Autumn, Training, Hiking

I think it's just easier for me to title things by what I've been doing instead of trying to come up with something clever.

So first thing being first, it's the beginning of October, which is special for three things. Halloween, my birthday (26th!) and the changing of the weather. I'm a very big fan of fall weather. It's always been my favorite growing up, and there's never really been anything to change that. However, Iowa started to get so damn cold! I was beginning to wonder if they even had an autumn. I figured that I'd rather take the eighty degrees here in the south than the thirty in Vinton.

Today is somewhere in the fifties though. I have fall weather! It has a certain vibe to it that just fills you with warmth and childlike memories. The leaves are changing colors, the wind is brisk, and there's just a certain smell that you can't help but inhale. It feels amazing. And when you go hiking, it feels even better. We got up this morning and had breakfast at our scheduled time of 5:15, and from there headed out to the Talladega National Forest. I think now is a good time to mention that it's the weekend of Talladega, so the highway was a parking lot. We saw it as we took a different route to the park. I know there were some people from the Corps who went and had a lot of fun, but I don't much care for it. I'm glad those who went though had a good time.

The park was gorgeous. We got a little lost and drove on a winding road that finally got us to the main office. Took about 30-45 minutes though. Nice team bonding. We hiked up a nice trail that was mainly covered in pine needles. It didn't seem to me that a lot of people used the trails, and at one point I think it was more us just walking in a dry creek bed. But we had a lot of fun. Climbed over some rocks and then sat and discussed the past week in a little clearing. It was peaceful and calming, and just what all of us needed. It's hard being stuck on a base where the only thing we do is go to class. I enjoy the trainings, I really do. They're interesting to attend, and we all seem to have a lot of fun. But there are just some moments when you feel like there's nothing else to do but sit and stare at the wall. So getting out and enjoying the beauty of the mountains here really rejuvenated all of us.

When we got back, I took a really long nap. Four hours long. Then I went to dinner and hung around with a few other Corps members not on my team. For future members, you're going to miss the time you spend with them when you're on spike. It's why a lot of people enjoy transition throughout the year. You get the chance to see the friends you make during CTI who aren't on your team. I'm cherishing what time we have left. We're leaving on the 17th, or 18th, I can't quite remember. So we have a week and a half left with each other. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll know what our assignments are going to be by the end of the week. We're all getting cabin fever and we want to get out and do what we signed up to do.

Now it's time to get ready for bed. The wonderful day off is coming to a close, and training starts again tomorrow. Until next time.