Journey Home

If people think that flying commercial is bad try experiencing the military way. It's a hurry up and wait approach and you've got to "embrace the suck!" We loaded and scanned all our bags which is an arduous process but with a team of 15-20 the job gets completed quickly with a daisy chain. It was surreal as I drove down the road one last time passing the hospital knowing this was my last look of it but it just meant one step closer to home. We were fortunate enough to have a C-17 (type of Air Force plane) to transport us to Qatar. It wasn't like the plane we took into KAF that made us feel packed like sardines in a can. This was spacious enough for our bags on the floor and spread our feet out. We had to drop some cargo and stop in Dubai but we didn't get to get off the runway as we just waited and chilled there for 3 hours. It allowed for some nice photo opportunities but it was cutting into our time in a Qatar.

Our arrival in Qatar was mid evening and the process was smooth and efficient at first but quickly turned to disorganized and random BS. Once everything was settled headed straight to the bar for my first drink in 8 months. Bought my buddy's first 2 drinks as a 21 year old, he almost bought it himself but I couldn't let that happen. Pigged out on some pizza hut and called it a night after a long day of travel.

Due to gaining 2 hours I woke up early on 4 hours of sleep. Hit up the gym which was hot and humid despite it being 530AM. Roamed the base that was still familiar despite not being there since September. Had to deal with some admin stuff which cut into our afternoon. Once all the admin was over I made my way to the pool but unlike last time it was a little cooler and the water temp was chilly. Was able to play half court basketball with the Air Force guys but was playing hesitate with my running shoes for fear of a sprained ankle. Lost the first game and won the next 2, best part of the last game was me hitting a 2 pointer for the win. What made it more sweet was it was in the face of a guy who was talking trash all game.

Our showtime tot he terminal was 130AM so I pushed through without sleeping or napping. Played pusoy dos with the MAFIA until it was time to leave. Traveling in a group of 60 is organized chaos. Picture 60 personnel with 3 sea bags (green military duffle bags) a ruck sack with body armor and other gear, plus your personal bag. Imagine having to grab and load all those so that they can be scanned for safety. After all the bags were done we stayed in the terminal for 4 almost 5 hours and this is a tiny terminal for over 200 bodies. With little to no sleep bodies started laying on the ground, dirt, tables anything that allowed you to catch some Zzz's. At one point I was using a water bottle as my pillow to lay my head to allow my power naps.

We boarded a commercial jumbo jet to Germany for a 6 hour flight where I had an aisle seat with an empty one next to me. Flight was smooth and food was good, it's hard for me to catch more than an hour of sleep on the plane. Our touch down in Germany was  another surreal moment after seeing dirt, modified temporary buildings, and lot's of brown color we arrived to blue skies, clear air, and modern new buildings.

WTP is the Warrior Transition Program that the Navy created to transition from a hazardous environment to slowly acclimating back to where you were before deployment. The staff was genuinely nice and welcoming and you could see the smiles on everyone's faces. Sembach is the Army base where the program is held and it's a perfect location for it. Green fields that go all the way to the horizon, giant wind mills, trees surrounding you, and it lays on a hill which allows for breathless views. First order of business was Chris and I going out for a run and exploring the base. there's no better way to find your bearings than exploring it on your own with a nice run. He and I are similar in many ways it feels like he could be my cousin or something.
After settling in it was time for more alcohol for everyone. There's a line in one of the Navy songs "drink to the foam" and despite a 3 drink maximum there was a loophole that allowed us for a total of 9.

Made my way to the gym in the morning and found my gym buddy there of course. Commander K I will call him, has consistently always been at the gym in the morning whenever I am there from the start of this deployment Norfolk, VA to now Germany. We never workout together but he is the lone guy that I always saw. He is much older into his 60's and one of the doctor's and it was awesome to see. Our first work shop was with a psych nurse we were divided into groups of 12. It was just a way to communicate how to cope with stress, post deployment, and any feelings we had. I could see how it's beneficial but for many of us I think we all have a strong mental state. Gear turn in was quick and efficient and it felt amazing to not worry about multiple bags and the body armor. There is a lot of "white space" in the program that allows us to just hang out with wifi, sleep, watch movies, gym, or whatever you want. They brought us to Ramstein Air Base exchange much to my surprise was right across from where we landed.

Many of us didn't have any civilian gear so it allowed for many of us to shop and grab anything we needed. I scored a pair of Jordan 1's for $41 and a Levi's jeans jacket for $19 unbelievable deals. The exchange is huge and amazing for any personnel stationed in the surrounding area. At night it was more drinking and karaoke. The karaoke game here is on point they have a lot of modern songs and a wide selection. songs that just came out within the past month or 2. It was a joy to witness the debauchery among our group once the alcohol started flowing.

Saturday was our Heidelberg trip. It's a city with a castle placed on a hill with picturesque views along the Rhine river. I had never heard of the city beforehand but I guess it's a tourist destination because there were a variety of people there. The castle wasn't one of the oldest in Europe but it was still nice to learn about the history and admire the architecture. In my tour group my buddy and I met an American college student studying abroad in Germany. She traveled there alone and I was just in admiration and some jealousy of the opportunity she was taken advantage of at her age. Left the castle and explored the city. Down the road was an abundant amount of shops that made it feel like a European 3rd street promenade. Some amazing stores with nice styles of things I wanted but had enough self control to not buy anything. Enjoyed a German beer and Schnizel then continued on with the city exploration. Took some nice shots along the the Rhine river and other panoramic views of the city. Little things I notice now that I am older is where the local spots are at. Heidelberg has a prestigious university apparently so it makes for an interesting dynamic of college town mix with tourist hub. Veered off on the side streets away from the main and found a falafel  spot full of young college kids and I immediately knew this was a good spot. Other spot we ran into was the university library and I could only imagine what it would be like to have the opportunity to study there.

Played some basketball when we got back and we continued on with another night of karaoke, drinks, and chillin by the fire pit. The temp is cool and nippy but it's a could change from the dry heat we left behind. It's so peaceful and serene at this location that you can't picture yourself leaving.

Sunday they took us on a walk into the small town outside of the base. We went to a tiny mom and pop pastry shop that served the most amazing danish croissants and doughnuts. Closest thing I can compare it to is the pastry shop Sean-O took Rosey and I to in Culver City a year or 2 back. Made my way to church, gym in the afternoon and then just relaxed with everyone. It was a slower day for most as the drinking slowed down and most just enjoyed lounging around. Ronald taught a few of us the game Tongitz which is another fun card game to play.

Monday (13APR) Was clean our weapons turn them in and one last trip into another town. It was a shopping trip to pretty much allow last minute gifts and what not. The rest of the day was spent packing and getting ready for the trip back to the states. Some of people in the group organized a bbq and oh man we had some amazing asian bbq spare ribs and pork belly. One last time around the fire pit for some chit chat and said some goodbyes to the people who would leave earlier than the rest of the group.

Tuesday: Most of the group left around 8AM others who were traveling to other parts of the world left at 4AM. On our way to the airport we hit rush hour traffic into Launstul Airport. It was a quick and efficient process for the amount of people checking in. Left European spoil an hour later than scheduled which would hurt 3 of us later on in our connecting flight. We landed in Baltimore customs and baggage took longer than expected causing three of us to miss our connecting flight thus not being able to make it home like the rest of the active duty folks. Reservist caught a flight back to Norfolk, VA to process out there. After the dust was settled me being calm cool and collective thinking what's the point I had no control, my other buddy was pissed, cussed out a few people and wore his emotion on his sleeve lol. We were lucky enough to get a hotel room even if it was just for 8 hours it allowed for us to have a hot shower, something to eat, an alcoholic beverage and most importantly didn't have to sleep in the airport.

Wednesday: After a few hours of sleep woke up bright and early to head back to the airport to catch a flight to Chicago. From there said bye to the 2 others I was traveling with then headed to San Diego.  It was surreal to see the San Diego skyline but at the same time feel like I hadn't been away that long, like I just saw it a month ago. My mom and dad were able to pick me up and they were delighted to see me. First stop was Lolita's for some mexican food then took a long nap after all that traveling and jet lag. My sister came home but I was sleeping so it was a dull greeting from me, but I did enjoy seeing Chrissy again. Jamie, Nick, and Auntie Yolly came over for dinner and talked a little abut my time there.

Thursday: I drove bright and early back to 29 Palms to check in and they sent me home right after allowing me to have 4 days off. I moved into a new room from one of the guys in the hospital and although it's just a room it took me forever to settle in and organize my stuff. Instead of driving back to SD that night I slept there.

Friday: Due to the jet lag I had been waking up at 4AM everyday allowing me to drive back to SD early. Checked out the new Ballast Point with the friends which was awesome and great to see their faces again. I especially enjoyed seeing how big Cameron and Miles got. I probably missed those babies more than their parents.

Saturday: I told myself I'd go to Torrey Pines for a hike because the weather had been amazing all week no marine layer but it didn't happened. Instead just got ready for Baby Amara's baptism. Nice to see the cousins, aunties, and uncles too. They were all surprised to see me there which was nice to see their reactions. I volunteered my single duty services and babysat Josh, Kayla, and my goddaughter Olivia. It's easy to babysit them since they are older than 7 and aren't running around like toddlers. Watched Aiden's baseball game with them ate at the Habit afterwards and called it a night early due to the jet lag.

Sunday: It was nice to be back to OLMC, sat behind PR17 and fam. Caught up with my Sean and the young padawan beat the master and b-ball.

Monday: Left early to head back to 29 although I was off that day I wanted to finish organizing my room.

It was nice to be back in SD see the friends and family all in 4 days. It didn't even feel like I was gone for 9 months since I got to keep up with everyone via social media, texts, and facetime. Don't get me wrong I feel blessed to make it back safely from this incredible journey but with what's available today it made it doable. It's back to the grind of things I will truly miss the Lima rotations made some lasting memories with them. We'll probably never see each other again but it's an experience of  lifetime we all shared together that we will never forget....Now I need to post pics.