dream day

I feel like I'm in a dream.

Flying from Los Angeles to Dulles to Providence.  O the irony.  I ended up in providence haha.

Looking out the window of my taxi as I drove into Newport, I became so excited to see the concrete sign, US NAVY NEWPORT , but also scared that I would wake up and this wouldn't be real.  What the heck am I doing in Rhode Island?  This is a surreal reality for me right now.  Talks of what jets you want to fly, where in the world you will be stationed, and of course the ridiculous stories I've been hearing.  I feel as though I've joined a fraternity, with all my fellow servicemen and women being my brothers and sisters.  For our last dinner, we ordered some Dominoes and enjoyed some pepperoni pizza in the hotel lobby while finding out a little about each other.  It's a strange feeling.  The calm before the storm that is to come tomorrow.  Sitting in my hotel room with seagulls right outside my window and the smell of the ocean filtering in, I keep telling myself...game time.

I have been blown away and feel undeserving of the love I have been shown the past few weeks by family, church, friends, and colleagues.  It finally hit me last night during my final dinner with family.  As we clanged our wine glasses together, I started to cry.  Mind you, I haven't been really emotional during the entire goodbye process, but it all caught up to me.  I would no longer be living life on a day to day level with so many who I care so much about...my only response was to cry.  After excusing myself from the dinner table because it was "too hot," I went to my bathroom to turn on the sink and let the tears flow.  Putting myself together, I returned to the table and enjoyed a wonderful final meal.

God has blessed me beyond measure, and tomorrow I will begin quite possibly the most difficult 3 months of my life.

Psalms 23.