Halfway... and Halfway?

Shew... this picture kinda takes my breath away.

Yesterday, July 6, was the 4 month mark in this deployment.  Which... hopefully... is the halfway mark. (But I'm not holding my breath- it seems that the world is just on the brink of something- and I am none too thrilled about it!)

Today, July 7, means that Randy has been in the Marine Corps for 10 years.  

10 years down- 10 years to go.  

Double. freaking. digits.  

How in the WORLD did that happen?  I've had conversations with girls whose husbands have been in for 2 years.  I remember when we were in for 2 years!  That was just yesterday wasn't it?  I remember talking to wives whose husbands had been in for 10 years.  They were OLD, weren't they?!

But then I remember:

     -5 deployments
     
     -4 homecoming hugs (waiting for number 5!)
     
      -3 PCS moves
     
      -A wedding planned in the middle of deployment number 3 
     
     -A geo-bachelor duty station (finally coming to an end!)

     -3 sweet furbabies

And enough friendships, experiences, fabulous trips, tears, and lessons learned to last a lifetime.  

And yet... that's only the first 10 years.  It has been quite a ride, and I am so excited to see what the second half will bring us.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This past month has been a bit emotionally exhausting.  As usual for this deployment though, it really had nothing to do with the actual deployment.  It turns out that the right decisions are usually the hardest to make, and this month I made a right decision.  I am moving back to North Carolina. 

I'm slightly terrified... but overwhelmingly excited.  As are all my friends and family- who have been incredibly supportive, which made me feel so much better about everything.  I have been in Stafford for 6 years now- so making this decision to move smack in the middle of a deployment and leave all that is known and stable was a bit of a crazy move on my part.  But my gut- and my heart- are telling me it's the right thing, so here we go!  I apologize in advance for those that might already be sick of the pictures and posts concerning the move- but since Randy is out of the loop these days, I will be documenting this as much as I can so he doesn't feel completely left out.  Although- I think secretly he is happy he is on a boat and doesn't have to help me move.  Ha!

Month 4 highlights:

     -decisions made!  Whew- what a relief!  The plan going forward is to move to NC, then wait for orders.  We are still hoping to go recruiting next summer, so there is a strong possibility I will be in NC for less than a year!

     -Road trip home to PA.  Lots of time spent with Randy's family- which was fantastic.  It is so nice to be welcomed with open arms- even with the boy halfway around the world.  I also got to snuggle my sweet little niece- who is all smiles- all the time!

     -Housing chosen, move arranged.  (In 2 days- which I do believe is a USMC miracle of sorts!)

     -Randy got a new job!! I am super proud of him and so excited- this is definitely a long time coming, and so well deserved.  He is now the CAAT 2 section leader- whatever that means.  I do know that he is excited, and learning a lot himself.  He is responsible for Marines again- which is all he really wants!

Whew- it's been a pretty busy first half of this deployment.  Month number 5 will certainly fly by- and I am really looking forward to that!  

Now I can officially say that we have MORE time behind us than in front of us- now THAT is a great feeling!!




 

A Leap of Faith and a Big Decision

I am a planner.

I am logical and organized.  

I research, and carefully plan my next step... then I over-analyze and doubt my decision.

But this time, for some reason, I'm not doubting this decision.  I am taking a huge leap of faith, a shot in the dark... whatever cliche' is appropriate.

In just about 3 weeks, I am moving back to North Carolina. 

My trip to California 2 months ago made me realize that I am just not happy right now.  I tried everything to break myself out of my funk, but nothing worked.  I felt stuck, trapped, and I needed to find a new direction.

When Randy and I made the decision to do this geo-bachelor thing we've been rocking for close to 3 years, it was because I was happy here.  It made sense for me to stay, because I loved my job, had a great support system, and back to back deployments were looming on the horizon.  

But then a lot of things happened all at once, and my next steps became crystal clear.  I needed to do something quickly so that I could be happy again.  I did some research, made some phone calls, had many conversations with my closest family and friends, and cried.  A lot.  

The more I talked, and the more I cried, the quicker I realized that I was absolutely, positively making the best decision for me at this point in my life. Like I said last month, and as I've been told- it's hard to find happiness during deployments.  This decision will allow me to find some happiness.

Luckily, because we've had great communication during this deployment, I was able to talk this all over with Randy- on the phone- like practically normal people do.  He has been incredibly supportive, and has done SO MUCH to help me make this move- and he's done it all from the middle of who knows where with a crappy phone connection.  He got special powers of attorney at a moment's notice, he called base housing, and the transportation office, and got everything filled out and taken care of so all I needed to do was sign and fax some paperwork.  

That just confirmed this all in my mind even more- it has been SO easy.  I thought it would be next to impossible to arrange a move 3 years after we were actually supposed to use it, then get a house on base.  But both things happened and were official and taken care of within 2 days of me signing the papers.  In the military- things just don't move that quickly.   

It is my sign.

My sister told me this is very unlike me- it sounds much more like something she would do.  It's a big risk... because I am giving up a job that I enjoyed... but the risk right now to me is so worth it.  Once I made this decision and told Randy, he was so excited to know that I would be down there in a house with his dog when he got home from this deployment.  We have both sacrificed a lot in the last 3 years to make this work- mostly for me.  He has been amazing- and allowed me to stay and work because he knew it would make me happy.  Now it's my turn to make a sacrifice for him.

So, on July 18th, I will allow a bunch of strangers to come into our house and pack all of our worldly possessions.  I will watch them load our stuff onto a truck a few days later.  Then, with the help of my fabulously awesome parents, I will pack 3 cars with 2 cats, a dog, and the stuff the movers rejected, and attempt a PCS move in the middle of a deployment on my own.  

I must be insane.  Truly.  But I am so excited for what's to come.  Stay tuned... it will be an interesting ride.