Change

We've heard a lot about change lately. We want it better, easier, quicker and new! Obama even ran with the change platform and look where we are now- OK, we won't count that today. The company that I work for here in Afghanistan is no different. New guidelines, new policies, new tasks. We're told to embrace change, but we're resistant. Really, who wants to do something new when the old way worked just fine.

I love change. I see it as a new challenge to overcome. For instance, today is a beautiful day. At home, this would be an outdoor day. I would play a little in the garden and maybe do some yard work and end the day going shopping. Here in Afghanistan, we celebrate the day opening the doors and waxing the floor, (special wax that I ordered for such occasion). Shopping can still be done here and with gusto because you can negotiate price. We happen to have 5 bazaars on this FOB. It is most fun to dicker! For those hard to obtain items, I use Amazon! They are super fast, have free shipping for many items and is usually here in 5 days. In fact it's rumored that many contractors go home broke because of the Online shopping connection.

Another change I've had to endure is reading by Kindle. It's not a bad way to go, but it's nowhere as comforting as the smell and feel of a book. I give it an A+ for transportability. It's pretty light and I can squeeze many books into it without having to suffer a broken shoulder.

Wearing the same outfit-yuk! Uniforms shirts and hoodies. You can have them, but at least I know what I'm going to wear everyday. Drab,drab and more drab. The change I experienced when I went home on R&R was I went wild buying clothes. I hate clothes shopping, but I embraced the challenge with gusto! The only fashion statement that we can make with our uniforms is with our pants so I bought some cute leggings that look superb tucked into my combat boots. Doesn't that sound so stylish.

Speaking of girly, I wore make-up everyday that I was home. I had to keep up with my girls at home as they would rather not see "the mom" looking like "butch." I wouldn't dare to wear it here. That causes a lot of tongues wagging guessing why she's made up and who's she's sleeping with. It the same with cute panties. Only the girls get to see them, so if you wear them you must be doing somebody. So I changed for comfort.

Plenty of change here to go around. And there's a storm brewing tonight!