Red Dawn

Since I've returned for the last weeks of deployment in theater as part of an expeditionary Prowler squadron, the temperatures have risen significantly (thank God not the humidity!) to the triple digits.  Rain is hard to come by but the lightning shows are more abundant.  Sand storms are more of an everyday occurrence as most of our day flights involve playing games with the forecasters, listening to their predictions and then comparing them to our observations (and actual inhalation) of the dust lingering in the air.

A small chunk of us has already left to set up back on the Rock -- and in a flash like that, six months is over and we'll soon be home, back on deck, tackling the next set of challenges in our seeming future.  Our change of command will be life-altering in conjunction with our transition to carrier aviation.  I have to say, I think the learning curve will be awesomely steep, as most of my fellow JO ECMOs have none to little experience on a pitching deck.  That will make for a lot of new guy "d'oh!"'s and mistakes to learn from... all with the support of our ungodly amount of hinges.  On top of big picture changes, I scored a division billet fairly early in my aviation career (at least in my "new gal" opinion) of which I am humbled.  I have now so many goals in mind--some I am not even aware of, but trust me, they're there) and my homework is to figure out a plan to accomplish them.

Anyways, I have thought about a lot during this tour, and the next step is to go out and DO.  Do it all. 

See you all soon, where the mountains are snowy, the rain is weak but cold, and where I become rich and poor--all at the same time.