Deployment Journal

Now, those of you who know me, know that I'm a pretty strong-willed, independent chick. AKA general badass (JUST KIDDING!!!) Hahaha. Anyways, even the toughest of us can't always keep our hair perfectly in place.

So, this whole thing of being married to someone who is not only in the military but also currently deployed is a situation that is completely foreign to me! I'm usually the one who is away. I've previously (quite a long time ago) maintained a long distance relationship twice and I was always the one who was/went away to a different state. This time, yes I moved but my honey is the one who went away.

Also, if you know me, you probably never would have expected me to be with a military dude. Yeah, life is funny like that in an ironic way.

OK, so back to the point of this post. I got the idea to start a journal while Tony's away on deployment. I'm so sorry but I have absolutely no idea where I got the idea from. I know I didn't make it up. I did what I do with all my best ideas, I stole it and made it my own! ;)

So, the idea of the deployment journal for me, is a way to document what I've been doing. Yes, I did live here for a bit 7 years ago but I was going to UH Manoa and living in the dorms. It's much different this time. I'm getting out to more places and trying tons of new things! I want to remember all the awesome hole in the walls I eat out, the cool beaches I go to, etc! This is a good place for me to write those things down and be able to look them up to reference them.

I thought that this journal was fitting...

1. It's big enough to comfortably write in. I mean, those little journals are super cute but honey, I've got big handwriting.

2. It's Mickey

3. He's driving a boat

4. How adorably cute is the back cover?

Guess what else is hard about having someone deployed? Ever see friends on facebook who are military spouses/girlfriends/friends/(insert important person in a soldier/sailor's life here) post the occassional screenshot of them video chatting with theirs? Yeah, we don't get to do that. But, what we do get, when we're lucky is the ability to skype when they are in port.

Now...does it always work?
Hardly ever.

 Is it blurry?
Almost always.

Is the audio delayed and/or warbled?
 More often than not.

Do you get disconnected often?
You bet.

Are there like a million other sailors trying to use the same internet connection at the local bar/wifi location on base at the same exact time you are?
Guaranteed

Will you have to be up at some un-godly hour just to try to talk for 3-5 min without getting cut off? Absolutely

The best way to get to talk to them is if they can get overnight liberty and have a hotel room. Then, usually, I've experienced, the connection is good.

Luckily, having spent the last year in a long distance relationship, I am well-equipped to not freak out or even experience an increase in heart rate when the skype call gets disconnected. It doesn't always work in the reverse. It took hubbs a bit longer to remember to remain calm when we inevitably got disconnected for like the 5th time in the last 4 minutes.

So, if you get annoyed by lack of communication, write about it!

Write about whatever you like! No one has to read! I write when I'm sad and as I start to write, I realize it's not that bad and find something positive to focus on. This is just one of my strategies. Sometimes it works.

Sometimes you don't want to bother them about every little thing. The journal can be your place to write about it and then come back to it later to develop your solution. It's helpful if you don't have many friends close by to talk to.