive through Birmingham without time to stop and see everyone, I spent the weekend there, getting plenty of time to catch up with old friends. As much as I know it would have been horrible to just blow through, the stop made it a little bit more challenging to leave... too much fun I guess! To all of those I visited- THANK YOU!! I treasure the time I had to catch up with you, the only reason it made it difficult is because I didn't want to leave y'all.
Next stop was Shreveport, Louisiana. If you noticed that the bug population seemed to markedly decrease around Monday 17 April, its because I killed most of them with my car. By the way, Louisiana is FLAT. It was an amazing difference between Mississippi and Louisiana when I crossed the Mississippi River! I thought I was bored while driving to Shreveport...I had no idea what was to come...
San Angelo, Texas! If that's where I'm headed then it must be because I'm goin to visit COURTNEY AND DANNY! Oh what a great stop after a lonely night in the hotel at Shreveport. It was such a blessing that they were only a tiny bit out of the way on my trip across the U.S. I got to watch Danny's soccer game with Court, then spend hours upon hours having some major girl time with with her. Thanks again for recommending that amazing book Court! It's saving my life out here :) Also, thanks for giving me a comfortable place to sleep and for making me breakfast! It was much needed and got me through the very very very long drive across west Texas...
On to Sierra Vista...that leg of the trip took 10 hours. I've driven to and from Buffalo, NY on more than a few occassions, a 13/14 hour drive, and let me tell you, that 10 hours was MUCH worse. Not only is west Texas quite possibly the flattest, most unpopulated, driest place in the United States, that was 8 hours of the trip. The most exciting part of the trip consisted of my bike trying desperately to escape the binds of my bike rack, or maybe driving through a large dust devil (HUGE mistake), or maybe border patrol, no how about going 100 miles before seeing a gas station... So basically in between tying down my bike to my spare with 550 cord, nearly getting blown off the road by a dust devil, getting my citizenship verified by border control, and nearly running out of gas in the most God-forsaken place on earth, I was bored silly. Until I got to New Mexico. If you've never seen pictures of the Continental Divide, look them up, or scroll up on the page. Its amazing, and New Mexico is my new favorite place.
I rolled into Sierra Vista around 9:30 Arizona time (mountian time, but not on daylight savings), checked into the hotel, and promptly passed the heck out.
I hope I didn't disappoint with my recount of my drive, I promise it really wasn't that exciting. If you come away from this blog with anything please remember to avoid driving through west texas, and NEVER drive through a dust devil more than 8 feet wide...
I'll write up my first week in Sierra Vista too, then you should be all caught up until the end of this week! Miss everyone and God Bless!!!
~Natalie
Greetings!
Hey everybody!
Since I'm growing more and more out of love with facebook, and want to share my adventures in the southwest with so many of my family and friends, I felt that the best way to do that would be to write a blog. This way I can write in detail what I'm experiencing, post pictures (And explain them!) and y'all should be able to write comments or email me if you want to share something with me!
I will mention that I won't likely give much detail about the school I'm attending here, while most of it is unclassified, it is in the best interest of the school if I don't give too many details. I'll share enough to let you all know if I find it interesting or not and how long my day was. That's really not the cool part of my short stay down here anyway! The interesting part is the hiking, running, biking, horseback riding (see, I'll be just fine down here) and wildlife that exists out here! To give you some perspective, I have been advised to carry a weapon with me if I should go hiking...mountain lions, bears, and drug cartels are an interesting, and in the case of the last one, unfortunate reality of hiking the mountains 12 miles from the Mexican Border...
I'll fill you all in on the drive and my first couple days at school and in Sierra Vista soon! For now, have a great day, God bless, and HAPPY EASTER!!!
~Natalie
Since I'm growing more and more out of love with facebook, and want to share my adventures in the southwest with so many of my family and friends, I felt that the best way to do that would be to write a blog. This way I can write in detail what I'm experiencing, post pictures (And explain them!) and y'all should be able to write comments or email me if you want to share something with me!
I will mention that I won't likely give much detail about the school I'm attending here, while most of it is unclassified, it is in the best interest of the school if I don't give too many details. I'll share enough to let you all know if I find it interesting or not and how long my day was. That's really not the cool part of my short stay down here anyway! The interesting part is the hiking, running, biking, horseback riding (see, I'll be just fine down here) and wildlife that exists out here! To give you some perspective, I have been advised to carry a weapon with me if I should go hiking...mountain lions, bears, and drug cartels are an interesting, and in the case of the last one, unfortunate reality of hiking the mountains 12 miles from the Mexican Border...
I'll fill you all in on the drive and my first couple days at school and in Sierra Vista soon! For now, have a great day, God bless, and HAPPY EASTER!!!
~Natalie
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