I'm Back!

It took four long days of travel.  But, I finally made it back to my home away from home.  It has been a bittersweet return.  Everything is the same, yet everything is different.  My students are the same, yet they have changed a bit. The base is the same, yet has had so many changes that I am constantly suprised. My co-workers though most have been replaced, there are still many familiar faces, yet the dynamics are different.  I still know many people on base and am always happy to see a familiar face.  I often get the "I haven't seen you running lately" to which I have to reply, "its pretty hard to be seen running when I'm not here".  

I've been back all of two weeks, and a few things that occured were noteworthy.

#1.  My fourth day back I am walking down the street and happen to look over and see a man that I thought looked familiar.  He too was looking at me with a look of recognition.  I assumed that he was someone I knew from my first tour, so I began flipping through my mental reserves of people I knew, it was not until I glanced at his name tag that I realized it was someone I knew from back home in Sioux Falls.  What are the chances of running into someone you knew from your hometown in Afghanistan?  Apparently pretty high.

#2.  While I was hope I spent a great deal of time finding shoes, clothes, socks, underwear, and toys for the children of my students as well as some special items for my students that do not have kids.  Everything was greatly appreciated and I am certain that the kids loved getting new outfits.  I also was able to make up some boxes of items for some people who are rather poor and in need of a little extra help.  I believe I was able to help an additional five families of people who truly were in need.  There was one man in particular who will forever stand out in my mind.  I gave him a box that contained a few items of clothing for his two year old son and he looked at me with eyes of such appreciation and grattitude that I simply wished I would have been able to give him so much more.  It is a moment I will always remember.

#3.  One of the puppies from my first tour had a little of puppies of her own.  There are 5 cute little bundles of pudge that she is taking care of.  A few fatter then the others.  We have so far named two, one Tigger and one Bubba (the fattest one), we are continuing to search for appropriate names for the rest, suggestions are appreciated.

Other then that I am staying busy settling in, reaquainting myself with old friends and making new friendships.  My new roommate seems quite nice, and I think I got lucky once again. But overall its good to be back, I love the work I have the opportunity to do and the good that I am able to be a part of. Its good for the soul