Deployment diaries: We’re halfway there

On a dark morning in April, with a full moon from the night before hanging overhead, I drove Eugene to the airport. It was the first leg of travel in what would be a four-day, four-country journey to his first deployment. 

Life as a military spouse is interesting. Day-to-day happenings are normal-enough that I sometimes forget that my husband is in the Air Force. Aside from his camo-clad uniform and occasional overnight shifts, he comes and goes to work like the rest of us. 

But then there are those occasions when close friends are given orders to move across the country, or across the globe. There are those occasions when your husband volunteers for a six-month deployment to a country you’ve only heard about in TV shows and movies. 

On those occasions, you’re reminded that your husband is, in fact, in the military, and that the life you share is an uncommon one. 

I’d known about Eugene’s upcoming deployment for months, but it didn’t feel real until the few days leading up to his departure. I’d sit on the bed in our spare room watching him pack six-months-worth of clothes in to an oversized olive green bag. 

While he was preparing for a new adventure in the Air Force, I was apprehensively anticipating life without him. 

The first few nights alone were the hardest. I tried to keep busy, but I would inevitably cry myself to sleep. The tears stemmed partially from sadness and mostly from fear. 

Thankfully, Eugene is settled in a safe place, and the hardest part of this deployment is the separation. 

We’re now almost three months in, and we’ve established our own routines. We get the chance to text, talk and video chat often. But life apart from each other still sucks. 

Weekend adventures that we once took together are now solo outings – or, admittedly, a nice opportunity to spend more time with my friends. 

Dinner for two has become leftovers for lunch all week. 

Our needy cat’s neediness has multiplied exponentially. 

I tend to crawl in to bed for the night before the sun has set. 

And I’m spending a lot less time at our local brewery. 

I’ve already begun counting down the months until his return. We’re almost halfway there. 

And while I hate to wish away summer, I can’t wait for that cool day in October when I can wrap my arms around Eugene again. I’m pretty sure our needy cat will appreciate his homecoming, too.