The waiting is the hardest part . . . .

. . . . but I dont think Tom Petty knew just HOW hard it could be! Oddly enough, one of the girls I served with in 10th Mountain also got recalled, so we exchanged some emails and sob stories. It also helped that my best friend had been recalled exactly one year prior, because I had some sense of what was going to happen. After my angry phase was over, I began researching and attempting to contact the unit where I was going to be assigned. They were extremely helpful, and gave me access to a plethora of info about our mission. At this point, I started to become more concerned with what I was going to be doing, as opposed to being concerned with my daily tasks at work. I still put forth a decent effort at work, trying to finish up a couple of projects, but it was hard knowing I wouldnt see their end results. I made it to Christmas and New Years, and was able to take vacation after that, but the days started to drag. I know Rachael was under alot of stress, trying to act as if everything were normal but knowing that in weeks I would be gone. I was glad that Rache would have our families near if she needed them, and I was really glad for our neighbors, who over the last year had become two of our best friends. There wasnt much else I could do to prepare, and administratively I knew everything would get done once I reported to Fort Jackson on January 14th. So we went about our lives as best we could, and I honestly think that the 3 weeks from Christmas to about Jan. 7th were as good as any weeks I've ever had in my life. (Ok, not counting New Years - that's another story for a different time!) The last week was hard, trying to say goodbye to everyone and seeing how much my family cared about me. I always know they care about me, but when I am actually the center of attention and the cause of their sadness, it puts things into a different perspective.. I really wanted to just go and get this deployment over with. After a very blurry and emotional two months, it was time for me to go.