I am currently sitting in the airport in Dubai. I’m frustrated that there’s no internet connection. I have a sneaky suspicion that I’m not going to have much communication with the outside world until I get back home. Of course that would happen when I most need it, right? So I decided yesterday morning that it was time to go home to see my stepdad. He’s been diagnosed with cancer in the time that I’ve been gone. I can’t see what’s going on there, and I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that this was a good time to get home since the fire department isn’t up & running yet and I should probably take advantage of it while I still can. Besides, if anything goes terribly awry and I need to get home quickly, there is no guarantee that it’ll be doable. Juli will be going on vacation next month and this just seemed like the right time. I sure do hope it is. I went in to the chiefs yesterday morning telling them that I needed to get home, thought it would still be a few days, but everything turned into the usual whirlwind that it is around there and off I went. We headed to HR inquire about what it would take and they said that they could get me onto the flight going out that day. I had to rush back to the station and pack, with the help of my dear Juli. She managed to keep my head on straight somehow. Handing over stuff that I needed… luggage locks, small toothpaste, baggies, even a couple reminders of my temporary home there. I didn’t have a clue how much I was going to miss it. Miss the people! If I’m like this after a few weeks with those guys, how am I going to be after a year?!? This can’t be good. I had to fly back to KAF yesterday and go through the usual out-processing there before I could head on. This morning, I was having breakfast with our fire liaison that I got to spend a lot of time with the first time I was there, and as we were going through the lunch line, I realized how much Dwyer has gotten to me. The omelet maker at KAF wasn’t nearly as sweet and charming as the one at Dwyer. And I missed my little cutie that always gives me the bacon or sausage or pancakes or French toast. That man has got to have the sweetest smile ever! I don’t know what it is about him but if I’m not careful, one of these days, I’m gonna climb over the counter and get a hug. I’ll have to get a picture with him so you can all see what I’m talking about. Trust me, you’ll know. And the one at the end of the breakfast line that always knows that I’ll want syrup. He always looks so crushed when they’re out and I express any disappointment. Seriously, that is a very good place to work. I really do enjoy it there.
Alright, I’m back on the plane and using a napkin to write. I’m flying over a beautiful mountain range right now. Wish I knew which one it is but I don’t have a clue how long I’ve been flying so I can’t even begin to guess where I am. All I know is I’ve watched two TV shows and one movie, not to mention quite a bit of reading. The movie for this trip was Toy Story 3. Yep, I cried. At least 3 times. What is it with Disney? What is it with toys?
Ya know, this trip has definitely not been easy. I go from deciding to go home to suddenly going home in a couple of hours. I pack, I say goodbye to people I care more about than I ever thought I would. I take a flight to Bastion. Another flight to KAF. Stayed overnight and went through out-processing the next day. Flew to Dubai. Flew to Kuwait. Flew to D.C. Flying to San Diego. That is just about 10 more hours more flying than I want. It was about a total of 22 hours. The 13 hour was definitely the worst part but I had a very charming companion the whole way. Natalia. She was in Kuwait teaching. Lasted 2 weeks before getting fired. She was so thankful for that fact. She had never been more miserable in her life. She was told she’d be teaching at an American girl’s school. What she wasn’t told was that there were no American girls. They didn’t teach the truth. The children had no respect at all. She was at a major disadvantage from the get-go. Very glad to be going home. San Francisco area. She actually cheered and clapped when the plane touched. It was quite adorable.
Okay, my dear friends, I’m going to put this napkin I’m writing on away and go back to my book. I’ll be in touch soon. Wish me luck and send major prayers toward my family. Especially my stepdad. He needs it the most.
Much love,
D
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