DC date

Things I've heard a lot in the last four days:

"Wow, this sure isn't Iraq."
"It's so GREEN here."

I'm back in the blogosphere and back in the real world after a wonderful weekend of reunion and celebration upon Philip's entry to the US.  He had been in transition out of Iraq one step at a time for almost a month, so it felt so wonderful for him to have the final piece of feeling like he was really home (okay, I think the real "home" relief will happen in November when we are under the same roof for the first time since the middle of last December, but right now is feeling grand).

We had a pretty chill weekend.  His flight was, naturally, delayed on Friday.  I had driven into school for the first time in the morning (thankfully, managed the downtown traffic w/o any drama) and then drove straight to Dulles where I waited.  And waited some more.  I had brought some studying with me, so I was able to be somewhat productive. 

Being reunited was surreal.  I think after 9 months you just get so in the groove that when the waiting is actually over, it's really hard to believe.  You spend so much time trying to protect yourself from missing someone so much that it's almost a weird shift letting your guard down and allowing yourself to be excited and think about finally being together.  We marveled how in a matter of hours it felt like we hadn't been apart.  As Philip put it, we were back to being "peas & carrots". 

We stayed in a fab Hyatt hotel (that I got a super great deal on) close to the airport for the weekend that happened to be within walking distance of Chipotle (BONUS POINTS FOR WIFE JOY!!!!!!!!!).  We spent Saturday the 11th in DC.  I got to show Philip around campus, we walked around the Mall, spent some time on Pennsylvania Ave. and enjoyed an AWESOME political comedy show that evening that had been recommended by  Matt & Jana (if you visit us, you will likely get to see it too because it's definitely being added to our "great stuff to do in DC" list).  It was simply hilarious, across-the-aisle humor put on by a group of former capitol hill staffers.  They had done something like it for a Christmas party one year and people went crazy about it.  They've had a successful run downtown and in several other US cities for several years now.  The show is always changing, so it'll be a nice thing that will be fun for us to keep going back to with people.

David, this picture is proof that we got out this weekend. (my brother-in-law was skeptical when we said we were out on a date Saturday pm, "gee, I thought you guys wouldn't be making it out. . . if you know what I mean. . ."  Yes, we know what you mean.  :)

I had to reenter the real world yesterday and get back to lots of studying.  It's hard finding the balance of Philip being on vacation but my needing to get back into an everyday working routine.  Alas, the joys of reintegration.  I knew they would come.  And sure enough. . . they did.  They always do.  We usually have about 36 golden, like-the-movies hours and then we have to start shifting gears. [some of the best military marriage advice I ever received was "when you've been apart things will be rosy and wonderful for a little bit but then there will INEVITABLY be conflict - plan on it" - keeping that in mind always helps the tumultuous terrain of reintegration --- I just wish we didn't have to do it twice:  now and in Nov. . . ]  But we're working out how to get in the groove with things.  Today was a well balanced day of work/productivity, relaxing and together/connect time.

Tonight we looked at a condo (more on the home search in a later post) and then went to Starbucks where we had a "budget planning date".  After the business agenda was covered we spent some time looking at pictures from the deployment and began going through the journal Philip kept.  We looked back on entries from the 15th of each month (today) since January.  I was in tears by the end of it.  I was overwhelmed with gratitude that I was sitting next to my husband who was back safe from a war in another part of the world.  I was overwhelmed as we relived some of the difficulties of this last year through the words of my husband while we were separated.  We were all alone in the upstairs of the Main St. Fairfax Starbucks, and all I could do is lean my head on his shoulder as tears poured down my face.

I'm so glad my baby is home.