The Adventure Begins ...

The past several days have been a bit of a blur: packed with too many things to do and not enough time to do them in.  I thought I'd get a chance to see a few friends one more time but that didn't happen.  There's really never enough time to do every thing that you want to do ... if there is, then you aren't being very imaginative!

The reality of the trip finally hit me when I started packing my bags.  Until then, it was something "in the future".  Suddenly, it was now.  Packing became very difficult.  Janis was troubled, too, and relieved her stress by cleaning the house like a madwoman.  The dogs also knew that something was up.  I don't know how, but they knew I was leaving, and tried to lay a guilt trip on me.  It worked, too.  

Yesterday, I left home for the start of my Iraq assignment.  It was really hard for me to get in the truck and go.  I think, though, that it's easier on the person who's leaving: that one has new places to go, things to do, people to see, and new experiences to keep the mind busy.  The one staying behind is left with a hole where somebody important used to be, and there really aren't any new experiences to help mask that.  So while I didn't get myself settled down until I was through Tennessee and well into southern Virginia, Janis needed most of the day.

The drive went well.  Traffic wasn't too heavy and moved at a pretty steady 70-75 mph.  I checked into the Comfort Inn at Tyson's Corner about 7 pm and found that they were having a cookout for hotel guests.  Can you believe it?  I didn't ... kept thinking it was some kinda private party and had to double-check with the front desk.  So I had fresh-cooked burger, chili, and a beer, all courtesy of the hotel.  And the hotel has broadband internet access and wi-fi.  I like this place.

Me being me, there are a few glitches.  I forgot my alarm clock and plain white t-shirts.  Went out and bought a cheap travel alarm and found out too late that it didn't include a battery.  Couldn't find a place that sold t-shirts at 9:45 pm ... at least, one that didn't have REDSKINS written all over it.  It's not cool to show up for your first day on the job with REDSKINS peeking through your plain white dress shirt.  And I got up an hour early this morning because (1) I never sleep well the first night in a new place, particularly when I have to get up at some ridiculous hour, and (2) the damn hotel alarm clock was set one hour ahead ... which of course I didn't discover until I was sitting here bleary-eyed with a cup of coffee halfway gone.  Oh, well, it gave me time to catch up on this.

So today I'll go in to town and get checked in with the State Department.  Big day.  More to come!