Month Three Progress Report

 In May I took a solo trip home to Panama City to see a sweet friend get married! Unfortunately, my love of not carrying anything means I didn't have my phone or camera to take pictures of the beautiful wedding, so you'll just have to trust me-it was perfect! It was a nice trip home and definitely a little strange to be back in the states and all of the things that were so normal to me a few months ago - fast internet, Target, driving >35 mph.  Once I remembered how to blow dry and straighten my hair, I was ready to go, and I did a little shopping, a little Chick-fil-A eating, and a lot of visiting with friends and family. I also go to take a little trip to check out wedding venues and try on dresses with my best friend and bride-to-be, Erica and catch up with our friend, Natalie.

 

It was a lovely ten days in the states, but I couldn't wait to get back to Guantanamo. I missed Jim and the pups. I missed my routine, and call me crazy, but I missed the little base-town (??) that has quickly become home.

With these glowing expressions, how could I not?!

Happy Memorial Day, ya'll

 Really though, we are so happy here in GTMO and I'm pretty sure I'm getting obnoxious with how much I say it. There are definitely people here who don't love it, and I get why, but personally, I can't come up with much to complain about. Everything is just easy. Not a lot of pressure, not a lot of options. I have some mixed feelings about not working, but honestly, I think what bothers me the most about it is what I think other people are thinking about it (did you get all that?) The truth is though, I am perfectly happy to spend my time doing things that I believe positively impact our life, even if not financially.

I am enjoying my days instead of rushing through them.

I'm not scrambling to make something for dinner after work like I did when I was full time. I enjoy planning and cooking meals, taking my time and spending an hour or two in the kitchen with my music and a glass of wine.

I'm not trying to convince myself to work out when I really don't want to anymore - because I actually want to. I look forward to my exercise classes here and the group of women I see there. That thing they always say in magazines about not wanting to skip when you know everyone will wonder where you are? It's true. Except now I don't want to skip because I like it and I feel better. Jim and I both are in better shape than we've been in in years, and that's always a good feeling.

I know this won't last forever, and there will be harder jobs, hopefully kids, just more "stuff" in our future, so we are trying to soak up this time and make it great. And one day, I'll look back on this blog and miss our days here. Until then, we'll be hanging out in the Caribbean in this place that I thought was going to be so awful.


Here's what the Ripples have been up to lately:

We attended a Memorial Day service at the cemetery


Had a Memorial Day BBQ at the beach with friends


 

 Where one of us was thrilled to get leftover hot dogs...


And somebody was a 60lb. lap dog...


We had a successful dive for lobster...


 



 And lots of fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, boating, and floating with friends