I drove away from my life in San Diego on December 25, 2009. For love, no less. I was heading to Pensacola, Florida to work on a relationship with a long-time friend of mine. I told myself that it would be be the “one stupid thing I did for love.” Needless to say, it did not work out. But in the process, I finished my bachelors degree and made some friends that truly impacted my life.
In May of 2010, I found out that I was going to be deployed to Afghanistan in short matter of time. The Army was going to essentially “borrow” me from the Navy for about 16 months. Everything changed. In the race to prepare for my deployment, time became a blur. I went back to Southern California to say goodbye to my family, I quit my job, and moved out of my apartment. About three days before I was supposed to leave, I received word that my mission had been cancelled. Suddenly, I was faced with the realization that all of my money had been used to go home and I no longer had a place to live.
After I received the news, I had about 10 seconds of sheer panic before I took a deep breath and enacted one of my backup plans. I spoke to a friend of mine who lived just outside of D.C. She selflessly offered a place to stay and even volunteered to comp a ticket for that evening. Everything I owned had literally been moved into storage that day, except for two suitcases (the exact number that I could take on an airplane). I woke up that morning in Pensacola, with no idea what the day had in store. I fell asleep in the D.C. area, which became my new home.
I believe that things happen for a reason. That each choice leads to a new adventure. After I got off of that airplane, everything fell into place. And life has only gotten better. So that brings me to today, this blog, and unlimited possibilities for the future.
