A little over two years ago, I posted my last update before leaving for Afghanistan. What a ride it was - I had little to no time to post, an extremely lethargic to non-existent internet connection, and legitimate concerns about preserving operational security.
It's ironic that during the year of my life during which I had some of the most blog-worthy experiences of my life, I have no posts to document them.
I have thought several times of resuming my blog - I have so many excuses as to why I haven't. Primarily, life back home didn't seem anywhere near as interesting as back in "The 'Stan". I don't have any new stories about gun fights or social injustice. Nor do I have any pictures of an austere battle ground littered with primitive stone houses and people dressed in traditional garb.
However, as I look back at my posts over the years, and the comments left by friends and family, I realize that the real value of these words is that it provides a connection to who I was and benchmark to who I have become.
It doesn't matter where you are or where you have been - it's the friends and family associated with those places that made them important. Afghanistan would have been a completely different experience for me without people like Sergeant Brandon Copely, Lieutenant Commander Samuel West, and 1LT Eric McAndrews.
I hope to honor some of those memories in future posts, but in the meantime, I hope to capture this life at home that may not be as exciting, but is just as meaningful.
