Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

This one time I was in Afghanistan

And I didn't post a blog update for months. Anyway, that time is now. I've been here for about 4 months now and this is blog update #2, so sorry about that. Anyway, I'm still alive, Harry is still doing good. Nobody has died or been seriously injured yet. My buddy Corey Bahn did get hit and hurt his leg, but he's alright now and is in the US with his wife and son, so that's good. I did end up getting hit twice in June, but everyone was fine in both hits. I was with some good buddies both times, so we got to laugh about it afterwards. I've decided I'm going to get out of the army when my ETS comes in June and I'll probably go to BYU-I. I know how much crap I talk about it and how I never want to go there, but the fact is, I'm getting out to be near my family, and my family is in Idaho, and I'm not going to ISU. Anyway, I think I still want to do film, but I'll do the basic classes in BYU-I and then transfer once my family has driven me crazy again. I like the idea of transferring schools to get away from them better than joining the army.
Now that my days in the army are numbered(on my desktop)I've been thinking about how awesome the army is and how much I've grown from being in it and how much I'll miss the friends I've made. I remember getting out of basic and living with two buddies, Silvia and Cotting, from basic and then deploying with Cotting. I'll always remember Iraq with the Dirty Deuce and the friends I made there, especially Frank and Tavis who I still consider some of my best friends today. I remember the ramp ceremony after Cotting died and how sad I was. I remember redeploying and hanging out with Mike during work hours watching Power Rangers all day and sports all night. I'm always going to remember going with Harry to Springfield almost every weekend and getting gummy worms and monsters for the drive there and talking about the most random things(real life pokemon wars) or singing music at the top of our lungs. I'm going to remember hanging out here and taping Zach to his bed and Tucker to Zach when he tried to cut him out.
Looking back on this post, I've decided I don't like it, but because I can't think of what else to do I won't delete it.
Anyway, more on me getting out. I'm pretty dang excited for it. I do feel like I've 4 years removed from the world though, particularly the LDS world. I don't really know how to behave around girls, for example, which makes it awkward just being around them, haha. I'm so used to some things being a certain way that it will be weird when they aren't. I'm afraid of becoming a recluse that goes to familiar places occasionally but mostly just stays in playing games and watching sports(this is a very real fear)or that all of my old friends who I'm hoping will hang out with me and keep me from being the recluse will all have their routines and be too busy to hang out with me much, thus causing me to recluse further. I'm not sure how it will work out, but I'm sure it will.
Anyway, I'll try and post more, but we've seen how that works. TTFN, everybody.

5 comments:

  1. I'm glad you didn't delete this post! Reading it reminds me of all the army stories I've missed out on! I know so little about your army life!
    You will LOVE BYU-Idaho! It will help you make more friends and not be a recluse. Especially if you live in Rexburg where you are close for all the activities. I wish I had gone there sooner than I did. It really is an amazing school. Did you know Brother Butterfield teaches religion there now?

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  2. Hey you are alive! I told you to call me on the weekends but you never do, so now you need to! That sounds like a good plan, going to school. I think you'll really like going to school again, plus you'll make lots of friends there who mostly have good morals. Keep writing on here!

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  3. Wowee! You posted! I join Megan in being glad you didn't delete. It's those rambling, detailed posts that make a blog unique and wonderful, especially from you!
    I hope you don't become a recluse, too, but it's hard to do when you're in school and have Family Home Evening sisters bringing you cookies, etc.
    Also, it's fun to see just how well you can do in school, which keeps you very busy during the semester. It never lets up during that time, and it is so rewarding when you have given it your best shot. Then it's in your transcript, but also you've maybe met a mentor, and they can be a tremendous help and inspiration!
    I miss going to school! I'll have to remedy that, since we live right across from EITC, and there are also online classes and evening classes, etc.
    You have really had the experiences in the Army! Some really sad or traumatic, and some funny and fun. Great friends, too.
    I'm sorry about your friend Cotting. That was pretty horrible.
    Try to stay alive, okay? We'll try not to drive you too crazy when you get here. :)
    Remember, Kattie and Ben will be in Shelly and we will be here at The Gables, and Ben and Linda and Melinda and Danny and Justin and Natasha and Seth (in Chubbuck)all live around here, besides your friends. You will have lots of fun, besides meeting cool new people and learning even more!
    You're so smart, I'm really excited about you going to school! I'm sure Megan and Brooks will try and come out next summer, so you could see them.
    There are advisors at school you can talk to, even before you enroll. Also, you can have free counseling on classes, careers, personal decisions and problem-solving, or just to talk to someone that's open and a good listener.
    You'll work it out, whatever you do. Just start with basics, like sleep times and meals and exercise and study times. If you master those, the rest will be fine.
    We love you!!

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  4. PS There's a letter for you in our inbox, from me. It's been there quite a while! :)

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  5. Okay, so after ten minutes this just deleted my whole comment section. Love you and I will try again!- Mel

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