I am on a roll with these blogs (read: Jordan is very busy/gone a lot this week, and I have quite a bit of spare time on my hands!).
In the spirit of last blog, I found myself feeling close to empty by this weekend, and was really looking forward to our weekend routine and the activities that always rejuvenate my spirit and fill up my tank with positive energy for the week to come. Saturdays at 10am is our Hot Yoga class in downtown Pensacola. Originally we went for the workout, which includes an hour and half of yoga in a room that is heated up to about 90-100 degress. Within 5 minutes of the class starting, you are literally coated in a layer of sweat and you are wondering how on earth you are going to manage to survive another hour and twenty five minutes without sweating out every ounce of water that is vitally essential in our bodies. While the class is a great and unique workout, what we didn't know we would be finding is the spirituality and oneness within ourselves during these 90 minutes. The instructor has a beautiful philosophy and way of leading the class, starting and ending with a meditation and chant, and guiding us to connect mind, body, and breath throughout each pose. The heat enhances flexibility and detoxification, and by the end of the class, when the french doors are opened and the breeze blows over us as we lay in Savasana (corpse pose, aka basically laying flat out on your back in complete and utter release and relaxation), you feel absolutely refreshed and exhilarated, both in body and spirit.
Sometime over the weekend, we try to tune in to Saddleback Church from their online campus, and watch one of the sermons that are offered. Rick Warren has a way of leading a worship that is so different from the traditional Catholic masses I grew up with. His way of speaking on a topic, while at the same time leading a bible study, makes living the Word throughout the week and keeping the Lord's presence in your everyday life so much more attainable. Supplementing the Christian service, Jordan and I greatly enjoy St. Ann's contemporary mass in Gulf Breeze on Sundays at 11am. The service follows the same format as a traditional Catholic mass, but the music is more contemporary and upbeat, and we find ourselves, along with the rest of the congregation, lost in the joy of the worship! Since we are already on Gulf Breeze, we usually take the bridge over to Pensacola Beach after mass to spend the rest of the day at the beach, basking in the beauty of the Lord's creation and living the day free from the distractions of modern technology.
Unfortunately this weekend was not our weekend. We overslept on Saturday, and missed Yoga, strike one. We overslept Sunday (because we caught a late showing of Lee Daniel's The Butler on Saturday night), and didn't allow ourselves enough time to get ready and make the 45 min drive to St. Anne's, strike two. And on top of that, we are in the midst of 48-hour long southern thunder storm, complete with power outages, house-rattling thunder, and flooding, courtesy of Erin in the Gulf of Mexico (although I should be thankful it's just rain and not a hurricane). This made tuning in to the Saddleback Church's services this morning impossible and so frustrating, as we had already missed both yoga and mass, and were desperately wanting to be able to tune in. Strike three. This led to lots of frustration, aggravation, and plain old grumpiness...
It's amazing how after incorporating hot yoga, Saddleback Church, and St. Ann's contemporary mass on Sundays, into our life, I really miss and need their presence. I guess once you realize how great you can feel, how lifted your spirit can be, you recognize their absence; although in reality we lived our lives up until 4-5 months ago without any of them. It's as if we have reset the bar so to say, and therefore our baseline of fulfillment has changed as well, creating a void where once we didn't know anything was missing. I am already experiencing anxiety about the idea of losing these beautiful new supplements in our life, and am nervous about finding a comparable substitution that can reach us and lift our spirits at the level that each of these do, once we leave Pensacola. However, in the spirit of turning negative energy into positive energy, I am thankful for our crazy, strike-out of a weekend, which has made me even more appreciative of these newfound passions that have come into our life. I am also grateful to realize that again, we aren't just going through the motions of religion, this weekend has helped me to see that we truly have begun to experience our spirituality on a stronger level, as we finding ourselves needing it, and wanting more. We have awoken a passion inside ourselves for it, and that realization is awesome!
In addition to evolving into yoga-going, meditation-loving, spiritual beings, Jordan has further delved into the world of hippie-dom (did I mention we turned our sunroom into a yoga/meditation space?). I am sure most of you already know about Jordan's obsession with healthy eating, and specifically the paleo diet. However, most of you may not know he has taken it to a whole other level recently. Along with the meat, fish, poultry, fruit & veggie, nut, and produce diet that we consume, Jordan has infused a substantial dose of ACV into our life. ACV=Apple Cider Vinegar. It has now become the cure all to cure all. It originally started from Jordan attempting to decalcify his pineal gland. The what?!?! Don't worry, I never knew it existed either! The pineal gland is located in our brains, and called the body's third eye. It even has a retina and a cornea believe it or not. It is supposedly calcified by the age of 3 because of all the floride in our waters. So in attempt to awaken our third eye, which according to various spiritual philosophies is responsible for mystical awakening, enlightment, creativity, and higher states of consciousness, we have started consuming apple cider vinegar and using flouride free touth paste and deoderant. Jordan has also begun staring at the sun for a minute every day before sunset. Yep, seriously. I told him that perhaps he should save this health experiment until after his flight career for the sake of preserving his perfect vision? But he continues. Not only have we started drinking it, Jordan has convinced me it cures ear infections and makes for cleaner healthier hair. He has in fact used it in his ears to prevent an oncoming ear infection. (However, I think many men tend to be babies when it comes to "being sick" and whether or not an ear infection was actually in the works is debatable).
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| Our yoga/meditation sunroom |
Upon discussing my husbands recent digress into hippie insanity back in California with my family a few months back, Gayle or Larry had mentioned that Jordan sounded like something straight out of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but instead of Windex as the universal cure-all, it was ACV. Although I cant remember which half of the witty couple made the comment in order to give proper credit to, the analogy couldn't be more accurate. Did I mention Gunnar is no exception to the ACV movement in our household? We now use it to help with his recurring ear-infections and help with his allergies. And I actually do have to admit, ACV for the hair actually works pretty well, my hair has felt extremely light and clean, really stripped of build up from styling products, since incorporating it into my beauty routine. Right up there with ACV, we have also come to appreciate the many uses of coconut oil as another cure all, for both us and Gunner.
When I speak about and share these odd habits we have developed over the last couple years, the stories are usually met with lots of laughter and amusement. However, to change directions a bit here, I find it really highlights the diversity of people that make up the Marine Corps. Unfortunately, there are many negative stereotypes that often times are associated with the words "military family" in the United States, and I don't know if anyone can really stereotype or sum up such a large group of people, from such a diversity of backgrounds, by one term.
I recently read a book called Home Front, by Kristin Hannah. The book is about a female helicopter pilot, who must leave behind her family and a struggling marriage to deploy to Afghanistan. While deployed, her helicopter is shot down and she is severely injured, resulting in the loss of one of her legs. As if the book could be even more depressing and heart-wrenching, she returns home and attempts to relearn how to do normal activities and re-integrate herself back in to her family, as well as having to confront all the resentments and confusion that follows within all the relationships of her family- husband and wife, parent and child. It is far from the most uplifting book to say the least, and I actually don't recommend it to anyone at all. Honestly, I am not sure what made me buy the book in the first place, as I had a constant stream of tears running down my face the entire time I was reading it. Oh yes -now I remember! It was in the bargain priced section at Barnes and Nobles and I was looking for a quick, cheap, summer read! Ha, ha! ANYWAY, the point of all of this was simply, the book mentions the word "military family" often, and the stereotypes that are associated with it. It especially struck a nerve, and got me thinking when the husband's character refused to associate his own family with that, in his mind, derogatory term...
It's funny thinking back, and reflecting on how close I was to the military growing up-from Miramar, to Camp Pendleton, and even El Toro, we were literally surrounded by military bases on all sides. And despite the close proximity, I can honestly attest to the fact that I really didn't have any of these stereotypes or preconceived notions of the military or military families before Jordan joined. I remember driving down The 5 freeway often as a child to San Diego. We would see tanks on the freeway and helicopters hovering overhead. Often times my dad would point out the training being conducted on the right, beach-side of the freeway and the camouflaged mesh tents which he explained were made to look like hills to the enemy above. However, besides these quick observations of my immediate surroundings in those moments, and perhaps a few questions during those times, I never gave much thought to the military or the life of military families. I guess such is the narrow perception of a child's world.
My uncle Larry (my other uncle Larry) was active duty in the Navy while I was growing up as well. I remember hearing about how Nancy and him had lived in Pensacola, and how that had seemed so exotic and far way at the time-who knew I would one day live there myself, twice! I remember knowing as a child that their family had moved a few times, that Larry was gone on a ship for a while, and I have a memory of welcoming his ship back to port in San Diego. But randomly, my most vivid memory, was a present Larry gave me, it was a hot-pink shirt with a gecko on it from Guam? or perhaps it was Hawaii? I may not remember where it was from, but I remember the gecko and that it was pink! Again, the small, limited observations and self-consumed memories of a child!
Perhaps, despite being surrounded by the military growing up, the reason I never thought much about the military or military families, was we were blessed enough to grow up during a relative peace time. During my years of conscious global awareness, the world was at a relative calm between Desert storm, which I was really too young to comprehend, and then 9/11. It's ironic that a mere week before 9/11, I sat in my junior history class the first day, listening to Mr. Young saying that we were such a blessed generation to have grown up and experienced such a global calmness, and that it is harder for our generation to grasp the tragedy of what is written in our history books of wars past, because we can not personally relate to the loss or understand the ripple effect of ramifications that these conflicts create in society and the economy. His challenge as a teacher of history, as was his first day speech every year, was to get our generation to see history as more than words in the textbook and pictures on a page, to really understand and feel history. Less than a week later I would be sitting cross-legged on the light blue carpet (ha ha, remember that!) of my bedroom floor in front of the mirror getting ready for school and listening to K-earth 101 as I did everyday, when a newsflash would come on between songs about a plane hitting one of the twin towers. I mentioned it to my mom as I had breakfast before heading off to school, all of us still unaware of the magnitude of what was to unfold that day. Later that day, I sat in that same sophomore history class with Mr. Young, watching the news as the twin towers fell, our generation no longer the sheltered, blessed generation, free from the travesties of what war held. When I returned home from school, my dad spoke to me. He told me that this day is something that you will remember the rest of your life. You will remember exactly where you were and what you were doing because it is something that will change the course of yours and everyone's future, much like Pearl Harbor was for generations past. My dad called my soccer coach that day, and told him I wouldn't be attending practice, and out of respect for everyone, their families, and the country, he humbly suggested that practice should be cancelled and we should all be spending time with our families and remembering what matters most in life. Not sure if practice was cancelled for everyone or not, but like my dad said, 12 years later, I still remember that day, where I was and how I was feeling, like it was yesterday. However, little did I know that that event, and that day, truly was a fork in the road for my own future, because it influenced the direction of my future husband's life decisions.
Although even after 9/11, I don't know if I really thought much more in depth about the military or military families other than becoming a consciously patriotic American who supported our troops. We all started wearing yellow ribbons pinned to our backpacks. The war caused controversy at school with the yellow ribbons, and certain religion teachers believing this suggested supporting the war and therefore violence, and we were only allowed to wear yellow WITH white ribbons in support of the troops but with the intention of peace, or we would risk getting a detention. However even though I was aware of world events and now 16 years old, I never consciously thought past my immediate reality of high school. I never had stereotypes of people in the military or military families, and was unaware that so many existed. Again maybe that is exactly the point I will eventually get around to trying to make amongst all this rambling: that while the military dictates much of one's lifestyle, it does not dictate who one is as a person. Perhaps, seeing the world from a simple child's perspective is really the way we should see people and the world around us...
Unfortunately, the adult world we live in, isn't so kind, simple and honest as the one lived in from a child's mind. There are a plethora of unfair judgments and stereotypes in our adult world, and military families unfortunately receive quite a few harsh and unfavorable ones : white trash, kids with no other options in their lives, uneducated, lower-class, unemployed wives who just sit at home and have babies, etc. We have all heard them and there is no denying they exist. Through my personal experience thus far, I find these stereotypes so infuriating, but more so, such an injustice to the beautiful, unique, and diverse people that make up this community. There are 50 states in this nation, and as Jordan and I have begun to discover, each state (as well as the numerous cities, and every single niche within those cities) has it's own culture, it's own community, and it's own spirit. We have become friends with couples from: Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, South Dakota, Texas, Philadelphia, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia, and on and on. Those were just the first 9 couples that popped into my head in that moment. There is no way that the term "military family," as singled out in the book I mentioned above (way above, after all this rambling), can be used as a singular adjective, which is furthermore linked to so many connotations, stereotypes and associations, to describe and fully explain and capture so many people and beautiful personalities, from so many different walks of life.
Of course, there are uniquely unifying experiences because of the demands of the military that have and will unite all of us diverse personalities: numerous moves, time apart, giving birth to children alone, children growing up with long lapses in time where one parent is apart, one spouse trying to build a career through multiple moves, children changing schools, the threat of harm to loved one deployed. So in that way, yes, there are some situations we all experience because of the lifestyle that goes along with one partner's career in the military, that those who fall under the umbrella "military family" do have in common; however, I despise the stereotypes that permeate our society as to the type of people that are in the military. I think Jordan and I as a family, especially with our hippie nature and California upbringing, for example defy many of those stereotypes, and furthermore, we are uniquely different from so many of our other amazing military friends- which is exactly what makes our life and this experience just so beautiful, interesting and fun to live!
Instead of dwelling on the negative stereotypes and providing arguments against or giving examples of just how wrong they are, I would rather explain the positive, laughter-filled evening I spent with my girlfriends one recent evening which perfectly illustrates the beauty of the various individuals that make up our Marine Corps family. Tuesday night has become our unofficial girls' night over the past two months. We tend to have a somewhat revolving door of attendees based on who is in town or free to attend, which makes each night it's own unique dynamic. Our routine involves meeting up in downtown Pensacola at the Atlas Oyster Bar for Tuesday night's half-price sushi dinner. We so much enjoy sitting out on the deck overlooking the harbor listening to live music and savoring the delicious, fresh seafood. We then migrate over to Pensacola Beach, where we enjoy the second part of our night at Bands on the Beach, where we are treated to a second round of live music. Each week, a different band performs in an outdoor amphitheater at the beach. With happy, full bellies, we sit out on blankets and enjoy the evening! We especially love to people watch all those confident beautiful souls, who without a care or second thought in the world, get up to fully embrace the moment and dance their hearts away to the beat of whatever is playing. The last time we attended it was country night, and there was this one older lady who must have mustered all of her energy to get up on her feet to dance to every single last word of "Sweet Home Alabama," all while she hand-motioned a snapping of a whip over her head, the entire song. Picturing her now has plastered a giant smile back on my face. How can you not love the South in moments like these?
Our night was filled with wonderful conversation and lots of laughs. The source of many of these laughs, as is most times, was the pure innocent entertainment and joy each of us finds in the uniqueness of one another's character and the different personalities and contributions we each bring to the table based on our own individual cultures growing up. Our smaller group this night in particular consisted of 4 girls, two from Texas, one from Georgia, and then of course me from Southern California. Many times we start off our night venting about how much we have looked forward to and needed a girls night. We especially bond over how the boys are so busy with flying, napping, and studying, that we in turn feel like prisoners in solitary confinement with no social contact! That night our conversation turned to playfully vent about the other activities which take up our husband's few precious moments of downtime they have each day. My Georgia girlfriend was talking about how her husband spends hours on Truck and Photography online forums, scouring for information and tips on his latest hobbies. One of my girlfriends from Texas, who's boyfriend is from South Dakota, was talking about her boyfriend's OBSESSION with reloading. He spends hour upon hour, in to the late hours of the night and early morning until he falls asleep in his desk chair, making his own bullets. I then proceeded to tell them all about Jordan's Apple Cider Vinegar theories, the Pineal Gland, and Sun Gazing. To each, their own! But perhaps my husband's hobbies may be a little bit stranger than the rest, evidenced by the shock and side-eyed glances I received upon sharing, ha ha ha.
It has become so interesting and so rewarding to meet people outside of California. For the most part growing up, we are only exposed to people who we have stuff in common with -where we have lived, what sports we have played, what schools we have attended. Therefore, it follows that out of these shared commonalities we would furthermore have similar tastes in most other things: food, activities, music, politics, religion, etc. A lot of who we are and what we are interested in is a a result of the culture we have lived in and experiences we have had. Therefore, when your friendships develop from this shared culture and experiences, you are going to have a lot naturally in common. Moving around the country, becoming a part of this beautifully diverse military family, has opened up a different type of friendship, ones that are always entertaining and interesting, as we constantly are learning and growing from the differences each person brings to the table with their various backgrounds, viewpoints, experiences, and cultures. It is so interesting, and conversations are so much more dynamic, when people are so different, but also so confident and proud of their differences. We find so much joy in our time together, as there is never a second of boredom or monotony, because there is always so much to be learned and so much innocent entertainment and laughter shared from the differences we share. I guess this is a bit reminiscent of what I shared back in the post: New Acronyms, Fried Okra, and Salmon.... However, even after becoming accustomed to inherent differences that military friendships have to offer from those that I experienced growing up, I still find myself absolutely in love and amazed by what these unique friendships have to offer. I truly treasure each person we have met on this journey for exactly who they are, and am so grateful to have grown personally from knowing them.
With the upcoming second round of selection coming up, this above point has us thinking, are we really ready to stop growing, to stop exploring, to stop learning, by going back to our comfort zone and what we know. Don't get me wrong, I have greatly missed being close with my family, all the life events that I was not around to share, but more so the everyday moments that you lose when you live so far away. Going back home after time away would give us a newfound appreciation for what we have, and remind us to savor each and every opportunity that brings our family together. However, the possibility has me a bit nervous about losing the adventure that has become so much a treasured part of our life as well. I guess at the end of the day, whatever duty station Jordan is assigned to will have its pros and cons, and for that reason, we haven't invested all of our hope in one basket, so that we can be grateful for what is given to him, and see the positive and excitement in what will lay ahead in this next assignment.
On that note, there probably has been a bit of confusion about where we will be moving next, partly because I have been confused myself at times, and may have given false information (or hope!). Sorry! I will lay out the details of the second round of selection that Jordan will be facing when he wings, probably around the end of next month. There are three specific helicopters that Jordan will be selecting from, and referencing from the descriptions on Marines.com, here is what they are and their specific functions:
(note: these are listed in alphabetical order, and not in order of Jordan's preference, that like last time, will be kept a secret)
1. AH-1 (W & Z) Cobras- There are two versions of the Cobra that the Marine Corps currently uses, the Whiskey, and the newer model, the Zulu. The cobra is the Marine Corps primary attack helicopter. According to the description by Marines.com, "no aircraft defines the role of close air support better than the Marine AH-1 Super Cobra/Viper. Whether it's providing cover for advancing ground forces or escorting assault support helicopters en route to a landing zone, the AH-1 is called on when Marines need firepower from the air."
2. CH53E Super Stallion- the biggest of the three helicopters, it is used primarily for heavy lift transport. It can "carry a 26,000-pound Light Armored Vehicle, 16 tons of cargo 50 miles and back, or enough combat-loaded Marines to lead an assault or humanitarian operation; but perhaps what's most amazing about the largest military helicopter in the U.S. is what it achieves despite its size. Though powerful enough to lift every aircraft in the Marine inventory except the C-130, the CH-53E Super Stallion is compact enough to deploy on amphibious assault ships, and has the armament, speed and agility to qualify as much more than a heavy lifter."
3.UH-1Y Venom Super Hueys- Probably the most popular helicopter option amongst Jordan's friends right now, the Huey provides a combination of functions, and for that reason these pilots tend to get the most flying time in today's military. "No single aircraft provides a better blend of all six Marine Aviation functions than the Marine UH-1. A case study in Offensive Air Support, Assault Support, Command and Control, and Aerial Reconnaissance, the Marine utility helicopter of choice is truly a microcosm of Marine Aviation. With low-flying AH-1s (Cobras) aimed in on the hostile street ahead and hovering UH-1s (Hueys) covering adjacent rooftops, combat Marines can engage under the watchful eye of close air support."
After selecting, pilots usually first go to SERE (survival, evasion, resist, escape) school (basically they learn how to escape and withstand torture techniques if shot down over enemy territory) for two weeks, and then on to the RAG (Replacement Air Group) where they train specifically on the helicopter they have selected. Cobras and Hueys have their RAG at Camp Pendleton, CA. CH53s have their RAG at New River, NC. So there is a 2/3 chance that our next stop, at least for 6-8 months for the RAG, will be Southern California and a 1/3 chance we will be in North Carolina. After the completion of this training, pilots finally report to their duty station. Each of the three helicopters can be assigned to any of the three duty stations: Hawaii, Camp Pendleton, or North Carolina. So around the end of September/beginning of October we will know: 1. the helicopter Jordan will be flying 2. where we will be moving for the 6-8 months of training for the RAG and 3. where we will be stationed for the following 3 years after the RAG.
While I am excited at the prospect of soon being able to "settle" and plan for my own future as an individual, we are also trying to savor these last two months of flight school. Rumor has it that flight school is the best time Marine Corps aviators will experience in their career, because supposedly it is the least stressful and least time consuming of their career-although I really can't fathom how that can even be possible!!!!!!
Wow, so it seems that with all my spare time these blogs have taken on a
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