Visiting Your Life

Last month I had two wonderful weeks away from Iraq. I got to go home on Leave. However there was a strange feeling that I had the entire time I was home and I have not been able to put it into words until now. Although wonderful it felt like I was a visitor looking in, just stopping by.

Don't get me wrong - I was so happy to hold Lisa, Sam, mom and dad, and see everyone else again! It was great to go to the MET in New York City with Sam and watch her run around taking in the art work. It was heavenly to spend a couple of days with Lisa away from everything else. It was great to see Pat and Amy and in a strange turn of events, Chris O'Brien. All of it - the days that were hurried and planned and the days that days that were slow and undefined - it was wonderful to be away from Iraq.

However it was a very unique experience. When someone goes on vacation they take off from work. After all, that's what vacation is supposed to be. You pack a suitcase, gather the family, get in the car and go somewhere. When you arrive there you take in the sights. Usually it is either something you have never seen before. Sometimes it is a place you are familiar with but you see it through a visitor's eyes. The latter is what happened to me.

I went home for vacation and saw everything with a sense of tremendous familiarity yet at the same time a sense of detachment. I was home from what is my current reality, which is Iraq. A reality I knew I'd need to go back to after the fifteen days were done.

Of course when you return to the FOB everyone wants to know what it was like to be home - just like they'd ask you if you had gone on vacation. This adds to this feeling that I have.

I had a nice vacation at home. I spoke the language, didn't need a map, and had a great time. Maybe I'll move there.