Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day...
So Christmas came and went. This was a whole new dynamic as my time is far more structured and my schedule rigid. Toss in new family members and mix with a healthy dose of poverty and you have two weeks of ridiculous. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, but it wasn't exactly the best Christmas ever. Cookies failed to go out this year to the majority of my recipients, which I feel bad about but couldn't get it together to fix.
Upon return to the FREEZING East Coast, we hit the ground hard and took off sprinting. Classes and tests have been coming fast and furious and we're spending almost half our time out in the field. I am a California girl. Flat out, no question, undeniable. The cold here is taking some getting used to. As long as we're running through the woods and keeping busy, it's generally ok, but night time is difficult. Sleeping in my bag is rough. My metabolism drops naturally as it is, so when my body won't warm itself, I have difficulty keeping my bag warm. Hand warmers are my saving grace. The other issue is, when I wrap up in my waterproof sack (the outer bag in my sleep system) the flap goes over my face and I eventually deplete the oxygen available. Then I make a little opening to breathe through and my lungs freeze. So I pull the flap over my face and deplete more oxygen. It's a vicious cycle and I'm amazed I get any sleep at all. All the guys complain about are the snore-ers. I've slept in tent villages where you tell who is where by the level of snore and around guys who shake the walls with their snore. That's not a problem.
I spent this past weekend in NYC for a friend's birthday. That was awesome! It was cool over Thanksgiving with my Marine buddies, but it was wonderful and necessary to catch up with some old friends I haven't seen in a long while (between one and six years, crazy right?). We had birthday margaritas and guacamole at Mama Mexico, nibbled scones and sipped tea at Alice's Tea Cup and had dessert at Cafe Lalo (the one from You've Got Mail). Good times, good times.
For now, I'm off for a southern jaunt to sleep in a real bed this weekend. I have a greater appreciation for snuggly blankets and pillows than before, and I had a healthy appreciation before.
Upon return to the FREEZING East Coast, we hit the ground hard and took off sprinting. Classes and tests have been coming fast and furious and we're spending almost half our time out in the field. I am a California girl. Flat out, no question, undeniable. The cold here is taking some getting used to. As long as we're running through the woods and keeping busy, it's generally ok, but night time is difficult. Sleeping in my bag is rough. My metabolism drops naturally as it is, so when my body won't warm itself, I have difficulty keeping my bag warm. Hand warmers are my saving grace. The other issue is, when I wrap up in my waterproof sack (the outer bag in my sleep system) the flap goes over my face and I eventually deplete the oxygen available. Then I make a little opening to breathe through and my lungs freeze. So I pull the flap over my face and deplete more oxygen. It's a vicious cycle and I'm amazed I get any sleep at all. All the guys complain about are the snore-ers. I've slept in tent villages where you tell who is where by the level of snore and around guys who shake the walls with their snore. That's not a problem.
I spent this past weekend in NYC for a friend's birthday. That was awesome! It was cool over Thanksgiving with my Marine buddies, but it was wonderful and necessary to catch up with some old friends I haven't seen in a long while (between one and six years, crazy right?). We had birthday margaritas and guacamole at Mama Mexico, nibbled scones and sipped tea at Alice's Tea Cup and had dessert at Cafe Lalo (the one from You've Got Mail). Good times, good times.
For now, I'm off for a southern jaunt to sleep in a real bed this weekend. I have a greater appreciation for snuggly blankets and pillows than before, and I had a healthy appreciation before.