Orientation...

Day 1 was scheduled to begin at 1pm. The plan was to see a few things before going to the USO, but... my body decided to sleep a few hours longer instead.

On the way out of the hotel, I decided to walk instead of waiting for the complimentary shuttle service... according to the internet, my destination was only about a half mile away. After being pointed in the right direction, I quickly realized the steep incline in front of me, but I continued to walk anyway. It was a beautiful day... about high 50's and I noticed that the people around town were bundled up in jackets. One would think I should have done the same, but I had on a long sleeve shirt and thought that would be sufficient. At this point, I needed to eat. Luckily for me, I noticed a little bit of home... a Subway sign. Of course, I was a bit disappointed when they didn't have spinach to sub for the lettuce as I normally do in CA. I knew I was pushing my luck asking for avocado, but I did it anyway. The sandwich specialist didn't really know how to answer me, but the guy in line behind me quickly stepped up and added, "It's not an East coast thing, I guess." Geez... ya think? lol Anyway, I proceeded to pay for my sandwich and was asked if I wanted a drink. I politely questioned the cashier if Raspberry Iced Tea was available. He responded, "No." I paid for a drink anyway and found Raspberry Iced Tea next to the normal fountain drinks. I called my daughter while I ate to share my experience. We both got a laugh out of it.

After arriving at the USO, I met Thomas, my new co-worker. and another employee headed to Dover, Delaware, to assist in dignified transfers. After being greeted by Human Resources, we had a USO Q&A session. I thought it was an open forum and kept answering the questions, but was politely told to give the others a chance. Later I met Gene, the recruiter who has been with me every step of the interview and hiring process. He shared pictures of my new home and workplace and reminded us of the rules of living as a guest on a military base.

Day 2 began at 9:30am and was filled with information from every department at the USO. Lunch was provided around noon. My favorite presentation was from Entertainment... found out that input is welcomed in finding new talent for the USO tours. Around 3pm there was a "March Madness" themed meet and greet where we had a chance to shoot hoops for prizes, eat an afternoon snack and talk with employees that were not involved in orientation. I won a prize for throwing the most missed baskets! lol Before we left, we took a group photo... I don't have a copy at the moment, but I will ask HR and post it later.

Leaving... on a jet plane... part 1

I didn't get much sleep the night before leaving to D.C. Partly due to a much needed conversation with my friend Joel and the rest due to the excitement of the opportunity ahead of me.

I left home (along with my daughter, her fiance and my grandson) with two stops to make on the way to Long Beach airport... the first was to buy hair color (no way am I prepared to show my roots - even in a foreign country) and the second was lunch (since JetBlue was not offering a meal on the plane). Of course I left in plenty of time to handle both errands and arrived at the airport with lots left over. Good thing too because the check-in kiosk was a bit challenging for me! lol I eventually figured it out and resumed my place in line to check in my bags. Not a surprise to me, JetBlue charged me $30 for my second bag.

We ate our lunch outside of the terminal and I managed to snap a couple of pictures of us (except for Ruben). RJ still wasn't aware of what was happening, but he knew I was going to Kuwait. I had a short talk with him, knowing that too much would be overkill, and he assured me he understand exactly what I was saying.

The line was forming and I knew what I was about to do next would be the hardest thing on my daughter... she started to cry before I hugged her, and she continued to cry the entire time I talked to her. Okay, I admit... it was very difficult for me also. So many thoughts crossed my mind, but two stand out... will she really be okay without me here? will RJ remember me in a year?

Anyway, the plane ride to D.C. was an enjoyable one as I had two of the most pleasant passengers sitting on either side of me. We struck up a conversation, partly due to my USO shirt, and I even learned a few things about flying in general.

The landing into D.C. was smooth and I was greeted by a driver holding up a sign with my name on it. (Wish I would've taken a picture. lol)

While waiting for my baggage, I had the pleasure of speaking to a retired Marine. Again, because of my shirt, the conversation led to my job with the USO and he thanked me for what I was doing. For the first time I really thought about the impact I have serving our troops. Don't get me wrong, I have been thanked many times as a volunteer at LAX, but this time it humbled me on the spot. I thanked him for his service and parted ways.

I arrived at my hotel suite close to 11pm, and after taking it all in, I went to sleep.