My final destination

I made it to Afghanistan! I guess the third time really is a charm, because it was our third attempt at a flight that finally went through and got us here. Although I must say it was an eventful morning leading up to the flight! When we were bussed to our plane we found out that there were still three large vehicles that hadn't been taken off yet because one of them broke down. How does a vehicle break down after its already on the plane?! Haha so that was an hour or more delay and try bussed us back to the waiting area. Then when they took us to the plane for the second time they had forgotten to put the seats in, so we had to wait for that. But after all of that we finally got on and ready to take off! 

My first thoughts when stepping off the plane in Afghanistan were that it looked like LA and felt like Texas. Before you write me off as crazy or homesick, hear me out! The dust in the air looked like the smog in LA because the horizon was obscured in a similar way, and it was about 105° with a warm breeze when we landed. So my random thoughts were justified! After we landed I went to get my big rolly bag just to find out that it wasn't on the plane! Remember about a week ago when I said I got bumped off my original flight? Well my bag wasn't subjected to the same rejection and it flew solo to A-Stan! So I spent my first day in country tracking down my bag and settling in. Then it was busy, busy for the next 36 hours getting settled in at work, getting my access set up for Afghanistan and getting training done. Now that I've got a good portion of that done I've got a few minutes to share my first impression of Kandahar: 

1. It stinks. Literally, there is a sewage treatment facility here, so it smells like raw sewage when the wind blows! It makes me very fortunate that I work in an  office! 

2. I should have joined the Air Force. Manas had free wifi, Mountain Dew, and pretty good living conditions for a temporary stay. I have to pay $90 a month for slow Internet here, there are silly rules and I'm still sleeping in crappy freezing tents! 

I haven't had a chance to check out what the base has to offer or anything else because I've been in meetings and at work, but eventually I might get a chance to do that.. It might be hard though since I work from 8-8 and by the time I'm showered and changed I'm exhausted!

That's all I've got for now, but once I get some more free time I'll post again!