Last tour and a few reflections

My last tour of service was most of the same routine of hiking or driving to our work site from camp, carrying poles and wire, digging holes, finding rocks, placing posts, etc.  The significance was really just that it had now become a routine rather than something out of the ordinary in my daily life.

But since it was my last tour I appreciated each sunset and every cold night even more than before.  One of my goals was to finally see a shooting star so I spent a few nights just staring endlessly at the sky.  I did finally catch one!

Most importantly though, what makes any place special is usually the people that you meet.  On the last tour there were two crews present so every night was like a big block party.  We played a 12 person game of UNO one night that last forever, had hilarious bouts of trivial pursuit, and campfires that tended to stay alive longer than usual.  I had the opportunity to get to know and spend time with people from so many different backgrounds that I would probably never encounter in my life prior to this project.

I really allowed myself to be present and devote all of my mental and physical energy into making the most I could of this project.  The new intimacy I share with nature and the myriad of connections I made, make this experience everything I wanted it to be and more.

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