Travel Agent

"Welcome to your vacation destination!" Yes, I was acting travel agent the past three nights. This could be another line of work for me in my future.

The first night was especially fun since the flight was originally scheduled to arrive at 2030 (8:30pm). I arrived at the terminal 30 minutes prior, crossing my fingers that the flight was on time. No such luck. The crew told me to wait a while for the plane to take off and then I would have an accurate time of arrival. I waited until 2200 (10 pm). New arrival time was scheduled for 0230 (2:30 am). I'm thinking I'll get a couple hours of sleep so back to my trailer I go. Up at 0145and back to the terminal. Once again, the flight is delayed until 0430. Now I'm irritated. What happened to the accurate time of arrival?!!! No sense in going back to lie down so I go to the internet cafe and Skype my parents and Lyndsey. Not a perfect session since they couldn't hear me so I had to type everything I wanted to say but it was great to see them. Back to the terminal I go to greet the flight. Finally, the plane shows up, I brief the Soldiers and drive them to their trailers. I'm thinking to myself that I'll lie down after the 0900 meeting. Then it hits me...I have class at 1000. Great!

Now this is the funny part. My class taught me about handling purchases from vendors and accounting for large sums of money. I haven't done this in my 16 years of marriage, why should I start now? I've never even filed my own taxes. Brian knows me so well that in his last letter to me, he outlined our financial future since he had a captive audience with his letter. My eyes glaze over when he starts talking about it at home.

To the class I go; dragging butt. At least the room was cold from the air conditioner otherwise I would have been sleeping for sure. The class was being held at the Corps of Engineers compound. Lucky for me, class ended at lunch time and I ran into one of the officers from the previous dinner. I asked if my two Soldiers and I could have lunch there. No problem and once again, I had a fantastic meal at the oasis on camp.

The terminal crew is so used to seeing me, the Lieutenant Colonel told me he would set up a desk for me. I asked for a wooden placard with my name on it since I've never had that before. So, between every flight not coming in on time, I've had very little sleep the last three nights. But today certainly brought a different emotion when I was at the terminal.

The Soldiers we are replacing are leaving as fast as we are coming in, however, I've gotten to know a few of them in the 3+ weeks I've been here. While I was at the terminal waiting for another flight to come in, there were a number of our counterparts leaving to include the Soldiers I've gotten to know. It reminded me of being in my first year of OCS and watching Class 41 graduate and thinking; I have another year of this?! And today, I was watching our counterparts leave and thinking; I have another 10 months of this?! How can I make this time go by quicker?