And So it Begins.

There was a large part of me that had hoped that my husband would not end up deploying.  The idea of having to spend another second away from him, let alone another several months, was heart breaking.  On average, a reservist deploys every five years.  My husband on the other hand was facing his fourth in almost eight years.  He is dedicated to the cause and his men.  There was a small chance that he would not go, and even though deep down I knew that he would end up going, my heart sank when he called to tell me that he would be leaving and soon. When there was a chance of him not going, I was able to be completely confident that my happily ever after would be just that and I didn't have to deal with the idea of losing my best friend.  Now, a whole new era of possibilities and fears came rushing to the surface.  So, I dropped everything -well, no, not really.  It was more like I popped the clutch and shifted from 5th to 3rd, instantly.  I was already running a day or so behind on everything and somehow managed to get everything crammed into a few days and, with a very heavy heart, boarded a plane to go spend the weekend with my love.


When I got to California, I headed straight to the rental car office only to find that Advantage (a Hertz company) is the most unprofessional and horrid group of people to deal with, but that is a different complication to be explained at a later date.  All I can say is that I would NEVER do business with them - EVER.  This was not the way this trip was supposed to start and it only made me worry that much more about things to come.  Three hours later and thanks to the awesome customer service at Enterprise, my prince came to rescue me!  I was so glad to see him!  He didn't even have the rental car in park before I had hoped the barrier and was jumping towards him.    


He had to work Friday, so I tried to keep myself occupied with an order that I needed to complete.  We grabbed a bite to eat and went to see a movie that night.  It was just what I needed.  It had been 6 months since we had enjoyed a "real date" and I can't even remember the last time we went to see a movie together.   

Saturday, we headed to San Diego.  We drove around Coronado Island, walked on the beach and spent the rest of the day in Balboa Park visiting museums, holding hands and living in the moment.  It was chilly, but it was an incredibly beautiful day.  It was so easy to get lost in just being with the man of my dreams.

On Coronado Island

A fat Seagull hanging out on a pier.

A monument at the Military Museum in Balboa.  The inscription reads, "You have never lived until  you have almost died.  For those who have fought for it, life has a flavor that the protected will never know." 

Look at that Cupola!  The colors in this structure were incredible!!

Outside of the botanical gardens building.

Inside of the Botanical Gardens.

All of the buildings had similar architecture.  It was breath taking!

Look at those roots!  A couple had just gotten married and was taking pictures down there.

I had to come back home on Sunday so that he could get ready to go and to be home with our princess when she got home from school on Monday.  We headed back down to San Diego that morning and had lunch in Little Italy.  From there we walked the entire Port of San Diego.

Our Flag, a sight that is awe inspiring to me.

The Port of San Diego

My Handsome Hubby studying a war memorial.

This sweet statue is HUGE!

All too soon, it was time for me to fly back home ... alone.  In the airport, he held my face and kissed my forehead as we stood there and, despite trying with all of my might, I couldn't hold back my tears.  You tell yourself you are only saying "see you later,"  but there is a part of you that knows that this could be the last time that you can savor the embrace of the one that you love.  It could be the last time to see the love in their eyes and express that love with a kiss.  Not wanting to let go and choked by emotion, I pull him closer.  He kisses me one last time, turns and walks away.  I watch him go through the glass doors and it is everything I can do not to hit the ground and pray that this is not the end.  On the inside, I feel like every ounce of good and light just walked out that door and I had no way of knowing if it would ever return.  I check the time and my plane leaves in 45 minutes, so I do what every good Marine wife does.  I hold my head up high, turn and walk to the security lines, tears silently falling with every step I take.  I take my seat on the plane and think to myself, " ... and so it beings ... dear God ... please let it be your will that this is just the beginning."