So here I am. 5,000 feet over a crazy little town called Lashkar Gah in an old Russian helicopter. Today was kind of a chaotic day and everyone’s planning went to hell so I find myself all alone in the back of the chopper with no pax or cargo. I love flights like this. I open up all the windows and throw paper airplanes out of them and I hang out the doors and windows catching that 150 mph wind and get a taste of the rush that dogs must feel when they stick their heads out the window of a car. After I used up all my paper and got all winded out, I remembered that I had my laptop with me today. So here I am, watching the sunset over the Helmand river valley in Afghanistan. Life is great.
In other news, the fun-filled adventuresome highway of bachelorhood just got a bit less crowded with the announcement this month by two of my friends that they are getting engaged...to different girls, not each other. The parallel track for bachelorettes also took a significant and unexpected hit with one of my friends who has always been something of a cynic when it comes to marriage and relationships. She met a good man who has worked hard to impress her and her outlook on life has changed completely and I have little doubt that wedding bells will soon be tolling for her as well. It seems that good things come in bunches; kittens, chocolates, flowers, and friends selling out haha.
But as exciting as these events are, more to them than to me haha, they serve to remind me of both my age and the depressing passage of time in a place like this. I absolutely love the adventure here, the excitement, even the fact that almost all the girls are armed! But at the same time I am kind of getting that itch to go home and hang out with normal people that aren’t carrying automatic weapons. I miss my own bed, my own shower, and being able to get in my car or truck and just go!
Ah but listen to me, prattling on like I’ve got a ticking womb or a withering ring finger. I’ll be home soon enough but I know that this beautifully rugged country has left an indelible impression on my heart and soul. I’ve spent so much time here I daresay that in a way, I’ve learned to love this place. But it’s not where I belong in the long-term. So now I just need to go to Sweden and find a pretty blonde named Josephine, or a beautiful brunette from Germany named Nadine, or a pretty Texan named Melanie, or a...whatever. Then I’ll just kick back and get old.
On a final note, I have this feeling that something big is on the horizon for me. I’m not sure what it is but I do have a few things I’ve been working on so if anyone has a couple of spare fingers, keep them crossed for me. Oooh the anticipation! And I’m also planning my next R&R. I’m not really interested in doing the whole 13 months straight here thing again so I’m shooting for January or February. This time it’s gonna be all about good times. Snow camping, snowboarding, road trips...oooh the anticipation again!
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