>Kiss and fly: Departure.

>Raw emotions can be treasures that bring tears. I’ve forgotten how fresh this separation can feel after almost three weeks together. It makes me smile and makes me cry. The first few days always suck the most, especially the first few hours.

Surprisingly, I was awake and coherent enough at 4:30 this morning to drive Aaron to the airport, O’Hare to be exact. I missed the exit for I-190 and had to turn around, but we made it with plenty of time to spare. (And I still have a few tolls to pay.. whoops.) I kept it together long enough to kiss him and send him on his way back to Korea. Fortunately I actually know this time when and in what country I will see him next. Nothing was worse back in June than to not know how long it’d be.

Memories can feel both like dreams and like life is happening right there before you all over again. I just took a much-needed nap and I’m already dreaming about the man. Not surprising, though, considering what a catch he is.

I felt the need to blog in order to capture these exact emotions and thoughts, whether coherent or not. Already I’m looking back at the early morning when I dropped him off at the recruiter’s office so he could start this whole journey, beginning with Basic Training. That was such a strange morning. Things happened perfectly so that he’d be leaving on the last day of my “spring break” (at my last school we had only a five-day weekend for break).

And after the first few text messages and phone calls to let me know that he made tape and everything, there was no communication for about ten days. How in the world did I do it? After I dropped him off I went to Walmart, got groceries and had the furniture rearranged by eight o’clock. Then I went back to teaching the next day.

Someday, years down the road, maybe only months, I will look back at these 26 months and wonder how I did it. How we did it. Strangely, I forget that it’s a we. It’s no secret that I’ve felt left behind. And while his adventures in the Army can be new and exciting (notice I said can be, haha), I know he wants nothing more than to have me there with him. But in his words when I asked him how he felt about it, he said, “It’s just something we have to do.”

We are hoping to get stationed in Ft. Carson, Colorado, Ft. Lewis, Washington or Ft. Huachuca, Arizona. Huachuca is what our hearts are set on. But truthfully, as long as we’re together it really doesn’t matter. I’ve heard that a soldier coming off an unaccompanied tour is supposed to be able to choose his/her next duty station. But we’ll see. It’s the Army. And we both hope and pray he doesn’t get assigned to a unit that deploys shortly after we move in late June/early July.

You thought I forgot about posting about my marathon training. I did train the third week, all except for the three-miler on that Thursday. It looked like this:
Monday: nothing
Tuesday: 3 mi
Wednesday: 5.67
Thursday: nada
Friday: zip
Saturday: 6
Sunday: zilch

Weeks Four and Five were nonexistent, unless you count going places every evening to have dinner with someone. I did weigh myself at my grandparents’ on the 20th and it said I’d only gained three pounds. My jeans still fit, so I consider that a good sign.

I’m ready to get back into it. Eh, correction: I need to get back to running. Not only am I starting at a marathon in twelve weeks (how did THAT happen?! last I checked it was six months away!) but also at a trail race on February 12 and the Shamrock Shuffle on April 10. Then there’s of course my sanity saved by this insane act of torture. It’s my lifeline.

Here’s how my schedule looks. If I break up the time and stay crazy busy, the time will go faster:

January is almost over!!
February: trail run on the 12th, which is also my dad’s 50th birthday. Our niece Lena’s birthday is the 21st. And there are only 28 days.
March: always a long month as we wait for spring and more importantly spring break. The last week is my break.
April: Shamrock Shuffle on the 10th, my birthday on the 22nd (maybe Michelle, my cousin’s wife, and I should have a joint party? We’re counting by fives this year :)), and the marathon on the 30th.
May: Race for the Cure on the 7th. Last day of student attendance without snow days is May 18. I believe last day for teachers is the 20th.
June: Aaron’s done in Korea. We move (or maybe early July). And dear God, let it really happen this time. Kthxbai.

Here’s a daily breakdown:
Monday: rest day for running; every other is our Daniel study by Beth Moore, which takes us into June, I think.
Tuesday: run after work
Wednesday: run after work, most likely small group
Thursday: run after work (hmm, see a pattern?), teaching piano and worship practice
Friday: rest day for running
Saturday: loooooong runs, most likely. If not Saturdays, then Sundays.
Sunday: church, cross-training, every other is the college/young adult group at Petr and Gabi’s

And one last blurb before I post this insanely long entry. I am so blessed to have my aide job. I am loving having no lesson plans and hardly any stress with parents. This job fell into my lap. The Lord knows what we need when we need it. And the best part is that our budget from when I was teaching full-time is still intact as I’m bringing home the same amount of bacon.

So. In conclusion, other than being separated, life for us is really good right now. The IRS will make it even better soon when we get a sizable tax return to replenish our savings. (We hope it’s a decent return, anyway.)

Now, I’m going to bake cookies with Katie and Lena. Be jealous. I know you are.