Shit. It has been quite some time. On vacation now, currently in Barcelona about to get my 2nd tattoo in 2 days. Also on the agenda are Berlin and Stockholm.
Big changes coming though. I fast forwarded plans because I can't deal with Afghanistan anymore. I got accepted into grad school at the University of Pittsburgh starting in the fall. My contract ends Mid-May. I come back from vacation and have like 12 days left of work. Back home after that and prep for school in the fall. Time for change. Everything is different now for a lot of reasons.
I have changed so much in the last year or more. Shedding layers and moving on.

Maybe more details later. I have a lot of stuff to look at on SG that I haven't seen. I seriously haven't been on this site since Sept 2012. Crazy.

Out for now.

Damn I miss this site. I can't get on it in Afghanistan for some reason. Probably the fact that it is partially blocked because it is "porn" in the Islamic world.
So this will be my only check in for about 3 months, maybe more. Boo.
Just got done with vacation, Kiev, Krakow and Stockholm. Great trip. Heavy stuff.
Back to Afghanistan and the turned off brain.

So I have been in Afghanistan for about a month now. This is the first time in that month that I have been able to get on SG. Typically my internet is so bad that I can't pull it up, which really sucks. I have very limited internet or time as a whole.
There is a lot I could say about this all but the bottom line is it is Afghanistan. It is not meant to be some picnic. It is dangerous and we work 7 days a week, 12hrs a day. There is not getting around that. I stay pretty busy at work so I am not fucking around.

These next 2-3 weeks I should be able to log on, just based on my location. I will have to try to catch up some on here. I have missed a bunch in a month.

All right. Back to the grind.

Leave for Afghanistan tomorrow. I will be there on Wednesday at some point. It is a long trip. 13 hours to Dubai, then the next day the flight to Afghanistan. Time to turn the brain off and just grind. 3 months on, 3 weeks off. Focus on that and redefine the space around me. All will be well. Grind.

Slight change of plans. Got stuck in Kosovo an extra 45 days due to some contractual problems. It is a bunch of BS and made things very difficult, but they gave us a very nice bonus for our troubles. It still blows because I had many plans. We are now supposed to be leaving Kosovo around April 17th or so. Once I get a hard date I will fly to Stockholm for a couple days and then back to the states. I should be in Afghanistan by Mid May.
I am so fucking ready to close this chapter in my life. I have been in Kosovo 5 out of the last 7 years and I am so very tired of it.

Not much else going on. I had mailed all of my stuff home, so for my last 45 days I have a backpack worth of clothing and a computer. I did get a Kindle, which will help.

Things are in motion.

I leave Kosovo on 2 March, fly to Stockholm. I leave Stockholm and head back to Pittsburgh on 7 March. I then should leave for my training and then to Afghanistan sometime around March 26th. What date I leave for Afghanistan depends on things working out with my medical and stuff like that. It should be fine. I am fairly excited as this is a chance to make a lot of money and get myself situated. It will suck ass, Afghanistan is no picnic, but it is too much money to pass up.

In Stockholm I will get my back piece finished and maybe another piece of ink somewhere. I have a lot I want done so we will see what we can work with.

I am down to my last couple weeks of work here. I have a few things to pack and mail still, but I am about finished. Just making lists of everything I need to get done while I am home.

Things are in motion.

Company lost the contract, I am going back to the states for some period of time. I was in shock at first, but now I am calm and at peace with it all. I am actually kind of excited. It is a chance to move onto to something different. The bottom line is I will be OK.
I am only worrying about the shit I can control, which is currently packing and mailing my shit home.

Happy fucking new year.

My company lost its contract. In about 45 days I will be out of a job and headed back to states. I am hoping to find another gig soon, preferably Afghanistan.

I have a lot of shit to do. Not fucking good news.

I suck at updating. Night shift is killing me which is part of the problem. Ugh.

Long time between posts is becoming a common thing. Not that many people really read what I say.

My head is kind of a mess right now. Adjusting to night shift, going back to the states for 2 weeks on the 1st. That will be a rough trip.

Not much else happening. Lots of running and yoga lately. I am not really able to ride because of night shift. Oh well. At least I am getting some work in, staying somewhat fit.

In good news the new Darkest Hour and Today is the Day dropped and they are both fucking awesome. Behold the glory: