13.9 days of kissing?!?!

That dumb gum commercial about how "most people spend 20,000 minutes of their lives kissing" made me wonder what 20,000 minutes computes to in real world time... the answer is: 13.9 days... almost 2 WEEKS!!! Maybe it's just because I am not most people, but I cannot imagine that I will ever be able to say that I spent 2 weeks of my life kissing! Or that I would want to...

Radio Silence

I know it has been a while since I have updated my blog... I will probably be posting to this one much less over the coming year. I do have another blog (it is less public - more for friends and family). If I have not already given you the link, feel free to email/message me, and I will send you the link.

This is Island Girl, signing off...

It's the Little Things

A friend of mine always responds to questions with "in the grand scheme of things, does it really matter?" His question got me thinking, because I think the answer is yes. They may seem unimportant, but by the same token you could say any one life is insignificant when compared to the multitudes out there. You could say that the things that one breaking heart or one rejoicing soul is unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but Jesus said that not a sparrow could fall from the sky without the notice of God. If He is concerned with little things, isn't it appropriate that we be as well? I have always found beauty in the little things. Yes, a sunrise can be spectacular, crashing waves, awe-inspiring, and places like the Grand Canyon, well, beyond description. But what about a raindrop on a flower petal, or the little fingers and toes of newborn, or the simple touch of the one you love? Are these things insignificant or unworthy of our attention merely because they are small and fail to stand out in the grand scheme of things? Maybe I am a bit on the sentimental side, but I think it is the little things that make life beautiful.

It Don't Gitmo Better!

Since everything moved so quickly, and I went from "unemployed" to "out of the country" in under two weeks, many of you are still wondering what happened. So, here it is... the latest of the many crazy stories that make up my life:
I attended a job fair at the end of January. While there, I met quite a few people who were looking for someone like me (i.e. an analyst, who is willing to go anywhere at a moment's notice, and particularly wants to go to Iraq or Afghanistan). One contract company that stood out to me was one with an open position in GTMO. I had actually not considered Guantanamo Bay prior to that, but when he told me about what the position entailed, it sounded ideal. I gave him a copy of my resume and he gave me his business card so I send it him an electronic version. I got home an hour later, got online to send out my resume to handful of email addresses I had collected at the job fair. All the business cards were right where I left them (in the folder I had with me) except for the one for the GTMO position. I was really upset about it, but after trying several different ways off getting the recruiter's contact info, I gave up and assumed it was just not meant to be. In the meantime, I was talking to a contract company that wanted to send me to Iraq, and I was scheduling interviews with some of the other companies. The snow storm delayed two of the interviews, so the week after all the snow, I had interviews almost every day. That Thursday morning, just before heading off to one of the interviews, the company, whose business card I had lost, called me!!! I was totally shocked. They asked me to come it on Friday to talk about the position in GTMO. Friday morning , before I left, I was offered the Iraq position. I still continued on my way. Despite being an hour late for the interview (due to the lovely traffic in this area) I was offered the job on the spot, and I promptly accepted. When I returned home that afternoon, I was offered the job from Thursday's interview, which I turned down (btw, I also turned down the Iraq position that afternoon). I stayed up until 0300 that night (or morning) packing up my stuff. I continued packing until Tuesday night. With much help from a couple of friends, I got all my earthly belongings into a Budget truck and off I went. Everything is being stored in my Mom's garage. And I will be down in the Caribbean for the next year with 4 card board boxes filled with clothes (think xerox paper size), a suit case, my electric guitar, and an amp (got all the important things covered!). =) That's pretty much it - oh, and then I was offered a position in Afghanistan that Saturday (I'm telling you, when it rains, it POURS!!!).

I will try to keep y'all updated... it will all depend on connectivity and the amount of free time I have to blog.

It is enough that He knows

August 1, 2009 was not exactly a high point in my life. After 9 weeks of the most intense training I had ever been through, I was dropped from USMC OCS and returned to civilian life. I was worn out, physically, emotionally drained, and very unsure of my future. However, I was still confident that God was in control, and as my Father, He wanted what was best for me. I had a great support system of friends and family, who were very understanding. One of my friends texted me as soon as she found out.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

It was meant as an encouragement (and taken that way), but I remember thinking to myself at the time, "well, it is great that He knows, but I would like to be in on the secret as well! It is my future after all." Almost 7 months later, I am very thankful that I was not in on the secret. First of all, if I had known that I would go 6 months without getting a single response from any of the jobs I applied to, I would have been too discouraged to even begin. Second, the waiting time was a great (great in terms of immensity - obviously not a pleasant experience) time of testing for me. During months 1 - 3, my faith was strong. The holiday months were a little harder with their ups and downs, but I was surrounded by my wonderful family, and just felt so blessed with all the non-material things in life that I couldn't be too discouraged. Then January rolled around... A new year, a new start, but I was still stuck in a rut - no change, nothing hopeful on the horizon, still unemployed. That was when the true test came. There were some very dark days (and even darker nights) - far more tears than I would like to admit, and often, my faith was not what I would have thought it would be. But as the saying goes, night is darkest just before the sun rises. Well, the sun is finally shining again, but I hope I do not quickly forget the lessons learned over the last year.

My life is in His hands, and it is ok if I do not know what the future holds.

10 days and counting...

I got the official offer letter today. I pick up the U-Haul truck tomorrow. I leave for home (as in, where my family lives) the day after tomorrow. Once all my earthly goods are securely stowed away in my old bedroom, and I have said my farewells to my family, I will come back here for a day of training and then promptly leave the country. I really have no idea what internet will be like over there... not sure if I will have connectivity at all outside of the office. I hope to keep updating the blog, but really, who knows what to expect.

There is so much more I would like to say, but right now, I still have to finish packing (72 hours just isn't enough time to pack up one's life!).

Another grand adventure is about to begin!