As I write this I am somewhere in the middle of some random desert with sand dunes and nothingness. I am nearing the end of this expedition in the middle of nowhere and have had internet access for the entirety of my week out here. How great it is to be an IT guy in the Army. I can bring you internet no matter where in the world I am as long as I have the proper equipment provided.
As I said I am ending a week long expedition in the middle of the desert and have been able to think a lot more out here. This week most of my thoughts have been the simple things that we normally take for granted.
In the civilian world we have internet with an outrageous amount of speed, constant contact with anyone in the world that we really want to talk to or don't want to talk to so much. Yet, here I am fighting this nations wars and I can tell you some of the simple things that I miss about civilization.
1.) Showers. I miss being able to take a shower when ever I please. In a clean shower with out feeling like I still need to shower after I finish. It can be absolutely miserable when you can't shower. This past week I have been taking baby wipe baths. I enjoy being able to wash myself but there are some things that just will not replace the feeling you get after a nice shower.
2.) Food. This week I have been subjected to eating nothing but MRE's. Now don't get me wrong, todays MRE's are so much better than what my ancestors had to eat in the field such as C-rations or what have you. But a real meal would really be nice. I don't care if it is "spaghetti o's" or a salad. Anything is better than a bagged meal that makes you constipated. I have no problem eating MRE's and a lot of them are decent these days but quite frankly I am not picky and will eat just about anything I can get my hands on that will give my body some sort of nutrition.
3.) A bed. My back has been absolutely killing me out here. Some people will never understand what it feels like to not have a bed to sleep in for a week. It messes with your sleep patterns and can actually increase your anxiety when you don't have a place to relax and lay down your head.
Those are my three things that I really desire the most. When I get back to camp I will fully enjoy all of these things. I can not say I wont take them for granted because simply, I will get use to the comfort again. Yet you will never hear me complain about any of these things. I will just be thankful that I have them. As the saying goes "It could always be worse". It is extremely true.
I guess the whole point of wanting to write about this is to make my readers aware that though things seem hard or rough, remember there is always somebody who is roughing it out even rougher than you. I know I may not be able to get a decent shower here, but there is somebody out there who isn't getting a shower or even baby wipe baths at all. I empathize with those individuals.
AG
