Joie De Vivre - Joy of Life

I've been here for 5 days and it is certainly better since the day I arrived. We had another white day so I slept in until 0700, went for a run, practiced my guitar, wrote a few letters and read for a while.

While I was running, I was thinking about my professional and personal goals while I am here. When I was going to start Officer Candidate School to become an officer, I told everyone so I wouldn't quit the program even when it seemed like hell. So, I'm telling you my goals to ensure I finish them over this next year.

Professional Goals:
Goal #1. Do a good job in the job I'm in. Ensure I get the mission done safely and take care of Soldiers.

Goal #2. Learn how to drive and operate a fork lift! I have my Class B Commercial license from when I was a medical sales rep. I loved driving that big truck and since I've deployed, the fork lift operators are hard to come by and it looks like a great piece of equipment to operate.

Goal #3. Start Intermediate-Level Education (ILE). As a captain going into my 4th year of time in grade, I want to get a jump start on my military education. I already meet the requirements for promotion to major but my being prepared for the next rank has not always been the case as many of you know. No time like the present to get some of this knocked out.

Personal Goals:
Goal #1. Learn how to play the guitar well enough to play The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel. When I was a kid, my babysitter Jaren, would bring her guitar, play and sing songs. I distinctly remember her playing that song to me and it has always been a favorite since then. Lucky for me, the military band will be here and I can get additional lessons.

Goal #2. Write and illustrate a book of my childhood for my daughter. I have a lot of great memories of my childhood exploring in the woods and along the river. I grew up in Two Harbors, Minnesota, in the Waldo Stewart area located 8 miles from town. About 1/4 mile from our home was an abandoned farm house which was painted pink. So naturally, everyone in the area referred to it as "The Pink House". I remember being as young as 11 years old, packing a bag lunch and spending the entire day exploring that house and the surrounding area. My brother recently sent pictures and it isn't safe to walk in and the trees have all grown substantially higher but, I can still picture looking out over the field from the attic window and sitting on an old, pillow stuffed rocking chair.

Goal #3. Run 1000 miles in Iraq. Now this will probably be the most difficult for me. I figure I have easily 300 days give or take a few weeks left. I will have to run at a minimum of 25 miles per week and I haven't been running that much since last summer when I was prepping for the Army 10-Miler. Five days before the race, I developed plantar fasciitis and I wanted to ensure my foot healed so I haven't ran much until I landed in Kuwait.

Over the last few days, I've realized that even if my surroundings aren't the greatest, I can make the most of this next year and bring joy to my own life. However, a little Starbucks and Grapenuts never hurt! :)