Years ago I worked for a tour company out at the Anchorage Airport. I remember marveling at the women who said goodbye to their soldiers everyday, never once personalizing their grief.

I would never have thought that that would be my story.

I knew that it would be hard to be married to the military, but you don't really know what that means until you kiss your husband goodbye for 5 months. And it isn't that I'm worried about his safety - it's that he'll out of reach for 5 months and I'm so used to putting my cold hands and feet on his warm body when I sleep. I'm so used to a good morning kiss when he gets up for work. I'm so used to his texts throughout the day and his harassing the cats when I get home.

I know this will be a grand adventure for both of us. But I really like doing life together.

Day one is about to start, and the kitties are still waiting at the top of the stairs for daddy to get home.