A year later…

A year ago today, I left on this little adventure.  Now here I am, a ‘single digit midget’ in Yemen, packing up and getting ready to fly back to the US for one last week of Navy fun.  At 7:04 pm tonight, for the last time I did the usual ‘where was I on the 29th at 7:04pm local time…’ and a year ago I was taking off for the first stop on the process. I still remember it well.  And, now the Q-tip box is down to a handful!

Before I was called up,  I could not have told you where Sana’a was, and I could not have placed Yemen on a map accurately (I would probably have guessed somewhere in Africa…).  A year later, I find myself living in Sana’a, able to drive myself around and navigate a strange city at night, converse in Arabic (barely), and function in an embassy with foreign militaries and the US State Dept .  And, I find myself as a key expert on the status of the Yemen Coast Guard and Navy, and am furiously working out their support plans for the next six years.  All of this was not anywhere on my plan, nor was it in my mind a year ago.  And though it is interesting and makes for some good stories, most of it will be moot as I go back to my normal career.

The last couple of days have been good and busy, which is making them go quickly.  Still, I expect the last two or three to crawl by, as there is a weekend in there and I will have handed off my job.  Also, my grad school classes wrap up tomorrow with my last exam, and I have finished all but one book – which I am saving for the plane to Gulfport.  And, to top it off, I am all but packed – every day I get home from work now I pack away my suit, so there are only a couple of things left hanging in my closet…

It is difficult to comprehend the end of this experience – a year of living a totally different life in a totally different place.  However, though I am not likely to volunteer to do this again, I am glad for the experience – has been very educational and a bit of a life changer.  Also, it has been nice financially (a year of living life without paying much in the way of taxes) and as I have often stated, was a nice break from the routine of corporate America.  Finally, I think it has not harmed the kids much, and my marriage has survived intact – indeed, strengthened in some ways.  However, am ready to be home, and am counting down the hours.

The donut of despair, looking pretty green!!!!