New beginnings

Finally, a beginning. After 8 months of preparing to go and a week of saying goodbye to my friends, family, home and cat, things are finally in motion. I am now at the US post where I will be spending the next couple of weeks in training for the sandbox. Today was an uneventful day of flying, doing a ton of paperwork inprocessing, and now I am waiting to meet up with a few fellow CSHers to head to dinner. I have to admit that I am actually excited to be here. Today was the start of something new- a new job, a new place, new faces, a new mission... and a new challenge to be met over the next 16 months or so. I am actually happy to be here- let's hope my optimism does not quickly fade away.

Packing up and moving out

Written on 25-Sept-07:

There have been lots of changes over the past few weeks, but reality still had not set in. Sure, I was preparing to leave; the prep seemed like a never-ending part of my job. Today that all changed as I was staring into the 10 x 15 storage unit that became the new home for all of my precious things. Nothing makes a move seem real until you pack up your home in cardboard and paper and send it off down the road in a truck.

Tonight was spent sorting through a few remaining things at the otherwise empty apartment and cleaning a bit. Somewhere around 8 the notion struck me- this is really my last evening alone, in my apartment, doing just whatever I want. A pizza order, the discovery of 2 remaining pear ciders in my fridge, freshly vacuumed carpet and stealing wireless internet from one of my neighbors….and here I am. Content to just sit here in the quiet for one last little bit.