Catching up

Wow, a lot seems to have happened since I last wrote. I think I had one of my favorite days out here so far. We were assigned a mission to the country of Georgia, which is a nice change. The flight and arrival were uneventful, but I was surprised at how nice the countryside looked on approach. Tbilisi is situated right at the base of a decent mountain range and works its way around some of the foothills as the town sprawls out. It was evening and we were on a timeline, but there were some things that really stuck out in our short visit.

First, the smell. It was a really clean, spring smell with a hint of lavender or some other sweet scent. Not overpowering, it still had the power to overcome the stink of Afghanistan sand, and soldier sweat that pervades every jet we fly. The sun was setting over the hills and a slight breeze swept the grass between runways from side to side. It was generally, pleasant. Later, the Officer in Charge of the US detachment ordered us some local cuisine from downtown and had it brought to the jet. There were some sort of Gyro/Panini/burritos filled with chicken, cucumbers, onion, tomatoes and a type of tzitski sauce. They were delicious. Accompanying them were pieces of flat bread that had a layer of feta cheese baked into the center. Possibly one of my favorite things I have EVER eaten. All in all, it was a great change of pace.

Focus on the small things. Enjoy them. The smallest of things can bring immense joy if it comes at the right time and is rightly appreciated. This is something I'm learning out here. Things as simple as a sweet smelling breeze, or a unique flavor can be enough to enjoy. Enough to be happy perhaps. Hopefully this will follow me back to the states.

On the flip side, yesterday we flew an incredibly long and painful mission. It was a 20hr day, but it was for Aeromedical evacuation so in the end it was really rewarding, despite the exhaustion. With only two pilots and flying into and out of the combat zone repeatedly, it was very tiring. But in the end, missions like that are the reason I joined. To help others and use my talents for 'good', I guess. I cant see a whole lot better than getting our wounded to medical attention. Someday ask me about the Tactical arrival into Bagram I flew, it was 'sporty' haha, and one hell of a good time.

Last note, I finished my master's class midterm today. 95% not too shabby. Hopefully I can ease off on the HW now cause the midterm is worth so much. Remember, work smarter, not harder...