TIA

For all my readers who are medically astute: This is NOT a story about transient ischemic attacks. TIA is our abbreviation for “This Is Afghanistan”. It’s just another way for us to cope with the wackiness we encounter here, daily.

A recent example is my trip this week to Kabul. I have spent the last few weeks packing up offices and assisting with the minutia that accompanied our move from Bagram Air Field to our new home in the province. On the night we drove away from Bagram, I received a call from the commander that there was an issue a road project the team engineers are responsible for. He wanted one of the engineers and me to attend a meeting. The meeting would occur at a base down the road but we would need to “helo” there with the French contingent.

The next morning, following a quick meeting with the boss regarding the goals of the day, the lieutenant and I arrived at the helo pad, with scant time to spare, only to discover that the meeting was in Kabul. Being the good sports we try to be, we jumped on the bird and found ourselves at a French post in Kabul and, shortly thereafter, discussing contractor concerns in the office of an Afghan National Army general. We, with the help of the general and our French counterparts, managed to mitigate the concerns. If everything goes as planned, work will resume soon.

After completing our discussions, we were invited to lunch at the Afghan National Army chow hall as guests of the general. The meal was traditional, with rice, various meats and lots of naan (flat bread). Thankfully, neither of us fell ill the next day! We spent the remainder of the afternoon in talks with other American and French soldiers, planning future projects and cementing our working relationships. We ate in an amazing French chow hall for dinner. There were so many choices, I felt like a kid at a candy shop and, with everything my eyes told me I had to have, I likely looked like a piglet!. We returned “home” that evening, none the worse for wear and with adventure stories to share.

TIA, my friends. Some days are wackier than others!

Lori

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership, published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International

Back to the front

It has been nearly two weeks since I returned to Afghanistan, and I am finally feeling back in the groove. I didn’t realize before leaving how hard it would be to return here. It isn’t the mission or the country itself that I struggle with; I miss having privacy. I spent two wonderful weeks in a fancy hotel room, enjoying all Bavaria had to offer. Now I am back in a dusty war zone, living in a little plywood shack with seven other women (whom I know only casually) and walking 100 yards to the bathroom and shower, a shower that doesn’t always have hot water.

When we first arrived, the novelty of being deployed and the “adventure” of it all made the transition easier. I had stars in my eyes, imagining all the great things we could accomplish. Now, I know how stressful the work is, how long the hours, and how hard it is to actually move a project to completion. I think the chaos of our current living situation doesn’t help, either. We are in the process of relocating our headquarters to another location. This involves packing everything—offices, personal belongings, even ammunition—and arranging for its movement to our new home. We have a plan to phase the process out but it still seems overwhelming some days as we struggle to move people, trucks and belongings a measly 40 km!

Knowing the deployment is already halfway done helps but, with the holidays rapidly approaching, I know the ache of missing my family will only become more acute. Knowing they will be able to see friends and family helps, but it will be a difficult time for them as well. Also, I have no idea how to make the holidays special for the soldiers and airmen who are here with me. The team has talked about decorating our tents and putting up a tree, and we anticipate a special meal from our French hosts. (Yes, we will be living in big tents for the remainder of our time here, with winter closing in!) But it just doesn’t seem like enough. If anyone has any ideas, please pass them along.

O, an update on the mouse situation—they continue to plague me! With all the moving and cleaning going on, we have found several and the spot outside my bedroom door is still the best place to put a trap. We have caught at least five there but, since my return, I have not seen any in my room, so that is a good sign. There are rumors of snakes being found in the living quarters. I think I prefer the mice! The girls in my hut are convinced that mothballs will keep the critters away, so now everything I own smells funny. But, if it works, I am game.

Lori

The adventure continues

Our picnic spread on our last killer hike

I have made it as far as Kuwait and am in a holding pattern to catch a military flight into Afghanistan. If all goes well, I will be back with the team in the next day or two.

Nate and I enjoyed a last adventure together getting to the airport. We took a train from Garmisch to Munich, and had fun just looking at the sights and reliving our vacation. After checking in, we tested out one last brewhaus, right there in the airport! And, according to the Beer Drinkers Guide to Munich, the place gets 3.5/5 rating, not bad for an airport pub! We shared a last wheat beer and some yummy Bavarian cheese spread with fresh pretzels, a perfect way to wrap up our trip.

So far, our respective travels have been anticlimactic. I have managed to get this far with only one mouse incident. The little pest managed to get in my backpack and nibbled my Twizzlers! What a pain! I caught a couple hours sleep here in Kuwait and am now waiting to see when I can hitch a ride for the last leg of my journey.

Nate is taking off from London as I type and looking forward to seeing the kids soon. He had a LONG layover (12 hours!) in London so stayed in this crazy space-pod “Yotel” place. It is a little cubicle with a bed, TV and private bathroom right in the airport and seems to have been a saving grace for him. He says it was crazy “futuristic” but served the purpose and added to the adventure!

As I head back to the team, it is with mixed emotions. I loved being in the real world—albeit the vacation world—for the last two weeks but am ready to get on with the mission. I know it will take a couple days to settle back in and get up to speed on what has happened while I was gone. With the election runoff pending, I am sure we will be busy, not directly with the election but providing mentoring and support to the process. I will post updates as I can, and thanks to Jim (the editor of Reflections on Nursing Leadership) I can do it via e-mail as well.

Germany, Day 13

I cannot believe our vacation is almost over. The thought of returning to the real world is tough for both of us. Nate will return to his life as a single parent, alone on the prairies of western Texas, and I will return to the demands of "herding cats" on the plains of Afghanistan. One thing in Nate's favor—he missed an episode of upset tummy with our youngest. Fortunately, Grammy was there to save the day. Unfortunately, the timing is just about right for our oldest to be stricken when he arrives home.

We highly recommend the hotel we have stayed in the last two weeks. Edelweiss Lodge and Resort caters to military families and is an incredible experience. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly, the food good and the rooms spacious. They had an amazing "R&R" rate that provided us a room and food for the entire 14 days, and that is what sealed the deal. We have enjoyed tours organized by the resort, rented bikes, set off on staff-recomended trails and have never been disappointed. How is that for an unsolicited recommendation?!

Of course, I expect to be asked: "What was your favorite part?" I honestly don't know that I could name a favorite. I really enjoyed the trip to Dachau. (Is it OK to admit enjoying a tour of a concentration camp?) It was really well done and I could have spent another two or three hours in the museum alone. In Germany, a visit to a concentration camp is a requirement for high school students, so it was interesting to see so many young people touring the grounds as well.

Then there was just being outside, hiking all over the mountains and breathing the fresh air provided a much-needed escape for both of us. With its detailed maps and signs and often a "hutte" as a destination, the trail system here is one of the best we have ever seen. Who doesn't mind hiking in the snow/rain when there is a cold beer awaiting you at the turn-around?

All in all, the trip has been a success, and we will treasure the memories forever. We couldn't have managed this without the support of my mom and dad, who toiled away at home with the little ones! THANK YOU!!! More to come as I make my way back to Afghanistan and the pending chaos as we gear up for a repeat of the Afghan elections. And, if the trip back to Kuwait is as bizarre as the trip out, it will definitely provide some blog fodder.

Just an observation

We have spent a great 10 days touring Bavaria and have made a few interesting observations. Although beer is served here like water and the food is hearty, you see very few overweight locals. And I haven't noticed any giant, open-24-hour gyms with flashy billboards, either. Is it the limitless options for physical activity? The ability to walk or bike wherever you want on well-maintained paths? Where have we gone "wrong" in the States? We have limitless fitness options but continue to be an overweight nation.

This is something I have pondered before but never has it been so obvious to me as during the last couple weeks. In our country, which thrives on the automobile and get-thin-quick schemes, how do you convince a population that the best way to better health is eating less and moving more? Back home, I am frequently asked by patients to prescribe weight-loss medications, something I nearly always refuse to do. My suggestions to find a local park and walk 30 minutes a day or climb the stairs at work insead of using the elevators are inevitably met with anger and frustration.

A healthy weight is not always easy to obtain but the Germans seem to be onto something with their enthusiasm for the outdoors and activity. After too many hours spent sitting behind a desk in Afghanistan, I am thoroughly enjoying myself!

From snow to sunshine

Me, outside the Neuschnestein Castle Sunday.
It snowed and rained all day!

Nate, with the Waxenstein Mtn. range and SUNSHINE!

Today, the sun finally shined down on Bavaria! We have been enjoying ourselves, even with the ongoing rain and snow, but today's sunshine was very welcome.

On Friday, we picked up a rental car and, thanks to some helpful hints from our new friend "Jake," we headed off to see Mittenweld and Murneau. Our finely made Russian compact car didn't stand up to the test of relentless rain. In a mid-mountain pass, the wipers gave out. We had to return to Garmisch early and skipped the brewery in Murneau but, never fear, we made a side trip the next day!

On Saturday, we set out for Austria to check out Salzburg, which was very cool. It rained most of the day, but we hiked around and saw the sights. We took an amazing tour of Hohensalzburg, the impressive fortress that has guarded Salzburg since the mid-11th century. We could have spent all day wandering around and learning about the history.

The next day, Sunday, we took our little rental car on the senic route—over a couple small mountain passes and through Austria—to see King Ludwig II's castles. It was snowing and very beautiful. Nice to take the road less traveled. The two castles we toured—Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein—were impressive but very over-the-top. Neuschwanstein, the inspriation Walt Disney used for Sleeping Beauty, isn't even complete. Only 16 of the 65 rooms were finished before Ludwig died of mysterious circumstances.

Today, the sun was shining, so we set off on foot (we only kept the car for the weekend). We hiked all over the place, finally ending at a pristine mountain lake where we had a late lunch and enjoyed the view. We wimped out and took the bus home. I was ready to walk, but Nate claimed to be tired, or maybe it was happy hour calling him.

Needless to say, we are having a fantastic vacation, regardless of the weather. More to come in the next few days. We plan to tour Dachau, Munich and make another pass through Murneau.

Our vacation in Germany, Day 3

The view from our room in Germany, Sunday

The view from our room in Germany, Wednesday

I am not afraid of a little snow. I like to ski, enjoy making snowmen and honestly like cozy warm sweaters and curling up by a crackling fire. What I don't really like is unplanned snow while on vacation. I am not here to ski and, without our kids, making a snowman just seems odd, but we are attempting to make the best of it by drinking our way across Bavaria.

For both of us, our travel here was essentially uneventful. My trip from the air base in Kuwait to the airport is a post in itself, which I will save for another day! And my fear of negotiating the Munich train system alone was unfounded, although it would have been much more daunting without two years of riding the DC Metro! I managed to find the right train, change trains mid-trip and even find a taxi to the hotel! Very impressive when you realize my only trip outside the U.S. (prior to the all-expenses-paid trip to Afghanistan) was to the British Virgin Islands!

Yesterday, we visited a really cool cheese factory where, after watching the obligatory video, we ate cheese and drank beer. We then toured an amazing monastery (built in the 1300s) that is now famous for its yummy liquor and beer. It is also a boarding school. Can you imagine sending your little ones off to school at a monastery/brewery?

Today, we awoke to the scene above and decided to press on with our original plan to hike to a "halfway house" that our guide from yesterday had told us about. It was a quaint little restaurant midway up the hill and across the valley from our hotel. We hiked—straight up—for a couple of hours and were rewarded by a beautiful view of the snowcapped peaks. After a couple of beers, we hiked on to some ruins and back to town.

We are currently resting up for dinner, watching the clouds play across the mountains (pictured above) with some intermittent snowflakes swirling down. Not a bad escape from the craziness that is Afghanistan.