Last Post from the States

March 4, 2010 at 3:54 am (Pre-service)

I’m in my hotel room in Washington, D.C. after a day from airport hell. I was supposed to report for staging at the hotel today at 12:30 pm but ended up here around 6 pm and missed almost all of orientation. Basically, the airplane for my morning connection flight to Memphis had some kind of computer problem as we were taxiing on the runway. We stayed on the plane for probably an hour while they tried to fix it but eventually were told to deboard. I got off the plane, called the airline customer service number, and they booked another flight for me that left Little Rock at 11:25 am and connected in Atlanta this afternoon. Then I boarded the airplane in Atlanta to DC and they had some auxiliary air flow problem that needed to be fixed. This took about an additional half hour. When I finally got to DC, my large suitcase had a broken leg and the cover on my backpack had disappeared. And all of this on three hours of sleep last night.

But I’m here now ready for another early flight tomorrow. I got all my paperwork filled out, loan deferment letters signed and mailed, and had a nice dinner with some of my stage mates. They all seem really fun and I can’t wait to begin training. Despite this hellish day, I think it’ll be worth it. I’m going to leave all this mess behind me and focus on the positive.

When you hear from me next, I’ll be in the Caribbean! I’ll end with part of a poem that I like. It’s what inspired the name of this blog. The entire thing is called “Ulysses.”

It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.

Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’
We are not now that strength which in the old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal-temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

- Tennyson

Adios!

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