Home Again

Hello everyone and welcome to my very last blog! In the past 4 and half months you all have been apart of the most amazing journey of my life and for that I thank you. Sometimes I thought that I would have lost my marbles if it weren't for all of the support. I thought that leaving Georgia would be one of the happiest moments of my time there, but in the end it turned out that it was as bitter sweet to leave as it was to go. I was very fortunate to meet some special people from all over the country who no doubt will be in my life forever. I will miss all of them. Of course the one person that I miss the most is the Texan. Finding him was like finding a needle in a haystack full of men! He continues to do well in his training and we are hoping to see each other in  a month.

I ended Spanish just 2 points shy of a 90% which did not make me very happy. It was a personal goal that I had set, but all in all I was proud of the job I did. I don't really speak it all that well, but I guess that's what Rosetta Stone is for. This class was simply to give us a foundation to build off of.

I look back and realize that even through the lows and the frustrating parts, I had an amazing adventure. I did things that I didn't know I was mentally or physically strong enough to do and did them well. Through this I found my inner strength and have learned so much about the person I am. They say that everything happens for a reason and I truly believe that. This journey is proof.

The trip home was not without minor chaos. I was waiting for the 5am campus shuttle to the airport and watched it drive in the opposite direction. In a moment of panic I ran inside and had the clerk at the desk call the driver and have him come back. Apparently I wasn't on his list and he was about to leave without me. Oops!! My flight had about 9 other graduates on it so I didn't have to try and stay awake by myself. That's right, I am no longer allowed to sleep on airplanes! It took effort! Then my layover in Dallas was about 3 hours long, but that was at my request. I was able to have lunch with a friend I hadn't seen in a very long time. All in all, everything was perfectly smooth and I made it home on time. 

I have now been at work for  3 days and all I have to say is holy craziness batman!! That place is busy. I am learning a lot and meeting tons of new people. Next week I start on my regular shift which will be nice. My supervisors are all very nice yet stern at the same time. I think I'm going to like it!!

Again, thank you for everything. Your support and love will never be forgotten. Adios!

xoxo

My last weekend in the South

I must say that I had a lot of fun this weekend. My new friend Beth and I hung out, did girl things, and had one late evening at one of the local pubs that resulted in me losing my voice. I'm just sorry I didn't meet her sooner. She's a great girl and we have one more night of fun this coming Thursday and then another good bye. This place is good if you like good byes.

This week should be an easy one. I have one exam on Tuesday and my oral presentation on Wednesday. I'm not too sure how that will go if my voice hasn't returned by then. I can whisper, but how do you effectively speak Spanish in an authoritative way with a whisper? Hmm, should be interesting.

Less than 5 days to go and probably only one more blog and then you all will have to google another one!! I do appreciate all of you who have kept up on my comings and goings. I called my dentist last week to make an appointment and the wonderful lady who handles the front desk asked a specific question that she could have only known by reading this. I was so surprised!! So, thank you all for being interested in my life and I will see you soon.

xoxo

It was a big day

Today was the day that I passed the 700 point mark. I have officially passed Spanish! Of course there is one more test to take and the oral presentation to give, but I have the piece of mind that no matter what happens from this point on, I have completely made it through my training. So, to celebrate I went back to my room and packed my things! I know I have 8 more days here, but I really won't need all of the clothes I brought or bought, so I decided that they needed to get packed right away. I shared this happy moment with one of my dearest friends. Jennifer gave me her lunch hour to chat which I deeply appreciated. Girl talk is rare in these parts!!

That's it for now. Just a quick hello and some good news. See you all very soon!!

xoxo

A weekend away

This week was truly uneventful. I learned Spanish, I studied Spanish, and I was tested. Sound fun yet??? I'm happy to say that I did well on my exam and I am getting close to that 700 mark. I think my total after today's quiz is 597. Thursday is our next big exam and that will definitely put me in the 700 club which most of the native speakers will be at by tomorrow or Wednesday. Until then, I am living off of coffee and smiles.

The absolute highlight of this week came Friday night. My Texan flew in from Maryland for the weekend for a short and must needed visit. We spent two nights on one of the local islands that was recommended by one of my instructors. He thought we were going to walk around the historic downtown area and go into all of the little shops, but to his surprise I had an ace up my sleve. There is an fort on the island that was built back in the 1800's and the last time it was used was during WWII. On the first weekend of every month they have live reinactments and these role players tell you all about how life was back in those days. I had no idea that the woman who washed the men's clothes made $26 a month when a young private only made $12. Smart women!! We both enjoyed the history and he was happy that we weren't shopping. Although later that day we walked the streets of the historic downtown and enjoyed a great lunch and dinner. The weekend was perfect and we can't wait to have many more like it.

On a sad note, this past Friday, the father of one of my very best friend's died. They believe that he had a heart attack on the way to the hospital to seek treatment. Please keep her family in your prayers.

I miss you all.

xoxo

P.S. This is him....sorry about the squnity faces, it was bright out!

The light at the end of the tunnel...

Phew! What a crazy and cranky week and a half. Spanish has continued to be challenging for me and I don't think I have ever in my life studied so much for anything. It has been a race to meet the passing 700 points so that just a little bit of pressure can be relieved. That's not to say that I can stop putting forth effort, it just means that I know that no matter what happens, I have passed. After today's exam my point total is 570 which means I will easily reach over 700 by this time next week. Until then it's all study study study!!

Last Saturday I ran a 5k with the academy led by Mr. K. It was all for one of the local PTA's and was a nice brisk jog around the island. I took my usual place in the back of the pack and noticed Mr. K looking around. He then says, "Ma'am what are you doing back there? Get up here!" With my usual yes sir, I moved my way to the lead position where I remained for the entire run. At one point Mr. K had me running with the guide(the agency flag) which was slightly more exhausting than I though it would be. Then as we were just a little past the half way mark, I tripped over some tree roots that were coming up from beneath the concrete. I scraped my elbow on the way down and all I could hear was one of the other PT instructors telling the guys to help me up. Little did that instructor know, this fall was not my first fall. Mr. K did not slow the group down nor did he stop. He knew I would catch back up to my spot in front and that's what I did. In true Mr. K fashion he looks over at me and says, "Nice tactical roll ma'am." Trying to hold back my laughter I answered with a quick thank you sir and finished the race strong. The best part about the whole thing was I made a new friend from one of the classes that started a couple months after I did. Her name is Beth and she is from Pennsylvania. We have already done one girl's day out and are planning another for next weekend. I'm just sorry I didn't make the effort to meet her sooner.

With that said, all work and no play makes me cranky! This weekend my Texan is coming into town for a short visit. We both have been looking forward to spending some time together and hitting that mental reset button. We are staying on one of the local islands that's full of history, cute shops, and great restaurants. It was one of the places that my instructor goes for a little R&R so I thought it would be right up our alley. Hopefully I can get some pictures of us to share with you all.

Well, I'm sorry for the boring blog, but there really isn't anything going on in this sleepy little town. The only good news is that I will be home in 15 days!!!!! See you all then!

xoxo

No entiendo!

Holy cow people, this spanish class is no joke! My grades are up, but I still struggle to remember all of the vocabulary words they throw at us. This week I would have rather been back in PT with Mr. K yelling at me to run faster!  We had our first exam on Wednesday and I scored an 81% which I should be more than happy with, but for some reason it feel like I failed. Very odd!

The Texan is settling into the second half of his training and we continue talk every night. We both wish we were closer, but I'm hoping to make a weekend trip to see him in a couple of weeks. This place definitely isn't the same without him here.

The weekend was very boring which put me in a foul mood. Half of my class went home for the 3 day break and the rest of us tried to keep our minds occupied. At 10pm on Saturday when that wasn't possible anymore, I decided to run the perimeter of the campus. Apparently I like running now. Who would have thought?!

Well, I'm off to study. I hope your long weekend was more productive than mine.

xoxo

P.S. I'm home in 25 days!! I have a countdown widget on my phone!

Deep Fried Pickles

I forgot to tell everyone that while we were in Savannah we ate deep fried pickles!! It only took me 13 weeks, but I finally tried them. They were very salty and delicious! I don't think I will ever eat them again unless I'm looking for high blood pressure.

Graduation!!!

Holy cow...where to start!? Monday seems like a good place, but it was truly uneventful other than during one of our drills I got hit in the forehead and had a large lump that thankfully didn't turn colors. Of course the only thing I was worried about was it showing up in all of the graduation photos. I had to deal with a headache for a few days, but that was all.

Tuesday was the big day that all of my family would be getting into town. After picking up my mother from the airport we went to dinner with my father. If you know anything about my family, you know that it has been quite sometime since they had last seen each other. Dinner was great and I couldn't have asked for anything more. I ended the evening with a quick hello to my other family as they checked into their hotel.

Wednesday was graduation day. After a quick lunch my class and I filtered into the auditorium for our last rehearsal and awaited our guests to arrive. I was proud to be one of the only trainees with family that was going to attend. There were 9 in my group and only 3 others that filled the family section. Since the Deputy Director of our agency was in attendance they had pulled all of the classes associated from our agency from their studies as well as the faculty and staff. The auditorium was packed which gave most of us the chills finally making it feel very real. I think I'm still in shock that I made it through this program. but I did and it feels great.

Thursday and Friday was filled with 8 hours a day of Spanish class. I thought the academy was challenging, but Spanish is a whole new beast. We get about a weeks worth of information in one day and are quizzed on it the next. It seems impossible to pass, but in the history of this curriculum there has only one person who has failed. They tell us that he just didn't try.

Saturday I took off to Savannah with my mother, 2 aunts, and uncle. I was so disappointed that Paula Deen's restaurant was completely booked by the time we got to it. We all had a great time soaking up the history and doing a bit of souvenir shopping.

Sunday my mother and I went to one of the islands near by for lunch and a little sight seeing. The weather was perfect so we were able to eat on the roof top patio at one of the local restaurants. I felt bad later that day when I took her to the airport to go back to her negative degree weather. With that the week was over and it was time to get back into study mode.

Mom, Dad, Aunt Camille, Auntie Jo, Uncle John, Uncle Frank, Aunt Jeanne, Ian, and Taryn.....Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy lives to celebrate this day with me. I cannot put into words how it made me feel that you could witness one of the happiest and most proud days of my life. You all truly mean the world to me.

xoxo

My bittersweet week

Tuesday morning at 07:30 we had our final fitness test. This was pass or fail and if we failed we were sent home and fired. Sounds harsh I know, but we have spent the last 12 weeks preparing for this event. I'm happy to report that we all passed and will graduate next week. The obstacle course was easier than ever and only took me a minute and 15 seconds, but it was the mile and a half that had my stomach in knots. I started out strong and prayed to God that I could keep up the pace I had set and he answered my prayers. I completed the run in 13 minutes and 5 seconds which is a personal best for me. I had never been more proud and happy. I crossed the finish line with a huge smile and of course the instructors thought I was losing it!

After the fitness test was our last exam that covered material that we have been learning over the last 12 weeks. Everyone was nervous and some people thought that they did a lot worse than they actually had. We all scored an 80% and above which meant that graduation from this program was a sure thing.

Wednesday I was in my own personal hell with all of the activities they had planned for us. There wasn't anything that we could fail so it took the pressure off of having to be perfect, but the physical requirements of the day were rough. I can't tell you on this blog the specifics, but I will gladly tell you all in person when I get home. We concluded the day with watery eyes and burning faces. Again another experience that will get lost in translation by reading it here. It's a much better story with a cocktail to enjoy!

Thursday was my last dinner with the Texan before he left.

Friday is the bittersweet part of the week. I woke up at 4 am to say good bye to my Texan and spend a short half an hour with him before the bus picked him up to head for the airport. It's never easy saying good bye to someone you are close to. Needless to say, I will miss him until we get to see each other again. So, after a hot shower and hitting my mental reset button, I was off to class. The sweet part of the day was packing up my books and notes so they could be mailed back to the office. It felt great to have an empty desk knowing that it was all over and that in 5 short weeks I will be home. Never in a million years did I think that I could do any of this. The mental and physical strength it took was sometimes overwhelming, but never did I want to give up. I amazed myself by never missing a day of training in any of the departments and keeping up with the boys even if it meant a few extra bruises at the end of the day.

Well, that's it for today. I hope all is well where you are and I will see you soon.

xoxo

One full week left until graduation...

I'm not too sure what to say about this week. I got a few new bruises fighting the boys in my class and had fun doing it. Occasionally I was able to get a few shots of my own in to prove that I wasn't just going to sit back and get beat.

We also had our last PT session in which Mr. K allowed us to choose what we wanted to do and we all decided on working out on our own. I am happy to tell all of you that I made it through about 20 PT sessions without stopping, without giving up, and without missing a session. In the beginning I had my doubts and I thought for sure I would end up missing a day in some way, but I surprised myself and didn't. I am a firm believer that you can finish anything you start if you put your mind and heart into it. It may not look pretty and you may not finish first, but you are finishing something that has meaning to you. At the end of the day, that's all that matters.

The first few days of next week we have a lot to prove, so right now I'm feeling challenged. Tuesday morning we take our final fitness test. It's back to the obstacle course and the mile and a half. Always a good time!! Our last exam is is the next class after that. It's on material that we have accumulatedd since the beginning and sits in an overfilled 2 inch 3 ring binder. It's been overwhelming to figure out what to study and what ares need more focus, but no one has failed out yet and we refuse to lose anyone that way. We have study groups every night which helps. Then Wednesday, which I call the day from hell, we have a few practical exams, 2 are physical and one is torture! It's OC spray day!! God help me! After that, we just sit back and listen to the lectures and wait for graduation.

Thursday night will be bitter sweet. It will be my last evening with my Texan before he leaves for the second half of his training. It will probably be a couple of months before we get to see each other, but the reasons why are well worth it. Eventually he will make it out to California and meet you all, but for now he's the best kept secret at this place!

Ok, I'm off to another delicious chow hall lunch. Only 7 weeks until I come home!! I miss you all.

xoxo

Take the good with the bad...

Let's start with the good. This week was eye opening for me. On our second to last PT session we were told we were going for a long run. It was a test of endurance, a test of a strong mind to push through the pain that would make us want to quit, and a test of our heart that makes us finish what we have started. Mr. K can surely give a speech, but in my heart I know it was directed to me, the weakest runner of the bunch! We started the session with the usual warm up of push ups, crunches, and such. Next we ran through the obstacle course twice and at the end Mr. K looks at me with his stern face and says, "Ma'am, I hope you know, as I do, that this obstacle course isn't an issue for you." With a quick "yes sir" I ran back into my place in line. After that was the run. I was miserable for about a mile until my legs loosened up and my breathing relaxed. It was smooth sailing from then on. Once we got back to the track outside of the gym Mr. K turns and asks the class which of us had never run 4 miles and of course I raised my hand. Then he asks who has never run more than 6 miles and my hand stayed in the air. He then says, "Congratulations, you just ran 6 and a half miles." I couldn't have wiped the smile off of my face if I tried. That was a huge accomplishment for me and I didn't hate it!

Good news number two. One of my very best friends had her first baby! I seem to be missing all of the good stuff back home. I'm going to need to see lots of pictures to play catch up on my own life!

Good news number three. We all passed our last law exam. I stressed out a bit on this one because I didn't think I understood the material very well. I guess I was wrong because I scored a 90% on it. So that makes one more written test, a fitness test, and a practical exam to go. We are almost done!!

Now for the sad news. I found out tonight a friend that I met on my first day out in the field as an EMT died yesterday. He was a close friend who was there through all of my tears when my grandparents died and made me feel a little less lonely when my sister moved. To make a long story short he was one person who smeared the lines of blood and water. Although some would argue that blood is thicker than water and he was just water, he always made me feel like he was my blood. Today was a sad day.

I hope everyone is doing well.

xoxo

Freeze alert!

Can we all say cccccold!? There nothing like going to PT in 27 degree weather. It was almost unbearable this week with all of the frozen temperatures and the wind that came with it. I have just about hit the point where I am getting irritable from being cold all day long. By the time my body would have a chance to warm up, we are switching classes and freezing again.

The week was good with my class passing our third and final exam for the training center. We still have another couple to pass for the agency though. They will be tough, but I'm confident that we will not lose anyone to failure. At this point we know we all can pull through the academics. Plus we only have 2 more PT sessions before we have to take our final fitness test. The running still is miserable for me, but I know my time on the mile and a half has improved. After February 2nd it will be smooth sailing and will not have to do much except show up to class. On that day I will relax a bit!

Other than the test, not a lot happened this week. The boys in my class found out about the Texan and all hell didn't break loose like I thought it would. It surprised me actually. We did have our official first date tonight and no we did not eat at the Target food court! We went to a steakhouse in town which was quite delicious. We had great conversations as always and tried to learn something new about each other which we did. Then we went to Target! I wish I could transplant him to California simply because I'm not ready to say good bye just yet.

Well folks, I'm sorry this blog wasn't more exciting for you. In the next couple of weeks I have some interesting classes which might provide for a more interesting blog. Until then, keep me in your prayers...I'm going to need it. Blog at you soon.

xoxo

Comments

I think I fixed the issue with leaving comments. Try it out so I know if it works. Thanks!!

xoxo

My favorite Texan

Tonight I spent the usual couple of hours with my favorite Texan studying and laughing and the subject of a real date came up. Of course as all of you figured, I was the one who brought up the subject. My argument was simply that if we were out in the real world and not on this campus we would have already gone out on a real first date and why should the situation we are in stop us from doing just that! A cute restaurant over the water was my suggestion and his suggestion is the whole reason for this mid week blog! He then looks at me with his adorable redneck smile and says Target has a great food court with a variety of food and the campus shuttle goes there. He also suggested Walmart, but their food court was shut down. After he was done laughing and could speak again he said after our food court dinner we could walk around Target, hold hands, and shop. Such a romantic guy! All I could picture was a pair of my shoes on the shuttle going on my Target first date. I then asked him what would come after the slurpie and popcorn and without hesitation and uncontrollable laughter he happily said, "A hot dog and maybe some nachos! Plus we can get free refills on our drinks!" Lucky day! He had me at nachos! It's hard not to like this guy! Then I said we can have a cup of after dinner coffee at the Starbucks located right next to the food court and in his rumbling deep voice he replies, "Oh no, that too high class!" I almost died laughing.

If you can figure out how to post a comment, do it! I'm sure he would love to hear what you all think about his idea. If you can't, feel free to text me with your thoughts. I'm off to bed. Sleep tight everyone.

xoxo

It's a boy!

Another week down and only a few more tests to go. The guys and I talk every day about how quick it all went and how close we are to graduating. We are all still very close to each other and just like 14 brothers and one sister would do, we squabble from time to time. About 4 weeks ago you all read about how frustrated I was with the guys in my class and although I love them to pieces, they were on my last nerve. In the midst of all of that, I met someone who has been amazing to get to know. He is the true definition of a gentleman and he very much treats me like a lady. He is a country boy from Texas and with that comes an adorable twang to his words. Most sentences end with a ma'am or sir and his favorite nickname for me is City Girl. Gotta love it! He was my New Year's Eve date and pretty much every other night as well. The only downfall to all of this is his class closes out a week before mine and he leaves for the second half of his training in Maryland until June. If that isn't bad enough, he will be stationed in Brooklyn when he is finished with his program. Until then we are more than happy to spend most of our free time together. The only reason I'm putting all of this out there for you is because I told my mother I would (hi mom).

This week in PT we took a little run. We were split into three groups to do exercises at the end of each mile. The first mile group one had to carry a 14 pound medicine ball while running. After the first minute or so the ball gets pretty heavy and awkward to carry. Once we stopped group one had to do squat presses with the medicine ball, group two flipped a tracter tire, and group three did squat exercises with a kettle bell. Then it was group two's turn to carry the medicine ball and so on and so forth. We ran a total of about 4 miles and I'm not going to lie, it was horrible, but I finished strong. After the run we ran through the obstacle course once which was just enough to leave fresh bruises everywhere! Good times. Along with that valuable exercise came a piece of my training that I was not looking forward to. I can't really mention what I did, but it was the single most unladylike thing I have done. There were involuntary tears coming from my eyes that were running into the snot coming from my nose which was running into the drool from my mouth. Again, good times had by all! The moral of the story is I lived through to tell you all! Oh, and to carry tissues!

Other than that not much else is going on here. The weather has gotten really cold for my standards and we are all preparing for a test on Tuesday. As a matter of fact, once I'm done writing this I will go back to reviewing my notes. I hope everyone is doing well and I hope I get to see you all soon after my return.

xoxo

P.S. Happy thoughts and prayers for my sister Lily who is currently in labor with her first baby. It's a boy!

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone enjoyed their New Year's Eve as much as I did. I spent the evening with a new friend watching movies and pretty much laughing the whole night. I know it's not the high excitement that one would expect, but my evening was truly perfect and wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else but here. At midnight you could hear all of the rednecks firing their guns so much that it sounded like a fireworks show! Gotta love it!

This week was full of things we had to qualify for. I'm happy to report that I passed each practical exam with flying colors. We only had one day of PT and Mr. K wanted to do something fun so he had us do a triathlon. I think we all had a good time. We did a 10 minute swim, 30 minute bike, and then a 5k run. Of course the running was horrible for me, but as always, I finished what I started. The next day a few of us felt extremely old with our knees aching and realizing that what seemed fairly easy at the time, wiped us out. I might actually be motivated to do one when I get home and that's all that Mr. K wants us to get from the experience with him. He wants us to enjoy working out to the point where we will continue when we are home. He wants fitness to matter. We were able to see a different side of him this week as well. He gave us a speech of always remembering where you came from and to respect everyone. He reminds me of a lemonhead...hard and sour on the outside, but very sweet on the inside. I have the utmost respect for him.

There are only 6 more Mondays, 6 more PT sessions, and a few more exams until graduation. Sometimes I wonder how I made it this far, but then I think that it was just meant to be. Somethings in life just work out that way I guess. Besides, they wouldn't sell puzzles with pieces that didn't fit together! :-)

I hope everyone has a great new year full of surprises and smiles.

xoxo