Christmas Eve

The days leading up to Christmas were full of wonderful events to keep our spirits up.  In addition to the Corps events, I was also planning a few things with the Wounded Warrior Unit.

We started off requesting donations from friends and family to deck out the Wounded Warrior mods.  Then one Friday afternoon we loaded up the volunteers and boxes of donations and did this…



Sam picked out the Santa face we hung on the door.





Jason's 6th grade class sent the red and green cards.





There are not many lights at night so the mods really stood out!



On our compound we decorated Santa’s MRAP sleigh…

We had an office door decorating contest…



Our office door.



Those are the bottoms of water bottles!



And we had a wonderful Christmas party on Christmas Eve.  As always, the Wounded Warriors were invited.  There was a gift exchange so each employee was asked to bring a gift for themselves and an additional gift to donate.  There were enough gifts for everyone and it took two hours to get through them all.  It was a blast and I laughed a lot…even when my gifts were stolen.  I opened some pretty nice gifts but all were stolen until in the end I got a t-shirt.



Gift stealing in progress.



Kelly and I at the Christmas party.



During the holidays, donations to soldiers are abundant.  We had lots of care packages so we decided to deliver them on Christmas Eve, Santa style.  We had a couple of hours from the time the Christmas party ended until we could be elves, so the four of us sat up in the day room and plated card until it was time.  We had lots of empty stockings that we filled with DVDs, snacks and other fun stuff that had been donated.  The larger donations, such as slippers and large containers of snacks, we wrapped and placed under the trees.  We also left fresh baked muffins and juice.  It felt great.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I begin this blog with a warm smile and a full belly.  Our division (Program Management) decided to head to the DFAC (Dining Facility) together to enjoy our Thanksgiving Meal.  Of the seven DFACs on Kandahar, Northline is arguably the best.  It is the only DFAC on the far side of the airfield and it takes about 25 minutes to get to from our compound.  We met up at 1630 and headed out.  Even though the DFAC didn’t open until 1730, we arrived at 1700 to get our place in line.  Good thing we did too because even before the doors opened the line was wrapped all the way around the building.  Even when we left the line was still that long.  It was worth it.  The food was wonderful and we all had a wonderful time.




Me at Northline DFAC



My coworkers



In the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray found himself living the same day over and over again.  After the movie, the phrase "Groundhog Day" became popular military slang referring to unpleasant, unchanging, repetitive situations…. like deployments.

The concept of time here is very different from that of real life.  We get up, go to work and when we can’t work anymore, we go to bed.  Then it starts all over again.  Without the help of a calendar I wouldn’t know what day it is.  I miss Mike and the kids so much that I feel like I have been gone forever but it also feels like I just arrived.  It is hard to believe that two months have flown by.

Not knowing what to expect fueled the excitement of my deployment last winter.  I hit the ground running and worked hard to catch up to the fast pace.  I brought a unique set of skills that launched new initiatives that kept me insanely busy.  Time flew and I loved every minute of it.

As I tried to pack to come back this time, I admit my heart wasn’t quite into it.  Childbirth is the best comparison I could come up with.  The first time you know it isn’t going to be fun, but you don’t know exactly what to expect.  The second time you know exactly how unpleasant it is going to be.  I knew exactly what I was coming back to and to make it worse, I knew I was going to miss my family so much more this time.  I don’t want to admit that I took my family for granted, but I was definitely comfortable.  Nothing like a few months away to remind me how lucky I am and truly appreciate what I have.  It felt so great to be home that I really didn’t want to leave again… but I did.



"Welcome Back Christine" banner on my desk.



My wonderful coworkers welcomed me back with love and a big long to do list.  I absolutely love what I do and the fast pace and huge workload make the days go by fast.  There has been some turnover but for the most part many of the same people are still here.  My buddy Cory and I are both Data Managers.  We were together all last tour and he was the one who covered for me so I could be home with the kids over the summer.  He will be here with me through this tour as well which I am grateful for.  Our District had Change of Command over the summer so that of course has brought many changes.  Spin-up time this tour was short and it didn’t take long before I was fully back into the rhythm of things.

Because of the amount of time I was home I lost my single room and was back to living with a roommate.  My first roommate arrived only a couple of weeks before me and we got along fine.  She is a morning person and of course I am not so we didn’t see each other in the room much but we do go to lunch together.

My first roommate eventually worked her way up on the single room waiting list and moved out.  The roommate who moved in was completely different.  This is her first deployment.  Nothing like living with a 24 year old to make you feel old but we also got along just fine too.



My half of the room.



On Nov 17, I got the e-mail I has been waiting for.  It read “Please come to J1 between 1730-1800 today to sign for the key to your new room.”  When I first arrived last tour, I lived in a double room in the area of our compound called Graneyville, after the PM who managed the construction.  I moved out of that double room for a smaller room.  Over the summer construction began to improve Graneyville.  Another row of rooms were added, a roof was put over all of them and bathrooms with laundry were added.  I just happened to be at the top of the single room waiting list when they cut the ribbon so I was one of a select few who got to move into the “new” rooms.  Unlike the other single rooms on our compound which are one can divided in half with doors on both sides, I got the whole can all by myself.  It is almost too much room but I knew just what to do with the extra space.  I moved all the furniture to the back of the room so I can use the front as storage for Wounded Warriors.



My new BIG room



Before I went home for the summer, I agreed to take over responsibility of coordinating support for the wounded warrior unit.  (See previous posts for details.)  Rita agreed to cover for me while I was home and she did an amazing job.  When I got back I was a little intimated to take back the reigns.  A team of volunteers from USACE really stepped up and several processes were established.  When we first took on support, we were really focused on getting the needs met.  It felt like a mad scramble to get donations of everything they needed.  We have come a long way and I want to thank all of you who sent donations.  We got to the point of needing to restock certain items as the stock level gets low instead of being out of everything.  I haven’t been able to find the word yet to describe the reactions of the wounded soldiers when we arrive with boxes for them of the basics.  It is amazing and wonderful and I hope you know that the items you send really make a difference.  I couldn’t do it without your help and support.  When I show up with a pillow or a package of underwear I make someone’s day.  Over here, that is a big deal.  To see a smile on the face of a soldier, who is peppered in shrapnel just for giving him a piece of clothing, is priceless.  Thank you!

When I first learned about the breakdown that has left our wounded soldiers in such a state of need, I was in shock.  When I asked my Seabee friend if they had tried to do anything to get the problem fixed, she said, if you have enough volunteers to start a letter campaign to Congress, go for it, we are struggling to have enough time just to meet their needs.  Well, it didn’t take a whole letter campaign, just a few.

On my flight from DC to Detroit at the end of my last tour, I met some guys at the airport who were also heading home from the desert.  We told each other about our adventures until it was time to board the plan.  A woman who overhead us talking in the airport, sat on the other side of the aisle from me on the plane.  She struck up a conversation which eventually turned to the Wounded Warriors.  She was shocked.  By now I was used to this reaction, only she could actually help.  She is a lobbyist for veterans benefits in DC and she was heading to Detroit for the day.  She told me about Congressman Bill Young (R-Florida) and how supportive he was.  She said that she was going to contact him when she got back to DC.  The first week in July, I received a call from one of Congressman Young’s Aides.  He and I spoke for over an hour and he said he would do what he could.  There are rumors here of big changes and I am excited to see what the future holds.

It was HOT when I arrived but has cooled down to a delightful temperature now (low 80’s).  I am not sorry I missed the summer heat.  One of my coworkers said that the brightness was more bothersome to her than the heat.  I was hesitant to spend money on a good pair of prescription sunglasses but I’m sure glad I did!

I knew that I was coming back during fighting season but even I was surprised by the frequency of rocket attacks to our base.  There have been a few incidents so far this tour that have caused my heart to skip a beat.  I was on the phone when I heard an insanely loud boom nearby.  I hit the ground so fast that the receiver flew out of my hand.  It was still hanging from the phone when I got back to my office after the all clear.  Now I keep a paperback book in the cargo pocket of my uniform so I have something to read in the bunker.  With the cooler weather the attacks have started to wean a bit.  As it is Thanksgiving today, I am expecting an attack as they tend to acknowledge our holidays.

Registry to support Wounded Soldiers

A 'Wish List' registry has been established on www.walmart.com to benefit the U.S. Wounded Warrior patients on Kandahar Airfield (KAF).  While they are here, they are provided rehabilitative care and shelter. That leaves a large void that is not funded by their units that you can help us fill.  Currently, there are items on the list to fill a one-time need to set up a brand new unit for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) patients.  Many of the wish list items represent repetitive need items since the injured men and women are often stripped of their clothing and belongings in transport to KAF for surgery/treatment.  The KAF Wounded Warriors, will truly benefit from your generosity.  We appreciate your support.

To access the 'Wish List', point to the  'Registry' link at the top of Walmart webpages and click on 'Wish List' in the dropdown list.

In the 'FIND A WISH LIST' area, enter

First Name:  KAF

Last Name:  Wound

Then click the 'FIND' button.  Click on the 'KAF WOUNDED WARRIORS' link.

Shop to your heart's content and have Walmart ship it to us here in Afghanistan for distribution to the Wounded Warriors!

End of Tour Awards

Today I received my end of tour awards.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a day to remember the fallen.  Today we celebrated with the living.  Our Employee Activities Committee was hosting a brunch so we asked if we could invite the wounded soldiers too.  We did and 31 soldiers responded that they would come.

At 0930 I led a caravan of 5 vehicles over to pick up the soldiers and the medics who care for them.  We told them we would be there at 0945 so we were a few minutes early.  When we arrived they were gathered out front ready to go.  The three soldiers who rode with me were all from the same unit but had arrived on different days.  Two guys had their arms in slings and another’s injuries were on his leg.  They all had a great sense of humor and spirit.  When I was talking to the Sergeant (a medic who is much like their temporary mom) I told her how impressed I was with the strength of these soldiers.  She said, “their stories will either make you laugh or cry, they choose to laugh.”

I was mesmerized listening to the stories.  One soldier has been in infantry 7 years and between Iraq and here, he has had 59 concussions.  59!  He had been in three explosions in the same week.  He is being sent home and this father of three is ready to go.  As for the others, many of them would rather get back in the fight.  One soldier was shot in the arm by his elbow but the impact caused breaks lower on his arm too.  Another guy fell off the top of MRAP.  Another guy was shot in the eye.  Another, shrapnel from an explosion.

The team did a fantastic job making brunch and the food looked amazing.  I spent so much time chatting that by the time I got a plate all that was left was pancakes, but they were good and I heard the rest we good too.  At the DFACs we eat on paper plates and eat with plastic silverware.  Our MWR has real plates and silverware and two dishwashers.  For a war zone, we live like royalty.  Even the soldiers on KAF still have it pretty good.  These soldiers that we had the pleasure of dining with, live way out.  The three guys I drove live on a camp that doesn’t have any running water.  We heard comments like “this is the first home cooked meal I’ve had in a long time” and “I didn’t even feel like I was in Afghanistan”.  Hearing things like that and seeing the smiles on their faces, we knew it was a success.

The wounded soldiers were up early this morning to say their final goodbyes to a friend at his 0400 ramp ceremony so they were ready to go back and rest.  For many of us, the day had just begun.

After dropping off our guests, we loaded up vehicles with volunteers, cleaning supplies and tools and headed to the mTBI tent.  After a couple of hours we were proud of all that we had accomplished.  While not yet ready for patients, we made significant progress cleaning and assembling.  After the rest of the volunteers left, Rita and I stayed to talk to the Sergeant about some of the issues that still needed work.  While we there, one of the married couples that was helping us in the tent had returned with a vehicle full of donations.  She “went on a shopping spree” at the PX.  We unloaded enough sheets, pillows and toiletries for an initial set of patients.  Their generosity was amazing and definitely appreciated.

When I finally got back to my room I was hot and tired but felt completely reenergized.  Somehow in the mess of everyday life I lost me.  Joining the Air Force was the best decision I could have made and when I found Mike I struck gold.  After getting out and having kids I started to get derailed and I didn’t even notice.  Instead of bringing our kids into what I am passionate about, I tried to get involved in the world around them.  The problem with that is that I don’t fit in that world with all of its drama and personal agendas.  Today a large group of people rolled up their sleeves and just got it done.  No one needed to be told what to do; we all just jumped in and did it.  And that made for a pretty great day!

Excited and Depressed

Last night was amazing.    Last night was our first Wounded Warriors meeting.  After just the last couple of days I dare say this is a life changing experience.

I know I’m going to need a lot of help but immediately after sending out the e-mail to my coworkers, I had 33 volunteers.  While not all of them made it to our first meeting last night, we still had a good turn-out.  The two Navy Chiefs currently running the volunteer side brought with them the six military members running the patient care side.  One soldier was from Roll 3, two were from the mTBI (mild Tramatic Brain Injury) recovery program and three were the medics that live with the Wounded Warriors.  The medics take the wounded soldiers to their appointments and generally oversee their recovery.

They talked to us about the soldiers and their needs for about an hour then invited us on a tour.  The Wounded Warrior barracks are simple and fairly well stocked at the moment.  Fighting season has only just begun so they expect the number of soldiers will obviously pick up.  The mTBI team is ONLY the OIC and NCOIC and they were told to set up their recovery ward without a budget.  I believe the line they were given when they asked how exactly they were going to do that was “through creative networking”.  It took them two and half months but they got a tent and metal bunk beds with cloth covered springs (calling them mattresses just seems like too much of a stretch).  This will be our main focus right off the bat because they have nothing.  Their patents are staying with the other wounded soldiers for the moment.

The soldiers were extremely welcoming.  There were four in the dayroom when we arrived.  The way they talked openly about their injuries caused by IEDs and bullets amazed me.  What amazed me even more was how irritated they were about being in recovery and not out with their unit in the fight.  They are young, male and mostly infantry.  An impressive group.

As we toured the barracks, we were shown all the great things built by the Seabees like the deck and wall lockers.  But their list of needs was still extensive.  I was both excited because I know we can help and depressed that this is how our wounded soldiers are treated.  I just kept saying how shocked I was that the government wasn’t providing for them.  My friend said “If you have enough volunteers to write Congress, more power to you, we struggled just to keep up with what they need”.

It was not lost on me that I just undertook running this project just weeks before I leave.  I was optimistic that someone would step forward and right off the bat, someone did.  My friend Rita who is a military construction project manager, agreed to be the coordinator.  Coincidently her tour ends shortly after I return in the fall so I will be back in time to continue what she starts.

A funny things happened today

Well, maybe not ha ha funny but more war zone funny.  I was at chow over on the north side of the flightline.  We were at the table eating when an alarm went off.  Without even thinking we were all on the ground.  (Several hundred soldiers fit seated at tables way better than we fit stretched out underneath them.)  Once we did start thinking, we realized that wasn’t the rocket attack alarm, it was a fire alarm.  There wasn’t actually a fire, it had just gone off.  As we got up from the floor the silence turned to low din of amusement.

Roll 3 day 2

We went to Roll 3 again to see how our SSG was doing.  He was still uncomfortable and being pumped full of antibiotic but the swelling had gone down so that was good.  He is not the type of guy to sit still so lying in the bed was driving him nuts.

The kid by the window had left for Germany but his buddy was in his place.  The kid had told us that his buddy was the last person he saw when he blacked.  A few days later his buddy stepped on a land mind and was up in the ICU.  The hope was to have the two guys fly out together but the buddy wasn’t in a position to fly yet.  His leg was pretty bad but still attached.  Every bone from the knee down had shattered, not broke, shattered.  The first thing they did when he arrived was establish blood flow which is what has allowed him to keep it so far but he has a long road ahead of him.  He told us the whole story about how he stepped on the mine.  No, they didn’t give him any pain meds but he was allowed to smoke.  He asked “want to hear the worst part?”  Really?  I would have guessed stepping on the mine was the worst part but his story got worse when he explained that it took 45 minutes for the chopper to get him and once on board a medic accidentally stepped on the blown leg.  The kid has a great spirit and a wife waiting for him back home.  I am a better person for having met him today.

Roll 3

This morning I learned that the supply sergeant was in the hospital (Roll 3).  A few days ago he smashed his little finger and got 12 stitches.  Later he was back and had the stitches removed.  This morning, he woke up and his hand was swollen like a Mickey Mouse hand so he went to have it check out.  They admitted him for an infection and started IV antibiotics.  His supervisor and I went over to see him.

Roll 3 isn’t like US hospitals where there is privacy.  Once you show your ID and military members surrender their weapons, you can just walk around.  Our guy was in a room with 16 beds.  There is no privacy but that was ok because it was more of a team approach to care.  We came to see our SSG but ended up talking to the other guys as well.  They brought in a civilian who didn’t speak English from one of our ally countries.  Apparently he fell off a motorcycle out at one of the FOBs (forward operating base) and was in a great deal of pain.

The young kid by the window was just 20 years old, married, with a baby on the way.  He was on his way to Germany to be Med Boarded out (released for medical reasons) and he was pretty bummed about it.  He had a seizure out in the field.  They had cut off all his clothes in route and all he had was his boots and his ID card.  His wedding ring was on a chain attached to his pants and in the chaos even that was lost.  We were heading to the PX to get our SSG some chocolate (which he assured us would make him feel better) and I asked this kid if he needed anything.  He could have asked for the world because I was prepared to get it for him but he said that he had received a bag of clothes from the Wounded Warrior Project so he was all set there but he could use some cigarettes.  (Yes, of course we bought them for him.  You would have too.)

That night was BBQ number two.  This time we were invited to the Seabee compound for their going away.  My girlfriend’s unit is heading back to Michigan and a new unit will be coming in to take their place.  There is a whole transition process that goes on for weeks, but this BBQ was the sendoff for the first group getting ready to head out.

I had no idea that I was invited for more than just the food.  Midway through they called a list of names of people to step forward.  I was one of the names called.  They handed out certificates of appreciation for supporting the Wounded Warriors Project. 

When a soldier in our region gets wounded out in the field, they are immediately scooped up and brought to the hospital here at KAF called Roll 3 (Roll 2 is sick call).  While the most seriously wounded soldiers will be treated and then sent to Germany, many stay at KAF to recover.  When soldiers are ready to be released from Roll 3 but not yet ready to go back to their unit, they stay at the Wounded Warriors compound.  Now for the fun part, they don’t have a thing.  Most of the time their uniforms are cut off them so they literally don’t even have the clothes on their back.  So, they rely on donations for the basics.  I know what you are thinking… doesn’t the military provide the things these soldiers need?  Sadly, no.  Once the soldiers return to their unit, they will be issued a new uniform, but socks, t-shirts, sweats, shorts and toiletries are the responsibility of the individual soldier.  This is where KAF Project Wounded Warrior comes in.  Volunteers here receive the donations and stock the shelves so the soldiers can focus on getting well.  Things like TVs and movies are not issued items either but have been provided by the KAF Wounded Warriors Project.

I am not capable sitting back when I see a need to help so I decided to add more work to my already full day.  I had helped a while back when I spent the day sorting through the boxes in the connex.  Now I was volunteering to jump in with both feet.  The current volunteers running the program from the Seabee unit were looking for another unit to take over their responsibilities of helping wounded soldiers.  With the support and permission from our Command Sergeant Major, I agreed to take this Project on.  Who needs sleep anyway?

Turkish BBQ

Ali is a contractor from Turkey whom I have gotten to know while working in J4.  Ali’s company makes all the furniture for us, desks, beds, etc.  He and his wife host a BBQ every Friday night for US soldiers.  This is his way of giving back for all the good fortune he has had doing business with us.  He is a really great guy and it is hard not to fall in love with his family.  After many invitations, we finally went.

There were four of us but the place was packed.  The food was absolutely amazing.  I think I am going to have to find a Turkish restaurant when I get home because I love the food.  I wish I could tell you what I ate, but I really have no idea.  It was just really good!

There was also a four month old puppy who was just adorable.

A Final Flight Home

In the packet of letters from the second grade class in Las Vegas, one boy wrote “have you seen the war?”  How do I answer that?  I didn’t really know what to say.  Having a son of my own who like to “play war”, I could imagine his interest, but how could I explain what real war looks like?  I didn’t want to paint a cheery picture but I didn’t want to scare him either so I talked about getting rocket attacks that sometimes hit things and other time don’t.  That was the best I could come up with before today.

Today I saw the war.  I saw it pass right in front of me while I stood at attention, held a salute and cried.  When a fallen soldier arrives on KAF, flags are lowered to half staff.  For the third day in a row I saw the flags and knew we were sending another soldier home.  Today, I decided, would be the day that I would go and pay my respects.  There is a Ramp Ceremony before every soldier’s final flight home.  There have been a lot of ceremonies during my tour.  While it is an honor to participate, I wasn’t ready before today.  Maybe I felt ready today because I am so close to going home.  Maybe it is because I have been frustrated these last few days over little things that really don’t matter.  The reason why isn’t important, it was just important for me to go. 

Soldiers from different units and different countries gather off to the side of the flight line.  As a civilian I formed up with the Officers and VIPs.  After the enlisted units had marched out and taken their place, we walked out, quietly formed up and fell into parade rest.  We were called to attention while the fallen soldier was brought to the ceremony.  We were again placed at parade rest and gave out attention to the Chaplain.  After a reading he told us about this soldier who gave the ultimate sacrifice and about the family who survived him.  My eyes had filled with tears but my military experience kicked in and I just let them roll down my cheeks while I snapped to attention and rendered a ceremonial salute.  The bagpipes played as the flag draped coffin was carried through our formation into the C-17 that was waiting to take this young man home.  Thank you.

3D Children

When we were in Italy I got a souvenir that I am very grateful I have.  A crystal block with a 3D image of Jason and Samantha.  I love to be able to look at them every day.

I'm Back

As I stood in line at the post office yesterday I could feel the sweat running down my back like someone was pouring water on me.  It is HOT!!!  Crazy HOT!

I apologize for dropping off the radar.  Things have been quite hectic here.  While I was on R&R, the new billeting building had finished construction so I immediately started moving in when I got back on KAF.  My coworkers were kind enough to have moved most of my boxes that were in the office to my room, but the furniture was not quite where I wanted it.  Made of plywood it is super heavy.  I grabbed a drill from the maintenance guy and unscrewed the headboard and footboard so I could flip the bed on the side to turn it.  The rooms are so tiny that there isn’t much room to work with. 

I like having my own room but I admit that it was lonely at first.  After I said good-bye to Mike and the kids I was all alone sitting in the airport.  There seemed to be families everywhere I looked.  It amused me to watch the different nationalities.  In the Rome airport, one Jewish toddler kept running over to me, he would stop and giggle then run away.  As we departed the bus which had taken us out to our plane in Qatar, a mother in Muslim clothing was trying to wrangle her boys in the right direction while looking back to ensure they didn’t leave anything behind.  I stepped off the bus all alone.  Now in my own room, I didn’t even have my roommate anymore.  I was quickly cured of my loneliness after my first day back in the office.

While my job here is as a Data Manager in Program Management, on the side I built a data system to tie together the personnel data with housing and accountability.  In order to meet the needs of the different departments I had to understand how they operate.  With the recently built buildings for housing we were able to get several people into their own rooms but multiple factors play in to who moves where as well as the room assignments for new employees coming in.  I was able to automate all these different factors and trained the woman in J4 (logistics) how to use the system.  Sadly, her brother died suddenly and she left for emergency leave two days after I returned from R&R.  The Chief of J4 asked if I could fill in.  Management agreed.  The timing was perfect because my coworker had been covering for me while I was on R&R so he was able to keep some of my tasks to keep me from becoming overloaded from doing both jobs.

Unlike the Business Office, J4 is not quiet at all.  There is always something going on.  I like the people who work there and made some great friends while jumping in and lending a hand.  Logistics deals with housing, supply, weapons, vehicles, etc.  The Afghans that work on the compound fall under J4 so I had an opportunity to get to know them and to learn more about their culture.

Doing both jobs had me working late into the night for many weeks so I apologize for not updating my blog.

 Here is a photo of my new room.

The Good-bye

What an adorable sight to wake up to!

Today’s goodbye was way worse than the first time.  As soon as we got out of the hotel shuttle bus at the airport Samantha gave me a big hug and started to cry.  We got our luggage out of the back and Samantha and I held hands into the terminal.  Once inside we spotted United but I didn’t see where to check in for Qatar Airlines.  The man at the information booth said it was at Terminal 3, not Terminal 5 like the hotel thought.  This meant I had to say goodbye now instead of at the gate.  Sam and I hugged for a long time and then said goodbye.  J gave me a big hug too but wasn’t nearly as upset.  I gave Mike a hug and kiss and they were off.

I jumped on the inter-terminal shuttle to Terminal 3 and now here I sit.  It is 8:30am.  My flight it just after noon.  Mike and the kids’ flight is at 11am and the recommended check-in is 2 ½ hours in advance.  Unfortunately I have almost four hours until mine so the check-in counter isn’t open yet.  I took advantage of the opportunity to wrap my bag.  When the attendant at the luggage storage place in Dubai pulled my bag off the rack he ripped off the handle.  I wasn’t upset about the handle but there was now a nice size hole in my $18 Black Friday Kohl’s purchase.  In Dubai there was a luggage wrapping stand that encases your luggage in plastic for a fee.  Perfect.  I was thrilled when I saw that there was a wrapping station here in Rome too.  For €9 (about $14) I had peace of mind that the contents of my luggage would stay contained.  The cruise line had given me tape but it didn’t hold.

This was an absolutely fabulous trip.  The cruise was just perfect for the kids to have an opportunity to sample Europe.  We had a home base that was familiar every night and food that the kids would eat.  There were many more American’s on the cruise than I expected but the diversity was nice.  The kids really liked the young couple we met from New York and we ran into them several more times over the course of the cruise.  Jason got along with all the kids and towards the end Sam made a friend too.

Mike and I agree that it is unlikely we will return to Italy.  The people were nice but it was dirty.  It was more than just the graffiti, although that really bugged me, it was just an overall disregard for public spaces.  There was trash everywhere and the public areas were filthy.  Even the kids noticed. Outside of Rome the graffiti was significantly less but dirty still.  The history and culture is amazing and definitely worth visiting.  As for falling in love with Italy as the tour books suggested, not quite.  We might entertain a day trip into Venice sometime, but we feel we can check Rome off the list.

Our experience in Greece was slightly better than in Italy.  Rhode was nice and Crete was ok.  Turkey will continue to be on our radar for the future.  Mike spent time in Incirlik with the Air Force and had always told me he wanted to return.  After our one short day in Ephesus, I would agree I could definitely spend more time there.

Just as I had suspected, the kids and Mike seem to be much closer.  Especially his relationship with Samantha.  She had been Daddy’s girl when she was an infant and she would often choose to go to him over me.  That all changed when he went on a long business trip.  It was nice to see them close again.

Jason has a new attitude which we attribute to a combination of his age and new school.  It was fun to see him discover things in his own way.  He is definitely not my little boy any more.

Cruise - The end

We were docked back in Civitavecchia when we awoke.  I didn’t want to have to rush off the ship and race to the airport so we scheduled our flights for the next day.  Our only task today was to get to the hotel near the airport in Fiumicino.

Once off the ship we quickly found our luggage and boarded a bus to the port entrance.  From there we walked to the train station.   Both kids did a fabulous job with their suitcases the whole trip but this walk was quite a distance.

We let the local trains go buy and waited for the express train that was non-stop into Rome.  There we changed trains and took a second one out to the airport.  From the airport we took a taxi to the Best Western.  We selected this hotel because it had “family” rooms with beds for each of the kids and good reviews.  It was descent, but it certainly didn’t compare to the flat we stayed at in Rome.

After we checked in our first mission was to find lunch.  The front desk attendant recommended a restaurant and off we went.  Because Mike is a more adventurous eater than the rest of us, he loved lunch.  The kids and I had a harder time.  They had discovered on our trip that they liked fried calamari so when they saw it on the menu, they both jumped at it.  Unfortunately what they were served still had the tentacles attached.  I ordered seafood pasta.  I expected Red Lobster type seafood that doesn’t look like it used to have a life.

We took the long way back to the hotel from the restaurant and headed down the coast.  There were few people on the beach as it wasn’t quite swimming weather.  The beach was dirty and I had no desire to take off my shoes and walk in the sand.

We stopped at a Gelato shop for one last Italian treat.  We can guess at some of the translations of the flavors, but most of the time we just pick based on color.  When Samantha ordered the woman behind the counter looked at us and asked for clarification as if to ask “Really?”  So I asked “No?”  She managed to get out in English “alcohol”.  Oh, I see.  No wonder she was asking us if Sam really could have that flavor.  She picked another…but I picked that one.  It was good.

After our walk, we plopped down on the bed to watch a movie together.  For the first time this trip, Samantha called out “I want to sit next to Dad”.  The rest of the trip it had been mom she wanted to sit next to so I knew that she was adjusting to my leaving in her own way.

Cruise - Naples, Italy

Our last destination was Naples, Italy.  We had tried to sign up for a tour to Pompeii but it was full.  We were disappointed at the time but it turned out to better.

After breakfast we disembarked in search of a taxi to take up to the train station.  This was harder than I expected.  There were several taxis at the port but the drivers wanted to take us all the way to Pompeii.  We did eventually find a driver willing to take us to the train station but he still gave us a sales pitch the entire way.  Mike and I make a good team and we travel well together, even when we have no idea what we are doing.  We got train tickets, found the right train and arrived in Pompeii without issue.

Pompeii is an ancient Roman town 14 miles east of Naples that was buried by the ash of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D.  Considered the “best preserved specimen of an ancient Roman town in existence” I still didn’t expect what I saw.  It was a whole town.

At the port just after we got off the ship.




Aerial View of Pompeii (I didn't take this photo.)





Samantha is walking on the far right; Jason is the next person to her left.



Samantha wasn’t quite herself when she woke up and her eyes were runny. Before we went to breakfast I went down to the medical station and was able to get some Benadryl for her.  (I was pleasantly surprised that they only charged me $6 for the bottle.)  She had been fine after breakfast but in Pompeii she faded fast.  Her cheeks were flushed and she said that she wanted to go back to the ship so we cut our trip short and headed back to the train station.

Pizza is believed to have been invented in Naples so it was a fitting choice for lunch.  We split a margarita pizza at a café outside the train station before we boarded the train and headed back.  This time we had no problem getting taxi.  Back on board, having had a chance to rest, Samantha perked back up and was fine the rest of the night.

Both kids again headed to the kids program after dinner while Mike and I packed up our cabin.  They had also left surveys in the room so I took the time to share my thoughts.  With a few minor hiccups, it had been a fabulous trip.  For the kids this trip was “Europe Light”.  It was just enough of a sampling of other countries with the security and familiarity of the same bed every night.  (I liked that too.)