Djibouti: The Journey Has Begun

7-5-12

Yesterday was very tough good-byes at BWI airport.

Today was spent in the hotel room (well, suite) updating electronic files and testing out electronic internet communications. Now waiting at the air terminal for my flight to board in about 1 hour and twenty minutes from now. I got up early in hopes of being tired enough to sleep on the first leg of the flight. That flight will take me to Rota, Spain, Italy, then Djibouti, Africa.

7-11-12

I arrived in country at 4:00 am on Saturday, 4-7-12 Djibouti time, 17 1/2 hours flying time and 25 hours total travel time. Sleep was hard to come by on the plane. Once I arrived I had in-briefings, was assigned my CLU (Containerized Living Unit), met the guy I am replacing, dropped off my bags in my room, then attended two meetings, took a tour of the base, then headed to my room to unpack. I got to bet around 6:00 pm, woke up a few times and got up at 1:00 am. I went to work, but could not open the combination lock on my office door. I finally gave up, and as I was heading out, realized that if I had gotten in, I didn’t know the code to disarm the alarm. What a first impression I would have made! Getting jacked up by security my first day would not have been fun.

There is plenty of work – very interesting and challenging work. It will be an interesting six months!

In one of the briefings, we were told this is the hottest place on earth that is inhabited continuously. I believe it. Yesterday morning the heat index was 126 degrees! I don’t know what it was in the heat of the day. And this isn’t the hottest month. That comes in August. I guess I’ll get the worst of the heat over on the front end of this deployment.

Thank god for modern technology. I am able to Skype with my family every day when I have Wi-Fi access. Pretty cool, although the seven-hour time difference can make it a challenge. We are seven hours ahead of Eastern daylight time.

Me and my shadow