CHEERS TO CALIFORNIA !!!

 

Ever since I was a teenager I have wanted to live in California and finally at 33 I am able to live out that dream.  I absolutely love it here.  There are times that I am driving around and I think "whoa I can't believe I actually live here."  I  have been trying to take advantage of all my weekends and explore California since I am only going to be here till next August. 

One weekend I crossed another item off my bucket list which was climbing a mountain.  OK this wasn't a big mountain but it was a mountain and the scenery was amazing!  Over Labor Day weekend I jumped on a plane and flew to LA and spent the weekend there with my aunt and some friends.  It was such a fun weekend just being on the beach and having no plans.  I also spent some time in San Francisco, Sanoma/Napa and most recently San Diego!  By the way did I mention how awesome it is to live 20 minutes from Napa...30 minutes from Sacramento and 45 minutes from San Fran.  I am a lucky lucky girl!     Here are just a small sample of pics from my recent adventures:

 

 

Old Sacramento

 

 

Relaxing by my pool!

 

The mountain!

 

Gorgeous view

 

Fun times in LA !

 



 

Fleet week in San Francisco!

Air show! 



 

 

 Sanoma/Napa

 

 

 

We love our bubbles!

 



 

San Diego!

 

 



 

 

 

I have a lot more places on my list I want to visit before next August ... I am so a Cali girl! I am always up for visitors so start planning and come out and visit!!!!

Welcome to Travis Air Force Base!

 

I arrived at Travis Air Force Base on Wednesday August 8th.  Potter was still with me on the road trip and as soon as we arrived we checked into my temporary lodging hotel on base then proceeded to check out apartments.  The first place I looked at is the one I went with.  I love it and it fits me perfectly.  It was such a great relief to find a place the same day I arrived.  That night Potter and I spent the night on base getting "initiated" into military life...what a fun night with lots and lots of wine and Air Force boys!  LOL.  The next day I drove her to the airport....saying goodbye was hard.  She was the last friend form Michigan I was going to see for months.  The feeling it me as I was driving away "I am for sure on my own now."  I cried tears of happiness and of fear.  I had no idea what to expect. 
So for the next week I spent time getting to know the base and the area of Fairfield/Vacaville.  I moved into my place all by myself which was a difficult task but I could feel the support and prayers from everyone back home.  After a long 3 days of unpacking I was finally moved into my new place!
One of the perks of my place:

 

Love this pool!!!!!

 

I began my job on August 13....I felt like a little kid going to school for the first time.  It was such a nerve racking day.  Making sure my uniform was correct, making sure I spoke to people with correct military terms and just making it through day 1 with no mistakes was so stressful.  As time has gone on I have started to become more comfortable in my surroundings but every day is a new challenge.  Sometimes my civilian mouth comes out and I will say stupid things like calling Colonels "guys" instead of "gentlemen" ... everyday I laugh at myself and the funny mistakes I make. 
I feel that I have spent more time in meetings and learning the ropes of military life than seeing patients but I guess that is to be expected.  My day begins at 7:30am and ends at 4:30pm (usually however there are lots of day where I work late).  I have to leave my house 45 minutes to get to work on time (work is only 15 minutes away).  Every morning there is a line up outside of the gate to get on base which makes mornings very early! 
I am currently working in Family Advocacy which is a lot like my job I had when I worked in Child Welfare for the state.  It has helped me a lot to have this previous experience.  In December I will transition from the Family Advocacy program to ADAPT which is the substance abuse program.  I will work there till April and then finish my residency in Mental Health.  I will be moving to a new base in August 2013. 
As residents we are also on-call once a month. So a scheduled of on-call is either Monday-Thursday or Friday-Sunday. We get called to the ER for mental health emergency usually resulting around suicidal thoughts etc. Getting called in is a pain especially in the middle of the night but these are the times when I feel that I am making the biggest impact.  I have learned so much in the short 2 months I have been here at Travis.
The learning curve is ridiculous. On top of learning all the military stuff  I am learning all the military social work ins and outs.  Everyday is overwhelming.  We are residents and treated like residents.  People constantly drilling us with questions and correcting everything we do...its intense and I constantly have to remind myself that all of this will be worth it in the end.  August can't get here fast enough :) I love being a Social Worker and even during the difficult days the love for my job will never change.  Here are some pictures of Travis Air Force Base!

 

Hospital where I work

 

 

I love all the palm trees on base :)

 

 

 

 

Still have to get up close and personal to one of these yet!

 

 

 

 

 

How time flies....

I can't believe it has been almost 4 months since I have posted on this blog.  My life has been a whirlwind as most you have seen on facebook.  I am keeping this blog to help update my friends and family back home but also for me to remind myself of my journey over the last year and what a journey it has been. 

Let's pick up from my last post when I was at Officer Training.  I wrote that blog when I was about a week in and all I can say is that the remaining four weeks were just as difficult.  It was one of the hardest experiences of my life and now looking back I honestly can't believe I did it.  I struggled with health issues, feet issues, lack of sleep and my body just not responding well to the food, heat and all the physical and emotional demands.  Needless to say I was happy when graduation came.  I graduated on August 3, 2012.  My parents and one of my BFF's came down for graduation.  Here are some pictures of my 5 week journey...lot more on facebook.

 

A day in the "field"

My roomie and me...she was the BEST!

 



 

My flight commander and I...two Italians...could get any better LOL

 



 

Conquering my fear of heights. No one got a picture of me crying before thank goodness!

 

 



 

Graduation Day with Potter...I really hate my "blues" uniform!

 



Tamiesha and me at COT.  She is truly my "person" at Travis...this girl is amazing!
 

 

 My parents and me at graduation

 

 

 

I had to add this video...I was chosen to be the girl out of my flight to compete against staff for pushups....mind you I had shoulder surgery in January.  I did 60!!!!!!! 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BxRPHagy04&feature=plcp

 

 

After graduation Potter and I began our 6 day road trip cross country.  This was something that was on my bucket list and it was the perfect graduation present.  We left on Friday August 3rd and drove 12 hours straight to San Antonio where we spent 2 days.  I was tired and wore out after training and it took me a bit to adjust to not having a schedule and not being yelled at :)  It was nice to relax and just enjoy time with one of my girls.  We left San Antonio on Sunday August 5th and drove to Sante Fe New Mexico for the night.  On Monday August 6th we drove 12 hours from Sante Fe New Mexico to the Grand Canyon then onto LA where we spent the night with my aunt.  Tuesday morning we woke up spent some time with my Aunt then headed up the coast to San Francisco where we spent the night and the following day.  Wednesday after touring the city we jumped on I-80 and headed up to Travis Air Force Base.  I love living 45 minutes from the city!!!  Here are some pics from the road trip:

Leaving San Antonio!

 

 

Arizona

 

 

Grand Canyon

 

 

Taking it all in! 

 

 

                                  

    Los Angeles....Rancho Palos Verdes hill

            

                 Driving the coast

 

 

SAN FRAN!

 



 

 

 

Trolley fun!

 



 

 

Crossed this off my bucket list :)

 

 

 

 

We had such a great time and made some awesome memories.  I am forever grateful to Potter for planning the entire trip for us.  She did an excellent job.  You have no idea how much all of this meant to me girl....love you!  Thank you to all of those of you who prayed for me during my training and my trip.  The support and encouragement was so appreciated! 

 

This truely was 6 weeks of my life that I will never ever forget.  I learned so much about myself and what I could endure and how strong I really was physically and mentally.  Next stop on the trip was my final destination....TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE!  

 

 





Commissioned Officer Training !

Well I have almost finished with my first week of COT (Commissioned Officer Training). Please forgive me if this blog has spelling errors and jumps from one thing to another.  I don't have much time to write but a lot of you have asked about it so here it is!!!

My journey began on Saturday June 31, 2012 when I drove from Michigan to Alabama.  I made my trip in 12.5 hours rather than the 14 ... I ran into very little traffic and no problems.  I was so happy!  However when I woke up on Saturday I was not feeling too well and I felt worse as the day when on but I of course kept driving.  Once I reached Alabama I went straight to Urgent Care before finding a hotel.  Just as a I suspected...I had strep throat.  They gave me a shot of antibiotics and a script and 3 hours later sent me on my way.  Needless to say it was an extremely long day.  I finally checked into my hotel at midnight after leaving Michigan at 7:45am. 

Sunday was spent running errands and getting ready for the first day of training on Monday.  I also met up with some girls that I had met over the Air Force Social Worker facebook page.  We have all been chatting for months so I was so excited to finally meet them.  We went out and had dinner before the big day.   We stayed up way too late that night chatting about in-processing day and we were all a bit nervous.  I didn't sleep well that night.

The day finally arrived.  The girls and I went out to lunch for our last "real" meal before heading to in processing.  We arrived around 2pm and at that time it was near 100 degrees.  We walked up with just our backpack and then we got yelled at to return to our car to get all of our luggage.  Uh-oh.  I had a large suitcase, a small suitcase, a large clear tote and at least 12 hangers full of my uniforms.  I obviously couldn't carry it all so I had to get creative.  Finally after the mile walk with all my stuff (one of my friends had just as much stuff so we walked up together) we were told OK I guess I should say yelled at to drop our stuff and stand in line at attention.  I was a dripping sweaty mess (I had to wear khaki capri pants and a casual dress shirt).  While standing in attention you cannot move at all.  I had sweat running into my eyes and bugs flying around me.  We waited in line at attention for at least an hour.  We moved when the lined moved.  I single file line looking straight forward not speaking.  Yes we were being yelled at the entire time.  In this line we received out key to our room, access to our laptops, hydration system (we have to carry this camelbak filled with water on our back at all the times) and reflective belts.

The belt determines what squadron we are all in.  Each squadron is made up of 80-85 people.  There are 300 people here total at COT.  We have dentists, pharmacists, medical, Chaplin etc here for training.  The age range is anywhere between 26-40ish.  We also are split into flights.  My flight team is called Sierra Flight and we have 15 people.  These are the people who live on my floor.  We do everything together. Eat, study, etc...we are together every minute of the day except to sleep.  Let me just say that we are a team however there are a lot of personality clashes LOL...it is making this experience even more interesting!

OK back to the first day.  Once we got all our materials we headed outside to march.  This was intense.  We also have this 90 page manual that we have to read any time we are "waiting".  We have to carry this manual on us at all times. I was on my feet for over 7 hours on the first day.  Marching is very hard to explain and it is very difficult to remember all the calls and movements but we have been practicing every night (I even practice in the shower LOL).  We march everywhere.  In the hallways, outside etc.  The only place we do not march is in our dorm room.  The dorms are pretty nice.  I have a roommate and its co-ed.  It is better than I thought it was going to be.  We obviously are not in our rooms that much but we have air conditioning, own desks, own closets and sinks :) We wake up every morning at 4:30am.  We either head to physical training or Drill until 7:21am.  Then we march to breakfast. 

Breakfast is usually a boxed meal but in a few weeks we will get a hot meal at the chow hall.  Then we either do more marching, classroom instruction or lecture.  Lunch is at 12:21 and dinner at 5:26.  We have "tight meals" which means we get about 10 minutes to eat. We cannot speak to one another. We have to sit at the table at attention. We all have jobs at the table (a table of 4) and a process for standing up and walking out of the Chow Hall.  We have Chow Sharks that are in there yelling at us if we make a mistake. The food is not good and lately we have been eating a lot of MER's which are down right nasty. During dining time at the Chow Hall we have to drink 3 glasses of either water or juice (no soda) to rehydrate ourselves.  So I have to down three glasses in 10 minutes.  On Tuesday I almost threw up.  I have been struggling with not having enough food in my body and dehydration.  Our uniforms are heavy and extremely hot and we have to wear our hydration system at all times as well as our backpacks. Our day begins at 4:30am and we usually do not go back to our rooms until 7-8pm.  Then we have to study, shower, and prepare uniforms and other things for the next day.  We also have meetings with our flight team.  So as you can see I have very little free time. 

My flight the Sierra flight met our Flight Commander on Wednesday.  Needless to say he is one tough man.  He used to be a Marine so you can imagine how is yelling sounds and he expects perfection. Our shoe laces need to be tied from left to right, we have to have our pens sitting on the desk in the correct position etc. It is so intense and I am so nervous for the next 5 weeks. As I stated earlier there are 15 people in my flight. Even with the personaility conflicts we are all very supportive of one another.  My job in the flight is postal officer so yup you got it I get to drive and get the mail and distribute it to my fellow officers 2-3 times a week.  I love giving my fellow officers mail from their loves ones :) I would have liked to take a more active role however I need to concentrate so much on the academic part of this training that I took an easier flight job.

On Thursday I had an emotional breakdown in the bathroom.  I got yelled at by a group of 8 training instructors for not greeting properly.  I was tired and had a headache and it was only 8am so the yelling just put me over the edge.  When I got into the bathroom there were 2 other females crying as well.  The yelling is hard but it is done to teach us to become leaders.  I will have a flight of air force Social Workers under me when I reach my base and I have to learn from the ground up.  I am learning so much about myself and what I am capable of. However I don't think I will ever be OK with the yelling :)

Did I mention we march everywhere.....12-14 hours in our boots. The only time we can walk without marching is in our dorm rooms.  Even in our dorms we have to be in uniform or our PT gear unless sleeping. I have some skin missing from my heels which makes marching and running pretty difficult.  I was sent to medical for treatment.

I have my first exam on Saturday.  I am extremely nervous about the academic part of training.  We have a lot of information to learn including drill techniques, lectures, flight classes etc and we are tested on all of it.  My flight team is very supportive and is aware that academics for me is difficult.  We have study groups however this week we have not had much time to study.  A lot of my current stress is coming from the academic part of training.  We have a lot of lectures, note taking, homework etc.  It is like being in an intense internship for 5 week with the addition of having people yell at you LOL. 

Some of you have asked for specific prayers requests for the next week. So here are a few:

1.  Please pray for over all healing.  I am still healing from my strep throat and I have a pretty bad cold right now.  I have also had headaches every day since Monday. The lack of sleep, heat and lack of food is taking a toll on my immune system.

2.  Academics. 

Although it has been a tough week, I still remain confident that the Air Force is where I am meant to be.  The staff is tearing me down in order to build me up to be the best Officer and leader in the Air Force.  This is a constant reminder for me.  God placed me at this training for a reason and I know that I will make it through the next 4 weeks.  Yes it will be difficult, yes there will be tears.  This training is one of the most difficult things I have ever experienced but when I look back I am confident I will be able to say "it was all worth it."  4 weeks from today is graduation....yay!!!!

Thank you again for the constant support and encouragement.  I receive your text messages, emails and facebook messages but please understand that I have maybe 2-3 hours of personal time a night and I have to use that time to shower, study and prepare for the next day so I may not be able to respond to all of you. All of this does not go unnoticed and I appreciate it!

Miss you all!

xoxo
Megan

PS...I have pictures but I don't have access to upload them so I will post some on here when I get to my base in August and I will also post a folder on facebook :)

Less Than 2 weeks to go!!!!

Whoa I can't believe it has been over a month since I did an update.  Needless to say things have been CRAZY busy.  After 4 trips to and from Detroit over the last month I have finally received all my uniforms with all alterations done.  It was a bit pricey but honestly I am so thankful for have done all this work before arrive at training. I will post pictures as soon as I wear my uniforms the first time!
Along with the uniform craziness I have been spending a lot of time with friends and family and trying to tie up lose ends at home.  I scheduled my movers for June 28th and have been making final preparations for the move and my 4 weeks of training in Alabama.  Of course I have had some fun over the last month including taking in a Tigers Game, lots of boating and of course the NKOTB cruise.  I have been trying to cram in a summer of fun in 5 short weeks.  Needless to say I am exhausted but wouldn't have changed anything.
My last day of work at the VA is Thursday June 21st.  I was informed that the VA will hold my job for up to 5 years while I am on military leave.  I really want to make the Air Force my career for many years however if for some reason it doesn't fit for me it is such a blessing to know that I have a job waiting for me.  I have finally come to the understanding as to why God put the VA job in my life right when I was deciding about the Air Force.  I truly believe it wasn't because he was saying to me "take the VA job instead of the Air Force" but was teaching me to trust yet again.  He has a plan and his plan is perfect. The VA job wasn't a road block as I thought it was back in January it is a bridge.  A bridge to help me learn  about the military over the last 5 months and to become even more comfortable with my decision to join the Air Force.  The support and encouragement I have received from my co-workers and veterans has been astounding!  The VA job has also been a cushion. Knowing that I have a job here if I ever decided to part with the Air Force helps me feel at peace. I am so incredibly blessed. 
After 4 years of just accepting my life the way it was I finally decided to take a leap and so far it's been the best decision for my life, career and my overall happiness! I am so incredibly blessed for the opportunities that have come my way over the last year and for the adventures I have yet to experience.
I have begun to say goodbye to a few friends as well which is already taking it's toll on me emotionally.  I have wanted to move out of MI for many many years but I guess I didn't think it would be so hard to leave.  I have been blessed with amazing friends who have turned into family.  They have guided me and encouraged me throughout this entire process.  Being in a completely different time zone is so hard to comprehend right now.
Lately people have asked me how I am feeling at this very moment and I have answered them honestly.  Scared. Excited. Apprehensive....basically an emotional roller coaster.  The unknown is the scariest part (how training will be, where I will live, meeting new people etc...) however the overwhelming positive responses I have received from friends, family and strangers has been amazing and has helped to take some of the fear and anxiety away. 
The encounters I have had with perfect strangers over the last few weeks have been astounding.  I wish I could write about them all but it is impossible.  God has had a hand in all of these encounters and I feel like it is him saying to me "this is the right road."  I am holding tightly onto these experiences and people I have met and talked too.
I have also recieved a lot of personal emails and private messages on facebook from people I know but that I may not be close with.  Thier words are encouraging and supportive and some have told me how I have "inspired" them to look at life differently and to go after dreams that they have.  This moves me to tears.  To know that my journey may have helped motivate and inspire even one person makes everything worth it.  Thank you to those of you who have reached out to me.  I posted this on my facebook status a few days ago and felt that it fit here on my blog too. "If you are discouraged or feel like something is missing in your life, career etc...take a leap of faith and change it. You only have this one life...go after your dreams, surround yourself with people who encourage and lift you up, leave drama behind and realize you can make your life as amazing as you want too. You just have to believe in yourself. Things truly do happen for a reason. Thanks for the continued support and encouragement! I'm here to return the favor! "  Get out there friends!!!

Some of you have wanted to know what the next 8 weeks of my life will look like.  Well here it is:

June 21st:  Last day at the VA
June 28th: Movers come and take all my belongings.  They will move it to a storage unit in California.
June 29th: See Ya Later party at my parents
June 30th-July 1:  I will leave Michigan and drive to Maxwell Air Force Base.
July 2:  Officer Training (COT) begins.  It will be a busy and crazy schedule.   My day begins at 4:30am and ends at 11pm. My days will consist of workouts, classroom training, marching and a lot of studying. I will have limited time to talk to friends and family while I am in training.
August 3:  Graduation at noon
August 3:  Begin drive from Alabama to California.  One of my besties Amanda will be joining me on this amazing adventure.  I am so blessed for her and the fact that she planned this entire trip for us.  We will be making stops in San Antonio, Sante Fe and LA.  We will see sites like the Grand Canyon and another amazing things and we will be spending time with friends and family along the way.  We will then take the coast from LA up to Travis Air Force Base.  It will take us about 4 days.  I cannot wait for this experience.  It will be a fabulous reward after the grueling training.  Make sure to check out facebook for pictures and up dates throughout the adventure.
August 7:  Arrive at Travis Air Force Base.  House hunting begins.  I will be living on base until I find housing off base.  I have no idea how long this will take but hoping I find something quickly so that I can be reunited with my belongings.
August 13:  Begin my new job!

Some of you have also asked for specific things to pray for and I so appreciate that.  Here are some things that I am struggling with now:

1. Mental and physical strength during the 4 weeks of training.  I am scared.  I have no idea what to expect.  I have heard a lot of stories.  As an officer training will not be as difficult as basic training however it will be be demanding.  I will have a lot to learn in a short period of time.  I am worried about the heat, lack of sleep and remembering everything.  I will complete exams, presentations as well as my first PT test.  Pray my shoulder remains strong!
2.  Travel.  Please pray for safe travel to Alabama as I will be driving 13 hours alone.  Also for safe traveling from Alabama to California.
3.  Housing.  Please pray that I find housing quickly and in a good area.
4.  Transition.  Please pray for a smooth transition from leaving Michigan to settling in California.  It will be strange for weeks not having a place to call home and having all my belongings in storage.  I am worried about the little things that I always could call my brother or Dad to come over and help me with.  Please pray that I find a network of people  that I can turn too when I need help. 
5.  Peace of mind.  Please pray that my anxiety and worry does not take over my mind over the next 8 weeks.  For those of you who know me well understand that this is a daily struggle.  I am so excited about what lies ahead for me but getting there is a whole other story.  Pray the next 8 weeks are smooth with very little problems.

For those of you who have also asked about sending letters, care packages etc while I am at training, here is the address:

1st LT Megan Tieri (COT CLASS)
550 E. Maxwell Blvd. #9000
Maxwell AFB, AL 36112-5000

As always I appreciate all the continued love, support, encouragement and prayers.  Please understand that for the month of July I will have very limited communication but will update my blog and facebook as much as I can. 

Love to you all,

Megan
xoxo

UNIFORM CrAzInEsS!!!!

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile...things have been busier than ever.  I am trying to spend as much time as possible with friends and family, maintaining my workouts (strengthening my shoulder)packing for my cruise and more importantly the time it is taking to prepare for my officer training and this big move.  6.5 weeks to go!

On Wednesday May 2, 2012 I drove with my recruiter to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to purchase my uniforms.  Craziness is not even the word to describe the day.  I left my house at 5am and we arrive at base around 11am only to find that the base was on lock down. We waited an hour and the gates re-opened and we began what I thought would be a quick trip. We were hoping to be back in Detroit by 5pm so I could drop off my uniforms at Selfridge Air National Guard Base for alterations.  So we were rushing! 

What no one told me was the size difference in military uniforms.  I think I tried on 10 different size pants, skirts and shirts until I finally found a size that worked for me.  It didn't help having a male recruiter with me LOL as he had no idea how things were suppose to fit for a female.  Needless to say the pants for both uniforms are super baggy and I have to have lots of alterations done. 

Before I knew it 3 hours had passed.  I was able to get almost everything except for my boots, shoes and a few other items.  We obviously didn't make it back to Detroit in time.  I drove 10 hours that day to Detroit, Ohio, back to Detroit then home. 

Then on Saturday May 5, 2012 I drove back to Detroit and dropped my uniforms off at Selfridge.  I had never been to that base before.  It was fun to drive around see the planes and to talk to both active duty and veterans.  I have two more trips to make to Selfridge to drop more clothes off for alterations but I will be ready to come come July!  Due to the amount of officers that will be at training in July I was advised to have all my uniforms ready to go when I arrive.  With the craziness of the last 5 days purchasing, ordering more stuff online and alterations I would be a complete stress ball if I had to do all of this when I arrived at Maxwell AFB. 

While on my trip to Wright-Patt on Wednesday my recruiter gave some self reports from other officers who had completed Officer Training.  The 4 weeks that I will be there will be like being back in school all over again.  Lots of classroom time, homework, presentations and of course physical activity.  I will have very limited amount of time to talk to family and friends as my free time will be used to prepare for the next day, study etc.  I am so nervous about this training so please send some prayers my way!!!!

I felt so rushed and overwhelmed this last week that I didn't have time to "take it all in" so writing this blog entry helps a bit. This whole process has been such a stressful yet rewarding experience.  I don't think it has truly hit me yet that I am leaving and beginning this whole new life.  I have met some amazing and helpful people along the way and for this I am forever grateful. 

I will post pictures of my entire uniform with all the pins, tags etc once I pick them up from the alterations but for now here is the one picture I have :)

AND yet another trip....this time NYC!

I made my last trip to NYC to see my sister, brother in law and 3 nephews.  When I get to California I will not be able to travel for over a year so I wanted to see my sister and her family before I left.  It was a great visit.  Spending the time at my nephew's school, taking the kiddos to the Central Park Zoo on a beautiful day and having some much needed one-on-one time with my sister while shopping in Soho made the trip so memorable.  My nephews are so smart and so funny!  I had soooo much fun with them!  Here are some pictures from the trip...I can't believe I did not get a picture with my sister or brother in law!

View of the city when I flew into NYC!

My nephew Whitaker and me

Dash, Whitaker and me :)

My youngest nephew Truman

Like many of the trips I take I was again reminded of how blessed I truly am. I have 5 handsome nephews and one beautiful niece.  Parents, a brother and a sister who I love so much and a sister-in-law and brother-in-law who are gifts from God for my siblings and myself. It is hard to imagine leaving everyone and moving to the west coast but I still feel called to the mission.

I wrote on my Facebook page earlier today while traveling home "saying goodbye to my sister, brother-in-law and nephews is hard but today was much worse. I will not see them for close to 1.5 years. This is the first of many goodbyes for me with family and friends...I know joining the Air Force and moving to California is the right decision for me but it sure doesn't make it any easier." 

As I am writing this blog the movie "Bucket List" came on TV.  On my previous blog I wrote about having a bucket list with moving out of Michigan being on the top of my list.  I found this pretty ironic that this movie was playing at the time I was updating my blog.  Leaving will be hard but I am so excited to be able to cross the #1 thing off my list!

 I am blessed to have such amazing people in my life to support and encourage me through this journey.  Thank you to my family.