Deployment Can Kiss My Ass...

...because Husband is home!!

It still feels like a dream but as I look over at his sleeping face as I type, I remember that I'm the luckiest girl in the world! Of course, Homecoming pictures will be up as soon as I can tear myself away from my Loverboy.



The Preparation

It took me a while, but I have finally decided on a homecoming dress.

The homecoming sign was a little harder. For a while, I just stared at the blank board. I didn't want it to look like every other homecoming sign, now did I?

But after quite a bit of thought, a few spills and more paint on myself than on the sign, I was finished! My sign is like no one else's:

[Don't worry, my sign will not be leaving the house!]

With my dress and signs, clean house and beer, I am now more than ready for Husband's homecoming!

Can we fast forward now?

Mustache Face

I have never been good at entertaining myself. Even as a child, I never liked to do things alone. My ability to become instantly lonely has carried over into adulthood and makes living alone quite difficult. During the times that I'm not running around on island adeventures...

 [My first sea turtle encounter]

 [Hiking at Kolekole Pass]

*Photos by Beckie

...I'm doing anything I can to keep busy inside the apartment. Since cleaning is boring and obviously out, I've come up with an array of activities to keep myself occupied until Husband makes his appearance. Today, my activity of choice was waxing...

[My wax mustache face.]

Let's just say, waxing and boredom do not mix.

Lesson learned.

Grown-up Girl

Sometimes being a grown-up isn't fun at all. Like when I have to move 3,000 miles away from my home with only the essentials. As if that wasn't stressful enough, when I got here, I realized that the condo I rented was dirty and disappointing. Then I went to pick up the car and it wouldn't start. So I had to buy a new battery. While I was waiting for AAA to install it, I noticed that the tags were expired. I ended up having to pay for new tires and an alignment before I could get them renewed. Top all of that off with moving our stuff out of storage in the constant rain and the last week has been pretty hard.

Thankfully, I had Mom with me. She's the only reason I didn't have a full blown mental breakdown. She was absolutely amazing and helped me make the apartment feel like a home. She helped me pick out my pretty, new couch and even bought me a dining room table, rug, coffee table and vacuum. My apartment that started out as a disappointing mess ended up feeling a little bit like a home.

[Sorry for the crappy pictures]

Sadly, Mom had to go back home and now I'm forced to become a real grown-up girl and live on my own for a while. Some moments it doesn't seem so bad. Others, it feels absolutely impossible. Hopefully I survive.

The Waiting Game

When we got married and I moved from Arizona to Hawaii, we knew Husband would be deploying within 6 months of my arrival. Knowing we would just have to store everything during the deployment, Husband made the executive decision to leave all of our gifts at home. Even though I knew this made sense, I was bitter. I wanted to play with all of my our new presents!

After Husband deployed and I came home to Mom and school, I was even less thrilled with the idea that our presents were not in Hawaii. Having to look at them, day in and day out, for the better part of a year did not sit well with me. The longer they went unused, the more irritated I got.

Yesterday was the straw that broke the camel's back. I was tired of living like a transient, always waiting for the the good parts of my life to happen. I was ready to be happy with the way my life is now. So I got a giant box and packed it with my very favorite presents and other things that I just didn't want to live without anymore.

When I make my way back to Hawaii in about a month, this box will be flying with me. I don't care that it's going to cost $30+ to get it on the plane and I don't care that it's going to have to be moved again in another 6 months. I want to be comfortable with my current life and if it takes silverware and cake plates to do that, then that's what's going to happen. I'm going to stop waiting and just start living.