We arrived at the airport and I was barely waking up. After a few mintues of getting our baggage out and loaded up, we headed off to our barracks. Clear, crisp air, not dry air, not war air, but cool, moist air. I liked that. Reminds me of my island. After that settles in, the colors hit you. The street lights, the signs, cars, billboards, oh what amazing colors.

You know whats funny. As Marines coming back from Iraq, some of us think that the world has stopped for us, but it hasn’t. Things and people have changed. As for me, I haven’t even gotten back to my final destination, but it feels like nothing has changed. It feels like only yesterday we were arriving here and unloading. I had a funny chill running around my body, perhaps a clockwork orange. Never change. To me, nothing has changed. I wonder when I’ll feel that whooosh of change that is suppose to sweep us off our feet and drive us to do “crazy” things. Studies show that more Marines die in the first month back from deployment then in Iraq. We lose more here, then there. Why? Nothing has changed. Or maybe I am missing the feeling.

Either way, I’m just a few more steps away from my home….and I can’t wait.