In every life, there are changes. The only constant is change.

...blah blah blah, Catherine!

Anyhoo, in a couple of months I will no longer be in the Army. I'm getting medically discharged for my hips, which have been quite bothersome for the past two years.

I am both (insanely) elated and (incredibley) terrified.

I NEVER HAD TO PAY RENT BEFORE!!! Waaaaaaah!!

*pant pant pant*

I have some plans of what I can do when I get out. One involves living with my mommy again while I go to college, and another involves hermatizing in a friend's basement...

On the plus side, I don't hafta get up at 5am to excersise anymore unless I wanna! AND I can wear my hair down for work!! YAY!

Catb, you'll be surprised when having your hair on your neck starts to bug the HECK out of you. I had to wear it up for 8 years (Air Force) and now I can't stand to have the sweaty weight of my hair past my shoulders.

I'd say your best bet is to stick with family for now (unless they really bug you), save whatever cash you can while you're being all college-y and once you get a civilian job, use your VA home loan to get a house. Try to keep up your exercise routine though or the weight will pile on real fast!

I hope this works out for you. Have you thought about trying to get a government job? They generally love military folks 'cause you already know about red tape and forms in triplicate.

If you need any help with college financial aid (the FAFSA and all that fun stuff) drop me a line. All those seminars and training sessions ought to be good for something.

shimauma - I know what you mean about the hair thing. Sometimes, even now, I find myself tying my hair in a knot (long hair ROCKS!) so it would stop getting in the way, like when I'm eating or when I'm hot.

One of my plans is to live with my mom, mostly because I haven't seen her more than two weeks at a time in the past eight years, and the last time I saw her was before I deployed to Iraq She and I get along pretty well, actually, and I think I can stay with her more easily than I can with my step-mom, whom I love to bits but we're both too similar in some ways and far to different in others. So for awhile, at least until I can start getting my disability pay, I'll be living with my mommy. (Probably veg out for a month or two until she gets annoyed with my leaching then get a job, and start school next year.) I have some debt-type stuff to pay off before I can even THINK about buying my own home, although I think I can use the VA loan even when I'm 40. Muahahahahaaaaa!

I've thought about the government job, but I really don't like the field I'm in now, which is technical repair. I'm more of an artsy girl, so I'm gonna go to school for that and then maybe the government will hire me to make them some purdyful posters

rivka - Ooooh! I'll hafta keep that in mind, thanks! I'm getting about 50K through the military for college, but I'm not sure if that's close to being enough... Thankee! ^_^ I'll probably pick your brain soon, muahahaha!

I think I did the hair thing the wrong way around...

When I had to put it up everyday (army) it was down to my waist... I waited til I got out to chop it all off - go figure!

All the best for life on the outside