6 months down, about 2 more to go!
Let's Review:
- Tech training for Da Beast's career in Cyber Transport Systems is broken down into three classes: 1.) IT Fundamentals 2.) Cyber Transport Systems (a more in-depth version of fundamentals from our understanding) 3.) Security Plus
- Da Beast is still in his second class which he started on January 11th and is estimated to be finished by April 1st, but more realistically might be a week later by the 9th.
- Da Beast has his duty assignment as we've been dangling for the past two months and even played a little game in our last blog post "They Gave Us Wings" where we listed some facts about the base we will be reporting to by May 31st 2021. As promised we are officially announcing that we will be stationed at Beale, AFB in Northern California! The reason why "9" was such as big deal and one of the hints is because Beale is the 9th Communication Squadron and NINE has been Da Beast and my number since before we were married. It's been a special number to us and has appeared in many scenarios as a comfort and confirmation of the direction our lives are taking. Not always but often. So if you guessed correctly, congratulations! Go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back! 😉 And thanks for playing!
- Da Beast has received his orders. However we're still figuring things out and Da Beast is still doing his class and working through his short sheet meetings. We've been told as we get closer to him being done we will have a sponsor from Beale that will help with housing, moving, and any other questions we may have. Are hopes are to have Da Beast have leave-in-route where he can come back "home" and we can say our goodbyes and move together as a family. We're hoping to get on base housing and I have already looked at some local things to do and we're excited to start exploring! We're almost there!
What actually happened wasn't really anything I had planned but it ended up being the actual perfect plan; a better plan as it often is.
From the time the kids and I came home from our trip I felt off about going on a trip in February. I wrote it off throughout December as "we just got home from a trip so that's probably the last thing I want to do right now" or "I have time to plan it". But as the New Year rang in so did an intensified worry. If I wanted decent pricing and peace of mind I had to plan my trip in January. The first 3 days felt the longest and consumed by researching flights, hotel stays, and even different dates that weren't February 14th. Nothing felt right and I kept circling back to the same thought that I didn't want to admit let alone voice to Da Beast. I felt like I wasn't getting anywhere: the flights into Biloxi always had a layover and being winter I didn't want to get stuck somewhere for the whole weekend and the prices for hotels were crazy expensive Valentines weekend and I didn't think our bank account was ready for another large amount to be taken from it. The only thing that even kind of felt alright was going the next weekend instead of Valentines weekend, but without feeling positive about the transportation and stay that was deemed useless. By the 3rd of January I admitted my feelings to Da Beast in their true raw form: I didn't think the February trip was going to happen.
January 4th- Da Beast and I would FaceTime every night and that evening he told me we had just gotten a check into our bank account and maybe that would help our trip planning dilemma. I told him that if the check covered our previous December trip and other credit accumulated for military items and the price for the trip fit within the amount left over I'd reconsider going. I began to research immediately and found a direct flight to New Orleans with perfect flight hours to increase time spent with Da Beast over the weekend following Valenitnes Day, I found a AirBNB with the right price, and I found a rental car all within the remaining amount for the check. In fact it was even two dollars under. It seemed too perfect but I despite the few reservations remaining I felt MUCH better about the trip and felt the urge to book everything. As I did so I realized I forgot to put on some travel car insurance which put me slightly over budget but not much and I felt alright about that too. So I booked, told Da Beast and then didn't think about it for the next two weeks until one night for our FaceTime Da Beast told me that due to some underage drinking and late night partying all students on base were restricted to the triangular shaped student section of the base. The reason this is a plot twist for the story is because I am not allowed on 'the triangle'. The triangle is for "students only" and if I wasn't allowed on and Da Beast wasn't allowed off there was suddenly no point to my visit. Strangely enough I felt it would all be fine and the restriction would be lifted before I left for my visit to see him. Da Beast wasn't so sure as he replied with "I hope so."
As the days ticked by for the next three weeks my faith and hope that "all would be well" danced with confusion. Why had I felt off about the trip in the first place? Was it because of this situation? Then why did I also feel all would be alright and the planning of the trip seemed to all line up as if it was meant to be? Was I being prepared that there would be challenges surrounding this trip I had to prepare for? What was I supposed to learn?
Nothing made sense and as the time got closer to my trip I had to then admit to myself that this trip in this way might not happen. I regretfully had to look in when I needed to cancel by and get at least a half return on my AirBNB. I had plans A-D all lined up but ultimately I knew His plan was in play, I just didn't know the details yet and even though I had a preference for plan A I knew His was always in my best interest and I clung to that faith and inspiration.
Suddenly it was the beginning of the week I would have to cancel and rearrange my trip, two whole weeks until my flight, and I was miserable. I had felt it would be fine so why wasn't it? Why did it all feel so wrong?
Everyone around me at this point had been praying for Da Beast and I but I hadn't. I had felt so sure that it would all work out and the restrictions would be lifted. I had followed all the promptings given to me on the decisions I was uneasy about. I had seen the blessings of finances and timing work for this. I had felt so sure I hadn't even thought to pray for it, for us.
And now it seemed silly to do so, childish even. I wasn't getting what I wanted so I was going to go and pray to my Father in Heaven and beg him to give it to me? To complain about how I wasn't getting my way?
Despite these thoughts I prayed anyway. I told him I felt silly and childish. I told him that I felt the trip was necessary to get Da Beast and I through the next few months, to finish this straining time strong. I felt we needed it but I understood if he had a different plan, I was ready for that. I understood that the leaders on the base did the best they thought they could do with these challenges placed before them but if there was another way could they be inspired to handle it that way instead? Even if there were early curfews in place during my visit I would take it as long as I got to see my husband for a just a few days. I haven't complained about any of the other restrictions they had, had in place previously due to the corona-virus but this I was having a hard time standing by. And if I needed to could He help me understand?
It was a tearful prayer that ended in peace and I went to sleep.
The very next day, the 13th of February, Da Beast Face-timed me and told me that the restriction to the triangle had been lifted but they still had a curfew of 9pm! I didn't care! I was thrilled to not have to cancel my trip and to just be able to see him! It was then I had the intensified thought that was not my own say, "I know you listen to me. I know you try your best to follow my instructions and rely on your faith. But I needed you to talk to me about it." That was the lesson I needed to learn: to ask, even if I already felt so sure of how things were going to go I still needed to talk to Him.
Going through the next few weeks living in cautious optimism I prepared for my trip by getting my kids ready to stay with my sister and her husband and what I was going to bring still unsure if this was actually going to happen. I had thought I wasn't going to go on the trip and I was going to cancel but come February 26th I drank a smoothie since I was too nervous to eat, took my electronic ticket and single bag to the airport and was on my way.
Security check-in went quickly and smoothly and before I knew it I was sitting at my gate just waiting to board. My nerves died down and soon I was on my plane with the entire ninth row all to myself.
The flight went by with no issue, some complimentary pretzels and bottle of water and before I knew it I was landing in New Orleans, getting on the rental car shuttle, and then prepared to get my rental car.
But the Thrifty rental station was dark and closed with only a sign saying to go to the Hertz booth. I walked over to find an extremely long line of both Hertz and Thrifty rental customers. I tried to look for another way but inevitably ended up standing in that line. There were many who got in line only to get out of line claiming they were just going to pay the cancellation fee and get a different rental car. I decided to wait even though I was hungry, thirsty, and my phone was about to die. This wasn't a part of my plan either. My plan was to get the rental car, plug in my phone to charge, and drive the hour and thirty minutes to meet Da Beast on base and have dinner with him. Besides it was barely three in the afternoon, I still had time. After some time passed I heard the woman behind me on the phone talking about cancellations and the fees to the person she was talking to. Somewhere in their conversation she had mentioned that we had already been standing in line for two hours. I have been standing in line for TWO HOURS?! I looked at my phone that I was trying really hard not to use to conserve battery and sure enough it was about 5pm. At that point I wasn't sure I was going to make it in time to see Da Beast before his nine o'clock curfew. I contemplated cancelling and worried that my phone battery wasn't going to last and that either of those things could cause me to loose my place in line. So I waited. Finally it was my turn and I was so ready to be out of there that I agreed to pretty much anything and worried slightly about what I had agreed too completely because I could barely hear the woman through her mask. I got in my rental car and hit the road immediately not bothering to try and find a place to eat. I'll do that once I'm in Biloxi.
About thirty or so minutes into my drive the sun had set and a truck was flashing their lights behind me. Thinking that they thought I was going to slow I moved over only to have them drive beside me and wave at me. Was something wrong with the car? I looked all over but there was no indications that anything was wrong with it. They got behind me and flashed their lights again so I moved lanes and tried to slow down to roll down my window and ask them what it was. They drove up next to me again and yelled that my headlights weren't on.
They weren't?! This was a 2020 Toyota Corolla with all these fancy things and the headlights weren't automatic?! I thought they were on!
"My lights aren't on?" I confirmed and she yelled "yes!" back at me. I felt entirely foolish and turned on my lights trying to find the darn button/switch without pulling over. I couldn't find it and inevitably pulled over and took a few minutes to find them. With all the others on the road it was bright enough that I couldn't even tell they weren't on. I still felt foolish but then I was immediately grateful to the couple who noticed me and took the time and dedication to get my attention. It could've been worse.
Before long I was back on the road and made it to Biloxi in two hours verses the one and a half hours I thought it would be, but given the hour and everyone going home from work it made sense that my drive time was extended. The moment I found a drive-thru going in the direction I was I pulled over and quickly ordered something to just get something in my stomach. I ate in the car the next ten minutes to the base where I finally got to see Da Beast, even if it was only for forty-five minutes. I had made it! We vowed we would wake up as early as possible the next morning to really make use of our weekend together. And that's just what we did:
Saturday we spent fifteen-ish hours just talking, hugging, and walking around
On Sunday we ate MRE(Meals Ready to Eat) picnic out in the beautiful weather.
This was our Valentines Day.
Monday until four in the evening I was on my own. Because the weekend is usually the only time Da Beast had to do laundry I offered to do it for him since my Airbnb had a washer and dryer and I didn't have any other real plans for Monday. It was just laundry so I thought nothing of it. I didn't expect all the emotions that came with it. 
Because my flight wasn't until later in the afternoon I decided to take the scenic route home along the 90 towards the west and I loved it. I left in the morning no longer wanting to feel so close to Da Beast and not being able to do anything about it or see him that evening. I stopped at a Walmart to go to the bathroom and then a little while later when it was Da Beast's lunch time. We both had leftovers from the large amount of food I had purchased the night before so we Face-timed and ate lunch together in a shopping mall parking lot before I continued on.
By the time I dropped off the rental car back in New Orleans and took the shuttle back to the airport I was still a few hours ahead of my flight. In fact on the shuttle I got a notification that my flight was delayed a half an hour. When I arrived at the airport I got another notification that my flight was delayed another half and hour. So I sat and read until I couldn't any longer and even when the boarding time came there was still no plane. Once the plane landed a bit after the estimated arrival time we waited a few more minutes while they offloaded and we finally got to board. I once again got a whole row of chairs to myself and because I had spent hours reading I didn't have anything else to do so I napped for about twenty minutes and took pictures when I could.
Before Da Beast went to basic it was one of the things I was secretly glad I wouldn't have to do but as I stood there folding his clothes after month of not doing so I suddenly burst into tears. OVER LAUNDRY! But it really wasn't about the laundry was it? No. This laundry wasn't JUST laundry. It meant that Da Beast was near, that he was apart of my day and I got to see him, that he was tangible and there through comforts and struggles. Laundry, although a mundane and dreaded task most days, suddenly became a meaningful memory of love, service, and life. It was something else to add to the list of things I would miss when I returned home.
After all the laundry was finished I decided I wasn't just going to sit around but take myself on a drive and see what kind of adventure would unfold from the day.
I ended up driving down the 90 and across the water to a town called Ocean Springs were I walked around the cute down town shops.
I bought nothing but the sites and small shops and designs were fantastic. I even got to see a train pass by from a ground view which I don't think I've ever experienced before.
After my walk along the shops I took myself down the bridge I had just driven across connecting Biloxi and Ocean Springs. I had seen people walking it and I knew that was something I was going to do, and so I did. About a quarter of the way into my walk it began to rain, but not a full on rain, rather a mist. It was already humid so I hadn't even realized how wet I had become until I went to move a hair from my face and felt the whole side of my face drenched. Also I had to laugh at the differences of the when I started my walk:
To when I was about to finish it:
Luckily the clouds held on until I finished my walk and sat in the car before it broke free and rained hard. This had me changing my plans to walk through Old Biloxi Cemetery to a drive-through-tour.
After all my driving around it was still only barely into the afternoon and I didn't want to return to the AirBNB and just sit there but I was hungry, had to use the bathroom, and didn't know what else to do so I went back. I found a can of chicken noddle soup in the cupboard which tasted amazing in this weather and pre-ordered some local food to pick up for Da Beast and I to have for dinner since he wasn't allowed off the base to see what any of local Mississippi had to offer.
I ordered three meals for the two of us but I just couldn't choose between the BBQ pork sandwich and the fried green tomato BLT! And of course I got Da Beast a shrimp Po Boy since I was able to try one in December in New Orleans and it was his right to also get to try one.
After dinner we talked and said our last goodbye for the next few months.
The next morning was the day of departure and I was sad not only because I was leaving Da Beast behind but also I had grown a fondness for Biloxi and I was going to miss it. The weather was a stark contrast to the warmth of the weekend. It was cold and drizzly but even when it seems bleak there is always a bright spot. Mine was this little bird. It sat there tapping on the window and I was sure it would fly away when I tried to get a picture of it but it didn't.
When I finally landed home we still sat in the Airplane because there was some ground traffic. Perhaps there were many flights that arrived at once and they each waited to take their turn to be sorted to their docking station where we got to offload. I was greeted outside by many cars and when the time was right I quickly jumped into the car my sister was driving and got to see my kiddos!
Life might seem wild at times, untamed and crazy. It might appear as if there is no real direction or meaning but if you look from a different perspective by zooming in closer to the matter or by panning out and taking a look at the bigger picture you begin to see that all the meaningless moments were preconceived layers of development and understanding. You see it was all constructed into a timeline for a story adorned with twists, turns and wild romance. Not the kind of wild romance often depicted of in the great novels or media but the kind that is dependent on nothing, it just is. The kind of romance that motivates, remembers, and gives. The kind of romance that is limitless because it has no beginning or end. It just goes where it has perfectly planned forever: teaching, molding, comforting, and surviving through it all. It takes us along and although we don't see it all and deem it wild it couldn't be further from the definition of "untamed", as it is perfect as it is.
XOXO
Megan
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