Merry Christmas

I somehow managed to smash all of my stuff into my two allotted duffel bags this morning.  I am still surprised it all fit...all except for the 6 boxes I left at home to be shipped.  They are very heavy and I am trying to figure out how I will carry them around after spending the day in limbo.  I am sure I will make it.  So here I am sitting in the "terminal" waiting for them to tell us what we will do.  They are not very specific about times and that is for our own safety.  After a long week of hurry up and wait, it seems they wanted to finish in a similar fashion.

A couple of things about this week.  First of all, I have met some great people.  I would have been a basketcase without them.  I am going to post a photo at the end of this post so you guys can see the group.  About half of us are headed to Iraq and the others to Afghanistan.  I have been given all sorts of pointers from them this week.  Somethings I wanted to know, some I didn't need to.  Nevertheless, they have touched my life and I hope to never forget the time I spent here this week.

Second, we had a little fireball named Ingrid who took care of us and made sure that we always had the papers we needed and knew where we were supposed to be.  She is very good at her job and made this week of transition as smooth as possible.  She is in the middle, front in the photo.  I probably would have made it without Ingrid and the others, but I cannot imagine how.

Well, I am sitting in a huge room watching people.  Some are taking naps ( I am saving my nap for the flight), some are talking to their friends.  There are people relaxing and reading, using their computers, and saying their final goodbyes on the phone.  It is Christmas Eve and everybody is missing their family and friends.  The atmosphere is subdued.  I have had plenty of time to think both last night when I couldn't sleep and today while I am waiting around for something to happen.  I have been thinking about how fortunate I am.  I have been able to go some great places, meet some amazing people, and have unbelievable experiences...and I am still relatively young.  I'm a lucky girl.  Having said that, I know that my sense of adventure would not be so bold without people like you.  People who may roll their eyes when I get some big idea to go someplace new, but in the end, give me a hug and send me on my way.  Additionally, you send letters and care packages while I am away and welcome me home whenever I return.  Indeed, I am lucky.  So on this Christmas, as I am flying to a very different part of the world to begin this next stage, I will be thinking of you. Know that I am thankful for all of the love and support you have and will continue to give to me.  Merry Christmas to you and yours. 

Love,
Matia

Long Day

I am in my room after a very long day.  I will not fill you in on all of the graphic details, but it was a day meant to prepare us for what can go wrong when you live in a war zone.  It really took a lot out of me as I was faced with some of the very real dangers that could happen living and working in Iraq.  It was the second day in a row that the reality of what I am preparing to do sort of slapped me in the face.  Yesterday, we picked up our equipment.  In a word, it is heavy.  I have a helmet, gas mask, and vest to wear.  I am pretty sure that all of it weighs more than my roommate.  I will try to figure out how to include a photo so you can all picture me wearing this stuff when you are celebrating Christmas...I will be putting mine on in Kuwait sometime Sat evening-ish.  Please don't get me wrong, I am still very excited about this opportunity.  I am also thankful for this week of training/orientation.  I just know that it is going to be very different from anything I have done before and that I am going to need to be more aware of my surroundings than ever before.  I guess that is all for now.  I will post more soon.
Love,
 Matia

PS  Sorry for the poor photo quality.  My camera was MIA and now it is simply AWOL.  When I get it back, I will take better photos.

New Job, New Blog

Well, I am currently in Ft. Benning, GA going through a week of orientation before I leave for Iraq.  I will spend the next year living and teaching on a NATO base.  It is likely I will be in Baghdad, but not certain.  I will not know where for sure until I get there.  The process of getting to this place was a whirlwind.  I had just over a month to prepare-dental, medical, background check, etc.  With the Thanksgiving holiday and finals at school, I felt like I didn't have any extra time for relaxing.  The people who know me well and spent time with me before I left can tell you that I was stressed.  I have been here since Friday and I am already feeling VERY relieved.  This is a good place to begin the transition.  I have already met many people who have helped me with the "silly" things I had been worried about.                                               

This week is will be interesting.  When they told me that I would begin my day at 5a.m., they were serious.  Just this morning I was thinking about how people will say, "People in the army accomplish more by 9 a.m. than others accomplish all day."  I am not in the army, but I am surrounded by people who are and think there might be something to that.  I have already learned so much and know there is much more to know before leaving.  

With that, I think I will close for now.  In case you are wondering, I decided to switch to this website because it is a bit easier to use.  So, bookmark it.  I will try to update it more often than I did in Korea. Stay tuned for more stories of adventure-I am sure there will be plenty. 

Lots of Love,
  Matia