Texas

Texas was amazing! I didn't want to leave. It was amazing to see my sister, and we had a great couple of days. We drove down to Austin to do some shopping and sight-seeing:

One world for driving in Texas: INSANE. See below.

Someone at the airport gave me wrong directions to my sister's street (who knew there would be two Cunningham Roads, each on one end of town?), but I managed to get back to the airport with no problems. The driving took a little getting used to!

Everything is bigger in Texas . . . except Ikea. Seriously. We were in and out in about half an hour . . . pretty much unheard of.

She insisted on taking me to local places to eat, so I had the priviledge of enjoying Sonic and Whataburger. Unfortunately, there are no Waffle Houses in Texas.

3 weeks until the next trip! Germany, here I come.

The Fence

This picture was taken by Mike in a nearby town to Ramstein . . . I would probably butcher the name and how to pronounce it, so we'll leave it as a pretty fence in Germany! He said the heart made him think of me, so I'm now on a mission to get to this fence when I see him next month.

When I started this blog, I made it less of a personal thing, and more of a fun, general, random thing. I think I may go back to my old roots of writing personal blogs, just because I like it.

If you follow me on Facebook, you'll notice I have a number before each status. I've been questioned on why it's there, so I'll just 'splain it here for you. The number represents how many days Mike has been deployed. Why count up, you ask? For starters, counting down from 179 days is ridiculous. Maybe his deployment is "only" six months, but it's still hard. Second, as that number gets higher, I feel encouraged. Mike and I have already been apart for 52 days, and that is definitely something to be proud of! We have both been working hard to maintain a positive attitude.

I hear often that this deployment is "easy." That may be so- he is in a safe location, doing a safe job. However . . . doing a long-distance relationship is not easy in the slightest. Granted, I was used to being alone at night due to his overnight work shift, and on drill weekends, I'd only be with him twice during a week. Honestly, the first two weeks of deployment were a breeze, because I felt like he was just working, so it felt normal. I really didn't feel any emotions until just after the first month had gone by.

But you don't realize how many little things you take for granted. Skype has now replaced date night, and emails have replaced texts. The thing I miss the most is cooking dinner together, before he'd go to work and I'd go to class.

Our biggest rule during this deployment is not to end a conversation on a bad note. We each have our bad days, but taking things out on each other is not going to help the situation. Some people say I have it worse . . . I beg to differ. I won't say exactly what kinds of things he's seen at work, but he's a critical care nurse working on injured troops from both war zones . . . use your imagination. Then picture it 100 times worse. He's been opening up to me much more than I thought he would about what he's seen, which is a big relief.

The only aggravation I've experienced with deployment has come up fairly recently, with the news that I will be visiting him next month. I'm not kidding when I say that all of my family, his family, and our co-workers are expecting a proposal . . . if it doesn't happen, I may be the only one who is not disappointed. Even my Nana said, "Katie better come home with a ring!" I would be lying if I said I wouldn't be thrilled if it happened, but I also don't want to get my hopes up. The last thing I want to feel is disappointment when I leave, because I know an engagement is on its way at some point in the near future.

We're planning an overnight stay in Paris while I'm there, and I told him not to pull a Tom Cruise. He laughed nervously, then asked me what I meant. When I told him that Tom proposed to Katie Holmes on top of the Eiffel Tower, he said (without missing a beat): "Oh, I can't do that. My friend Chris that you met proposed to his wife Deanna there. I'm going to be original." That's amore!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

The summer of 2010 is now becoming the summer of travel! After taking a brief hiatus, I'm back to blogging, and I'm hitting the road (or, the sky).

My first trip is on July 19th, and will bring me to central Texas to visit my sister! She left about a week after Mike deployed. My brother-in-law is stationed at Fort Hood, and they live just outside base. She has been doing well, and I can't wait to see her.

My next trip will bring me a little further away . . . Germany! You heard right. Words can't express how excited I am to see Mike! I leave on August 17th, and return the 22nd. We will spend most of our time near base, but are planning an overnight trip down to Paris.

I love to travel, and I love them, so I couldn't be happier. For those of you who follow me on Facebook, there will be many pictures to come!

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!