It's now been a LONG time since I started this journey. So, here's a quick recap of the last 5 years of my life:
I was big. Really big. I had a goal. I met that goal. And now, the story goes on...
Four months ago I left my cozy home in Chanhassen Minnesota for the world of the Army. I got to basic training and what a trip that was! I went to Fort Jackson, South Carolina and met some people I am so fortunate to call life long battle buddies. Adjusting to all the yelling was hard, but obviously I survived. It was not nearly as challenging as I thought it would be. PT in the morning was meh, it was those long marches carrying the weapons ALLLL day that really sucked. I learned a lot though, about me and what I could take and just how much I really loved the Army. The ten weeks went by so quickly, I felt like I blinked and they were gone. What I missed most: music! Whenever we got onto the buses that took us to places, and the radio was on, oh my it was a little bit of heaven. The obstacle courses were fun! It was a lot of team building which in itself was a blast. I wish I could recap the whole ten weeks, but that would be pretty much impossible. The thing I took out most from it, is the fact that I was able to do it. When I started this thing at 266 pounds, if you told me I'd make it through basic training, I'd laugh. When I marched on that field on graduation day, I was SO damn proud!
I'm now in the middle of my next step, AIT. The information we're learning isn't necessarily hard, there is just SO much of it! Intelligence is fun field, and there are a lot of people who don't like it, but I'm good with it. Like everything I've learned on this journey, it's all what you make of it. I'm not the smartest in class, I'm not the strongest and fastest at PT, but I'll be damned if I don't have a lot of heart. I worked for over four years to get here. And like my friend said to me before I left, during these next few months, it won't always feel like a dream, and I'm going to want to give up, but remember it's what I worked for. Since I've been here, life at home has been difficult which is putting a strain on my classes, but like my mentor said, I'm here to train, I'm here to be the best I can be at my job and nothing else really matters. I've already been setting goals for myself for beyond the TRADOC life. I'd love to get into counter Intel. It's a lot of work, and I've already started studying for it. The other thing I've been taking from this whole experience is the concept of integrity. I've always held myself to a high standard for honesty, but now I'm holding everyone else to my level. (Sorry people!) Unfortunately, because of this concept, I'm going to be seeing a lot of world with just my dog. Life is throwing me curve ball after curve ball and I'm learning to go with it. Sometimes the hardest thing to do in life is start over. Okay, not sometimes, the hardest thing in life IS starting over. 10 years ago, if you came up to me and said "Cara, you're going to be in the Army, with a strong career, true battle buddies that have your back and a life you love," I would have laughed. I never realized how unhappy I was until I got here.
What's next? Well, I'm headed to Colorado for the next three years of my life! I'm heading to 4th ID, 1st battalion! I am SO excited to start this life. I'll be a couple hours from blood family and a friend I've known my whole life! I'm going to be with a battle buddy from basic, and my battle boo from here in AIT! Life is just beginning!
Sure, change is scary. My platoon sgt told us tonight "I don't even know where home is anymore," and that's a scary thought. However, in basic we had a Drill Sgt who reiterated daily "Home is where you hang your hat." Yesterday my hat was in South Carolina, today it's in Arizona, tomorrow will be Colorado. Every place I've gone has become home, not because it's where I sleep, or even where I hang my hat, but because I've learned that the Army is a big family, and home is where your heart is. My heart is with the Army. I love this life, and right now, there is nothing I'd change about it.
No comments:
Post a Comment