The End

It's officially wedding season, so I figured the picture was perfect! I know two people who got married just yesterday. Wedding bells are not in my immediate future . . . soon, though!

I titled this blog "The End" meaning the end of May, and the end of the worst month in my entire life. This month will go down in history as nothing short of complete turmoil. Ironically, deployment has been the least of my problems.

Saying goodbye to Mike was hard- I didn't realize how many little things I take for granted every day, such as calling him on my way home from work, sharing a quick meal before work (him) and school (me), etc. I miss him the most at night time- we've had some of our best conversations just moments before falling asleep.

Fortunately, we have been able to talk every day since he left. He is doing well in Germany, and each morning I wake up is another day closer to him coming home. I can feel our relationship growing stronger every day, and just thinking about him makes me feel good. I see a bright future ahead!

I felt more emotional saying goodbye to my sister the night before she left for Texas (her husband is now stationed at Fort Hood). She's been through so much, and although I miss seeing her, I honestly feel that this change is what she needs right now. We've been texting often since she left, and I am planning on visiting in the first week of August.

Besides the sudden death of my sister's unborn baby, the woman who sits next to me at work lost her husband suddenly, right before the long holiday weekend. He was ill, and had suffered multiple strokes over the years, but to hear that he had passed was shocking. Even though he was in tough shape, he was still hanging in there.

The wake for him is today. After an unexpected and dramatic fight with family members (I won't go into detail), I'm too drained to deal with more death. May has pushed me to my emotional limit, and I couldn't be happier that tomorrow marks the beginning of a new month.

I'm a tough cookie . . . but right now, I've just plain had enough. I'm looking forward to a clean slate next month, and I will continue to hold my head up. "That which does not kill you, makes you stronger."

Inspiration

I came across a website with quotes for couples in long-distance relationships.

I found out today that deployment is happening a week and a half sooner than expected, so I thought it would be nice to share some of the quotes that will help put a smile on my face over the next six months. Enjoy!

"Missing someone gets easier every day, because even though you are one day further from the last time you saw them, you are one day closer to the next time you will."

"Distance is not for the fearful, it is for the bold. It's for those who are willing to spend a lot of time alone in exchange for a little time with the one they love. It's for those knowing a good thing when they see it, even if they don't see it nearly enough."

"Distance means so little when someone means so much."

"We are the perfect couple, we're just not in the perfect situation."

"Distance never separates two hears that really care, for our memories span the miles and in seconds we are there. But whenever I start feeling sad because I miss you, I remind myself how lucky I am to have someone so special to miss."

"True love doesn't mean being inseparable; it means being separated, and nothing changes."

"Distance is to love like wind to fire . . . it extinguishes the small, and kindles the great!"

"The longest period of time is waiting for something or someone you truly want."

"Nothing in this world worth having comes easy."

"Behind every strong soldier, there is an even stronger woman who stands behind him, supports him, and loves him with all her heart."

The Tough Stuff

Up until last week, I thought deployment was my biggest problem. That changed very quickly when I received the worst news to date- my sister's unborn baby passed away at 35 weeks old. Out of respect for my sister, I will not discuss the details on this blog.

Even after having the services, I think part of me is still in shock today. We just had her shower a few weeks ago, and her due date was the 26th. It's one of those things that is so devastating that you just can't believe it.

I've felt every emotion under the sun. My sister is the closest person to me, so I felt like I was going through it myself. People say everything happens for a reason, but I've struggled to come to terms with why exactly this did happen.

Needless to say, my feelings towards deployment have changed drastically. I feel like nothing worse can get thrown at me right now, and all the little things that were bothering me are now things to not be concerned with at all.

It's one of those situations where no one can say or do anything to make this better, but the amount of support we've received has been amazing. Just knowing how many people have been behind us does help to ease the pain.

It's also one of those situations that makes you truly understand how short life is. If anyone takes anything away from this blog, I would want it to be that you try your best to not have regrets, and understand how precious life really is.

Deployment

The Details
Mike will be deploying to Ramstein AFB in Germany at the end of next month. According to his last email, he has to report to base on May 27th, but he has not received his official itinerary yet. What we do know is that his orders are for 179 days, which is about 6 months.

He has been in the Air Force for 6 years, and his current rank is Captain. His job in the military is as a critical care nurse, so during deployment, he will be taking care of the injured soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan. Once they are stable for transport, they either go back to war, or are transported to Washington, D.C.

How We Met
I've been friends with Mike's sister Lauren for a few years, from working together at MetLife. One Friday morning, 4 of us decided to have a girls' night out, and get some drinks at Nylo.

An hour before we left, Mike called Lauren, and wanted to meet up with her at the very spot where we planned our girls' night. When she asked us if he could tag along, we said yes.

Once inside, Mike and I were watching the Celtics game that was on, and ended up talking all night. With Lauren's permission, he friended me on Facebook the next day, and our first date was the following Thursday- June 4, 2009.

Staying Busy
As far as staying busy during deployment, I'm not concerned at all. Between my two jobs, I work 6 days a week, plus I'm a part-time student. I moved into Mike's house in December, and while I did live on my own for 3 years before we met, I had a very small apartment. Taking care of a house with a decent-sized yard is more than enough to keep me occupied. He is concerned about how I will do, which is valid- I will have my good nights and my bad nights.

We Are Family
I'm very lucky to have a close relationship with Mike's family, as well as my own. I feel comforted knowing I can call any one of his relatives, or mine, and get help or company whenever I need it. From Day 1, Mike's family has treated me as one of their own, and I am grateful beyond words for it.

The Road Ahead
At this point in our relationship, Mike and I are rock-solid. Yes, he will be gone for 6 months, but it's not like we met a few weeks ago. I truly feel like he is the one I am going to spend the rest of my life with, so in the grand scheme of things, 6 months isn't a long time. It will be difficult at times . . . I think people would be concerned if I seemed fine every day! I tell Mike every day how much I love him, but standing by him during deployment gives me the chance to really show him how commited I am to him. Without a doubt, this will be the toughest challenge for us as a couple.

Terrific Technology
Between phone calls, email, and Skype, I will get to communicate with Mike almost every day. During his time off, he will get to explore Germany and surrounding countries, so he also plans on posting his adventures on Facebook. Thank goodness for technology!

Snapple

Anyone who reads my Facebook from time to time knows that I love Snapple, and I love their "Real Facts." I'm not a Facebooker who gives a play-by-play of their daily activities . . . I prefer to fill up your news feed with random tidbits of information.

There's many, but I decided to share some of the ones that I found a little more interesting. Enjoy!

#908: In Athens Greece, a driver's license can be taken away by law if the driver is deemed either "unbathed" or "poorly dressed."

#833: Children have more taste buds than adults.

#831: Six year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day.

#701: It takes more water to fill a bathtub than it does to enjoy an average-length shower.

#705: Every ton of recycled paper saves about 17 trees.

#719: A strawberry is not an actual berry, but a banana is.

#823: Sailors once thought wearing gold earrings improved eyesight.

#760: Dolphins sleep with one eye open.

#853: Hawaii has its own time zone.

#682: The giant panda can eat up to 83 lbs of bamboo a day.

#890: The number "1" or the word "one" appears on the dollar bill 16 times.

#839: A cucumber consists of 96% water.

#880: The Venus fly trap can eat a whole cheeseburger.

Get Carried Away

SATC 2: May 28, 2010

I own all six seasons of SATC and the first movie, so to say I'm excited for the sequel would be an understatement! There isn't much out yet, but I did find the following on the official SATC site:

"British beauty Alice Eve is one of the many new faces joining the "Sex and the City 2" fold, when the sequel hits theaters on May 28.

As Charlotte York's (Kristin Davis) gorgeous foreign nanny Erin in the series, Alice will reportedly be part of a story line that spices things up for the Fab Four.

While she couldn't say much about the script, Alice did reveal that watching life on set for her castmates was an experience.

"It was mayhem for them," Alice said, referring to Kristin, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall and Cynthia Nixon. "Everywhere they went, everybody knew."

Her own scenes, however, were much more low key.

"My stuff was -- I didn't have that," she laughed. "I just kind of turned up and smiled, and was glad to be in the room."

While Alice didn't get the full "SATC 2" mania, she did actually pick up some tips from her co-stars.

"They were all there bouncing around in their heels all day, which was insane," Alice said. "I now wear heels, which I didn't do before, because I saw how they actually do it, for real. You know they wear them all day, so that was incredible."

Phone Call Can

One of my good friends and her boyfriend came up with an idea that is pure genius. Every time they . . . (use your imagination), they each put $1 in what they call a "Romance Can." Once it adds up, then they go out to a nice dinner.

With Mike spending more time in Germany this year than Rhode Island, I decided to make my own jar: the "Phone Call Can." Every time Mike calls from Germany (during his two weeks, and also deployment), I will put $1 in the can.

Once he comes home, I'll treat him with that money to a nice night out. When I told him this, his response was, "I'm calling you every hour, on the hour!"