At last, I’m home from Iraq for a couple weeks of break. I had a great time in Jordan; I particularly loved Aqaba, and will definitely return some day.

I arrived in the US on Sunday afternoon, and have spent the following two days recovering from jet lag and the rigors of life in Iraq. I’m rested and refreshed now, and looking forward to a couple weeks of sloth and gluttony.

We held a memorial for Hamoodi a week ago Sunday. I and the team have moved past our grief and are going forward, and my anger and resentment towards certain managerial elements over the actions following Ahmed’s death have simmered down to a mild bitterness which should be much more bearable. I think Ahmed deserved a longer grieving period than we gave him, but holding on to pointless sorrow is hardly an honorable tribute to his life.

I’d forgotten how much I missed home. Being in my own place, at my desk with two high resolution monitors and my Kinesis keyboard, my Aeron chair, American television, a wide variety of delicious foods, sleeping through the night, no helos overhead, the smell of my office, my cats; I’ve spent the last two days rediscovering the aspects of my life in America which I’d almost forgotten.

That aside, I will nonetheless return to Iraq, refreshed and ready to pick up the cross again.