new post.

It has been entirely too long since my last post here.  I find myself writing things here and there but alas I fall prey to the blogger’s dilemma..do I post an incomplete thought?  or do I not post at all.

I suppose I have some catching up to do so let me bring you up to speed.  I have arrived and dug in here in Iraq.   I came not really knowing what to expect so I wasn’t too disappointed arriving here.  At first things were really difficult.  The hours are long, the work is difficult and ambiguous at times, and I felt incredibly alone in it all.  A few months into this gig and things have started to level out.  I’m still working long hours but I’m getting better at my job so it’s bearable.

What I find myself thinking about constantly is the old adage that “no one returns from war the same as when they went.”  How will/have I changed?  Can I effect certain changes in a positive direction?  What do I want to change?

This is a totally different environment than the laid back college life that I left behind.  Here there is no oops I overslept, no I’ll get to that later, no “inclement weather plan” [maybe thats a VCU thing...or a dudes from Virginia Beach that live in Monroe Park Towers Apt 1210 thing..].  The stress that I feel everyday makes me want to collapse at times and often,  I can feel the onset of a panic attack.  Overall though I can feel myself being hardened and focused.  I’ll expand more later

more thoughts to come:

• more on war
• love and marriage
• tobacco