I feel silly making New Year’s resolutions, but here it goes…

1.       Come home safe and sound. (Self-explanatory.)

2.       Be more polite. (No cussing, too.)

3.       Work harder on physical fitness. (The PT test will not mess me up next time!)

4.       Get promoted. (Although I enjoy having a rocker, I’d gladly trade it in for a sham shield.)

5.       Stay in touch with people back home. (I’m so bad about this.)

6.       Write…  something, anything. (I don’t write enough.)

Now that’s over with, so I can write about more pressing matters.

I’m moody lately. Not so much outwardly because I can put up a solid façade, but I’ve been pretty jumbled on the inside. Anxious one second, excited the other. I have to get my emotions in check.

I’ve been reading all the time.  I’m halfway through Eclipse, which is the third book in the Twilight series. You can say what you will about it being a girlie romance series; I’m absolutely obsessed. I can’t wait to figure out what happens to Edward and Bella. If that makes me a sissy, than a sissy I shall be.

I miss my family and friends back home. I love you, Dad. I love you, Mom. I love you, Kelsey. I love you, Chase and Nick, but not in the same way. Ha, ha. I hope everything’s okay in Alabama.

The past few days have been my favorite of the mobilization.

The busy, exhausting shifts coupled with the stress of meeting deadlines seemed overwhelming at times. Nevertheless, I have thoroughly enjoyed the past three days because, for the first time since I graduated from the Defense Information School, I’m putting my public affairs training to work.

I was originally supposed to be in the escort section, but I was transferred to the press desk the day before our Military Readiness Exercise started. I hope I get to stay on the press desk once we get in country, because I think I’ve found my calling in the unit. Although I like the other aspects of my job, I enjoy responding to media queries and preparing press briefings far more and I think I’m starting to get pretty good at it.

All in all, these few days have been a solid reminder of why I chose to be a public affairs specialist.