After a short summer break of three days, I departed for Oklahoma. Boundless tears were shed, beginning the night before as this was the first time I was going to leave home for a period of time longer than a week. I vividly remember balling my eyes out as I approached the armory I reported to, on the plane ride to Fort Sill, and even during the first three weeks I was there. Much to my expectation, things were not handed to anyone there; including bedding which I didn't receive until the fourth day I was there.
Slowly but surely, I gained some respect from my superiors. It took until the first PT test, which I blew out of the water, to be treated like a normal person. As I began to build confidence in my abilities as a soldier, my leadership qualities were recognized and I was assigned Assistant Platoon Guide of the "3rd Platoon Slayers". Suddenly, my experience went from something I was unsure of to something I absolutely loved. I continued to succeed in my shot at the Basic Rife Marksmanship Course, in Land Navigation (I even taught a class to my peers about it), in PT (I won High PT score of the cycle with 73 push-ups, 83 sit-ups, and a 13:54 minute 2 mile run), and in leadership aspects. I met unforgettable people that I miss dearly (and skype nearly once a week) and find myself a little bit lost without now that I am home.
As I neared the end of my training, I realized I didn't really want to go home. I had found a place that I truly loved. Despite the hardships I had, including throwing up after the gas chamber, missing my family immensely, and facing the most intense schedule I've ever experienced, I ended up loving it and not regretting a single second of it.
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