Yet Another Indoc

Greetings from sunny (and warm!) San Diego! and my third duty station to date.

The flight here was pretty uneventful, except for the guy two rows up from me who decided he needed to light a cigarette. It was two hours away from Chicago, and I was pleasantly dreaming... until a Sailor sitting across from him screamed at him to put it out. Apparently, he didn't listen to a polite request. I didn't ever get back to sleep for the rest of the trip, but did rest a little. Very tired.

It was so exciting to land! Here I was in good ol' San Diego... many good memories... and to live and work here! The USO was better here than at O'Hare. Much bigger with a separate kitchen to eat in. Lots of Sailors and Marines... and prospective Marines. I had a big bowl of chicken noodle soup, and was able to chat with mom on the phone. But soon the duty driver from Point Loma showed up and we were whisked away.

Where we checked in is visible on Google Street View... the building on the right is the admin building. The people who checked us in were pretty nice... letting us know whatever we wanted about the things to come. I felt very relaxed and happy about everything, even when they said we'd be on hold for about two months before starting school, and at the end of everything, we'd probably be here at least a year. They delivered our bags to our barracks door for us! And when I found out my single roommate was a friend of mine from my very own bootcamp division, it made it a very good night, even though there is nearly no cell phone service inside. So I talked for a moment on the lawn outside, letting people know I was alright.

Muster is at 0730 for holds, and even though I went to bed super late (11:30 pacific) I was very awake at 0600 (it being 8am on my body clock). We got quite a bit done today, getting signatures on a check-in sheet and turning in dental and medical records to the appropriate places. Also got a dentist appointment in the process! :) We were done for the day around 1430, and I finished unpacking and settling before going to chow with my friend from Great Lakes. I love it here.

The rooms are huge for two people... lots of storage space. Six drawers, two shelves, one fold out table, a nightstand, and a closet. And regular beds... with no climbing involved! The bathrooms are communal, but clean and new-looking. The rec area is connected to my building... free computers/internet, games, tv screens, books... etc. And since the base is so small, there is a small NEX just steps away and a small fitness center that I will look into tomorrow. The galley (which is also very close) has just two food lines, but with good food... and the salad bar is excellent! I am excited to explore and enjoy this city. Witte (my new friend) and I took a walk down by the waterfront as the sun was setting over the western ridge. Wow!