Flash Forward

People always say, "Don't wish your life away." I believe this saying goes out the window when you haven't seen your family or visited your hometown in a year! Don't get me wrong I am grateful for all that we have been given in terms of the Army but, it doesn't make us "not miss home" just because we are well taken care of. But it does make it easier to bear.

Army life is hardest on those who are tightly connected to their loved ones. Like us. Many young women and men join because of a lack of family structure. This is not our particular case. Tyler and I have a niece and a nephew whom we've never met. Just take a minute and imagine that... Yep. It's hard. We have gotten stronger as a couple and as individuals because of this lifestyle. At first you just want to reach out to your family and because of this, you tend to push each other away. After you finally come to realize that your family can't be there for you, you lean on one another and you grow. That's the short of it anyway.

Tyler and I want so badly to flash forward. We have missed so much in respect to our "old" life. I honestly have to ask my sister to tell me the popular songs on the radio. My brother and Marissa bought a house and have remodeled it. The twins were born. Reese and Emersen are growing and changing. My dad has had surgery. The list goes on and on. I try not to let it get to me all that often. But I simply can't be happy all the time.

In 38 days we will be HOME! I sincerely hope that a few things work out to our advantage in the next few months. If these things happen, we will be much closer to our family. As always in the Army, you have to remind yourself, out loud, "Don't get your hopes up."

Somethings, besides family and all that comes with it, that I miss are...

• Sonic
• Drive Thru's
• Shopping Mall's
• The English Language
• Normal television
• Long drives
• My car
• Being able to drive period!
• The radio
• Being somewhere that I can actually go back to school!
• Normal traffic and road signs
• Regular Starbucks!
• Walmart

Seoul is a great city... But it's definitely some place we would ever want to come back to. You just can't begin to imagine how excited we are to come back. We talk about it at least three times a week if not more. Now, when I hear the National Anthem, I honestly and truly appreciate it. Not that I didn't before, the Army just has a way of doing that too you :)

As of right now I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner that we are hosting and having over our closest friends we've met here in Seoul. I really can't wait to cook! After that, our visit home will only be a few weeks away and it should be nothing but clear skies ahead. We are scheduled to leave Seoul in July 2011. As far as the near future goes... Today I am babysitting the Aldarondo boys! They are so darn cute! I'm hoping to get a few shots of them in action :)  And next week Tyler and I have a political meeting of some kind next week and at the end of next week we have a 4 day weekend!

                                                                  Isn't she sweet!?