"home sweet home"

Posted by: Emilie (post by Cris below)

i cannot tell you how amazing it is to be finally settled in at my final duty station. It's funny how thankful you become for every little convenience after traveling for 6 days. i love having all my bags unpacked, and my internet working, and a place i can call home for the next 6 months. i tried to post some pictures of my little room, but for some reason i am having trouble uploading pictures from here.
i am in a small concrete building with 8 "rooms". the living spaces are divided by single thicknes plywood, so it gives the feeling of privacy, although it is definately not soundproof :) i can hear my neighbors typing and turning pages, but i don't really mind because i am so happy to finally have a little place to myself. My little cubicle is set up dorm style, with a loft bed, and a desk underneath. The showers/bathrooms are a short walk, which i don't mind except for at 2 a.m. :) i also discovered that i will need to make it to the shower before 7 a.m. if i want hot water!
there are some very frustrating things about being here. The uniform policy is extremely strict....which is unfortunate for me, becaue i am lucky to just get my badges on the right side of my uniform. I have a mental checklist of all the things i have to remember before i can leave my room
1. headgear
2. eye protection
3. weapon
4. ID card
5. reflective belt
6. cell phone (starting monday when i start work)
it is inevitable that i forget either my eye protection, my weapon, or my reflective belt, and have to come back to my room. The other incredibly frustrating thing is the brand new policy that is strictly enforced requiring that between dusk and dawn you cannot walk anywhere on post alone...you have to be accompanied by a "battle buddy" at all times. it wouldn't be such a huge issue, except it is pitch black by 5:30 p.m., which means if i want to eat dinner or go to the gym after 5:30 i have to find someone to go with me, which is currently complicated by the fact that i don't know anyone, so i have kind of been on house arrest after 530 p.m. That is quite frustrating for someone like me who hates to sit around!

i have been missing the girls and cris like crazy. that is by far the hardest part of the deployment. i am looking forward to actually starting to see some patients tomorrow...it will be nice to finally be back to work.