Christmas Leave

I had to jump through hoops like any soldier to get time off, arrange for a plane ticket back from South Korea and make it to the flight.  No problems that all got handled, the paperwork took some adjusting since they didn't wanna give me all the time off I requested which was just as well.  The plane ticket I actually won some months ago back in July to be exact because I know how to make a wicked chili.  Then there was the lay over in Madison, Wi. That sucked I hate snow.  I'm from Florida by birth I just grew up in Nashville.

Outside my hotel

Yeah I don't wanna repeat that experince again any time soon and chances are I will in a week or so when I have to fly back to South Korea.  In  the mean time, I'm tring to enjoy life here at home visiting with family and friends.  So far I'm able to visit with some friends with practised ease, same with most of my family.  However some things are just not coming and I find myself back in the funk I was in before about dealing with people and crowds where I get set on edge and freaked out.  It's alot of the problems I had before when it came to large crowds of people and places that left me feeling exposed.  It's hard for anyone to understand that hasn't been there or dealt with the issues I'm talking about. 
I'm coping though, normally I would have my butt locked in a hotel room away from everyone and taking time to get my head screwed on right before I go out and deal with people, this time it seems so much easier.  I use to have to fight the urge to take myself back down to Redstone Arsenal when I was stationed there and lock myself in my barracks or around other soldiers instead of being around the public.  Thankfully I'm not having that issue on this trip and I'm proud of myself that, it says alot for my ability to adapt again.  

This trip has been a whole lot of fun too, I'm really looking forward to the tradition around the house of the Christmas nerf gun battle we do every year, I just need to go get my Vulcan nurf gun ("Happyness is a belt feed weapon") out of my storage unit. Let the fun begin.  

Always remember to stop, take seven slow breaths look at the blessings in your life then take that next step.