Photoshoots

If I thought life would slow down once school released for the summer, I was dead wrong.  Here's what I've been doing with my time, and what will NOT be happening next week since I'm letting myself take a break and catch up on to-dos.

The Awful Confession

I admittedly rely on my husband a TON when he's around, but during the days that he's away I've come to realize how independent and self-reliant I can be.  Need to hang new curtains on rods that are about ten feet off the ground?  No problem.  Take care of dogs, work, chores, school, and social life by myself?  Got it.  Not kill myself from boredom when the only things I ever talk to are dogs and the straight iron (which seems to never realize what its job entails...STRAIGHT, dammit)?  Done and done.  But recently it hit me that I'm almost too good at these things, and I've begun to worry that DH coming home might be more difficult than the last time.

I don't know how to be married anymore.

Not to say that I'm living up some single life, hitting the town every weekend or chatting up boys.  But I don't remember what it's like to have to take care of two people instead of one, or how to share the load, or how to share a bed with another human being.  I don't know how to be part of a team instead of army of one.  And that, my friends, breaks my heart into pieces.

The time is drawing closer to when DH will be walking down that long hallway in the passenger terminal, ABUs faded from desert sun and A-bags in hand.  He'll have raccoon eyes from wearing sunglasses too much during the day, will think it's cold during our summer after dealing with 120 degree temps, and will want real food as soon as we step out the terminal doors.  I'm terrified because all I can think of is how will he know when Sass needs to be let out?  He doesn't have a clue where I put anything in the kitchen, I'll have to play tour guide in our own house.  Does he even know how to get home?  What about dog walks when I'm not there?  How am I going to fit him into my schedule?  The man will have served six months on deployment, and all I can think about is how we're going to get back to where we were before.  Am I a horrible person?  Yes.  But I don't know how to fix this.  My husband has become a computer face, a text message that arrives intermittently throughout the day, an email asking me how I'm doing.  I make plans with this electronic figure and schedule vacations or dates, but it doesn't compute that he will transform into a real human in the very new future.

Calling all expert military spouses in the world: what should I do?  How do I prepare myself for a room mate when all I've experienced for so long is living on my own?

Friday's Letters

 Dear Friday.  I greet you with mixed feelings...relief that another week is coming to a close, bringing my DH and I closer to reunion, and dread as my weekends fill up faster than I care for.  Dear Husband.  We're getting closer and closer to you coming home!  I'm excited to start experiencing Europe with you.  p.s., thanks for my birthaversary gift!!!  Dear photography.  I'm making the plunge and starting a photography business.  I'm still very, very unsure and pessimistic about this step, not completely agreeing with the idea that people will actually pay for my quality, but you'll never know if you don't try.  Bulking up my portfolio this summer with last minute experiences, and hopefully have Be Freckled Photography up and running by the fall in the KMC area!  Wish me luck.  Plus, any and all feedback is more than welcome!!!  Dear future.  I've come to a crossroads in my career and don't know what the right decision to make is.  Major in photography?  Continue on my original path of becoming a book editor?  Why oh why can't you just pipe up and offer some advice?!  Dear Ninja and Sass.  The amount of growing up you've done over the past year is astounding.  I'm no longer afraid of leaving you home alone, find walking you to be a treat instead of a chore, and as always, completely enjoy your snuggles.  But, I also miss your puppy cuteness.  Growing up sucks!  Dear new gear.  Excited for this rain to clear up so I can head out and give you all a test.  New lens, new filters, new remotes...you're all going to be so stellar, I can feel it.  Dear friends.  Life is changing rapidly around me.  The quarter-century mark approaches quickly, and I find myself making bigger and more life altering decisions more frequently.  How do you handle it all?  I'd love to hear your opinion on the business front, as well as any recommendations on how to handle so much change.  I'll be writing a more in depth follow up once school is out and I no longer have a job to occupy so much time.  Can't wait to reconnect with my blogger world again!

Photo Challenge: Weather

Friday's Letters

Dear Friday.  You are the symbol of the start of a very long upcoming four weeks.  Bring it.  Dear Garmisch, Germany.  I'd much rather be where you are than where I am right now.  I don't think three days was long enough to completely enjoy all you have to offer, so I guess I just have to make a trip back sometime.  I'm already lagging without my daily fill of mountain sunrises, foggy hills, colorful sunsets.  Dear Husband.  Thank you so much for letting me go on the Edelweiss Photography Tour!!! I learned so much, and will be able to apply it to capturing the memories we make here in Europe.  You're the best!  (I'd still rather have you home, but this was pretty close to being just as good).  Dear Brad and Bailey.  Gentlemen, you are astounding.  You taught our little photo tour group a ton without batting an eye.  Now if I could just steal all of your talent, I would be set for life.  Dear pups.  I missed you!  Dear work.  Grinding it out.  Dear summer vacation.  So not looking forward to the sheer number of empty days between the end of school and work, and the arrival of Husband.  Time to fill you up with lots of trips and outings.  Dear peeps.  Hope you all had as wonderful a week as I did!

p.s. If you're interested in seeing pictures from the photography tour, would like to visit Bavaria and stay at the military resort, or simply want to see some astounding photos from that area taken by Brad, check out Edelweiss Lodge and Resort on Facebook!