Almost Done with SC

Well, I finally qualified on the 9mm on my third try. It took a lot of prayer and a lot of extra practice, so I'm very happy that I got past that hurdle. Then, last week, I took my physical fitness test and passed that, too! That was a huge relief since I couldn't even run 1 1/2 miles when I started out in mid-Aug. (Of course, I did my test last Tues and I've only run once since then compared to before when I was running four days a week.)

I saw Megadeth in concert on Friday night at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach with a few of the guys from work. It was a great show! Dave Mustaine was incredible on the guitar. He hasn't aged at all. And, of course, the rest of the band was great, too. I really loved seeing them live. The place was packed but it was pretty small, so I was still only about a hundred feet from the stage even though I was in the back. I'm so happy I got to go! Especially since this is my last free weekend for the next six months or so.

I spent today packing and picking up a few more items. I really do have four bags worth of stuff. The bag with my body armor is especially heavy. Hopefully, none of them are over my 70 lb weight limit. I also have to pack most of my civilian clothes since I'll be leaving them here. (I just need a couple of outfits for my time in NC since I won't be wearing any civilian clothes over in the Middle East.) Also, I finished reading my book about Israel's revenge for the Munich massacres since I know that it would be a bad idea to take it with me overseas. (I don't know if every country searches the incoming luggage as much as the Saudis did.)

It's both scary and exciting to be finally moving on to the next leg of my journey. The scariest part is really the unknown since I haven't gone over before, so I don't know what it'll all be like. (Of course, I've been to the Middle East about 7 or 8 times, so I'm familiar with the culture and the region.) I haven't been back since 2004, though, and I do miss traveling over there. It's a completely different world from the US, but not an uncomfortable one even as a female. I just hope it all goes well.