Hello, Goodbye

Lauren and I spent our last pre-FOB weekend together yesterday and today, and I just sent her on her way to Charlottesville, VA where she has training for the next week.

The two of us have had our share of goodbyes already, but this one felt pretty final. That's because sometime later this week I'll head off to train for several weeks straight, after which I'll have a few days off before my unit deploys to Afghanistan.

So, while this goodbye wasn't our last before deployment, it does bring our unprecedented run of weekends together to an end. Namely, since this whole process started Lauren and I were together every weekend since July, with a single exception in late September. We were a Rockies-esque 16 for 17 on weekends, despite all the Army stuff going on and Lauren's cross country move from Colorado to Virginia.

And because this improbable summer that the Army has improbably gifted us is finally come to an end, things are a bit sad.

But at the same time, I'm finally about to start the Army Training I need to get my skills back to the level they should be prior to deployment. I'm excited to meet my new unit, to start building my new role on a new team. And more than anything, I'm excited to get overseas so I can do some good for some folks, then get on home once and for all.