Be sure to check out the other posts in this series! You can view them under the Deployment Series tab, or by clicking HERE
Deployment Series: Deployment Timeline
It’s been about 14 months (at the time that I’m writing this) since my husband, Brandon, came back from Iraq. Honestly, I’ve pretty much forgotten what it was like when he was gone. Erased it from my memory, you know? But right now I’m going to try real hard and let you know exactly how our year went. It was a year of emotional highs and lows, sometimes trying, but we made it through with flying colors! At least in my head!
July: July 1, he leaves. I’m kind of relieved because I was so hyped up, I was ready for him to be gone!
A month later…Still doing fine. He’s only been gone a month, whatevs. I leave on a two week trip to visit family. I don’t have time to miss him!
Gone 7 weeks…Wow, this is the longest we’ve ever been apart. Can you believe that? It feels like a rite of passage.
October: You know, this isn’t too bad. I think we can handle this.
November: We can handle this! Almost there, right? Wait, we’re not even halfway…?
Christmas: The first Christmas we’ve spent apart! It’s sad but at least we get to Skype. I’m with family so it could be worse.
January 1: Six months! Halfway! Yay!! He should be coming home soon for R&R.
End of January:Um, are we there yet? It’s been nearly seven months. I’m getting tired of this.
February: What do you mean, R&R is being pushed back another month? I’ve been looking forward to February since, um, last summer. I want to see my husband! I’m tired of this deployment!
March 1: Any day now…
March 2, 3, 4, 5…6: Aaaaannnyyy day now…
March 7: At this point, I have no idea where in the worldmy husband is. What a funny thought.
March 9: He’s here! He’s home! Finally we can enjoy some time together after over 8 months apart. My body had been hurting – I just needed a hug from him. It only took him nine days to get out of Iraq and back to me.
March 25: Bye Bye Brandon.
April, May: Oh goodness, they weren’t lying when they said the second half is just as bad. Was R&R even worth it? Holy moly. Is he coming back now?
June: Word is, they’ll be coming home this month!! But when? Don’t even know.
June 16: I get a phone call. Brandon hastily says, “Hey, I’ll be coming in on Saturday. Gotta go.” Wait, what? Saturday? THIS Saturday? That’s news! Of course he calls as I’m about to go to sleep. Now I can’t sleep!
June 18: I put on a pretty dress and try to sit calmly while I wait for them to march into the meeting place. There they come. Where is he? I told him to head to the left! Wait wait… there he is!
June 19: What deployment?
Chantal is a wife and SAHM, fiction writer, blogging enthusiast, and Instragram addict.
