At Jockey's Ridge State Park with Evan's Mom, Cori, Christian, and Molly

With Evan's Mom and Dad in Alexandria

A Walk in the Woods, Part II (featuring Mt. Hood)

A Walk in the Woods, Part I

An Evening in Portland

In Love (With Obama)

Hanging out with our Guards, contract Ugandans

Just Because, I took Steve Zahn Over to Meet Some Iraqis

Steve Zahn in Najaf!

As part of the military's morale, welfare, and recreation program, actor Steve Zahn and a few of us his female friends came down and spent the day with us at FOB Endeavor. Steve got a kick out of the thermometer outside my office. One of his friends got a kick out of me. Don't worry, Molly! She liked the guys in uniform much more.

Meeting a Living Army Legend

One of the perks of serving at an exotic PRT is hosting high level officials. Here, my MiTT comrade and I stand with retired General Jack Keane, former Army Vice Chief of Staff and architect of the surge strategy.

Brussels with Mia

On my way back to Dubai from Antigua I stopped off on the Continent for a few days. I cannot describe how great it felt to be back in Europe! I was definitely ready to try something new when I left Sarajevo, but I guess now I know that Europe really does feel a lot like home. I spent a few days with my BFF Mia and her boyfriend Mladen, in Mia's fantastic apartment in the fashionable neighborhood of Sablon.

Mia got the day off because farmers and truckers were protesting petrol prices and blocking major streets with their trucks and tractors. So, Mia and I rented bikes and made a tour of Brussels. It wasn't just a sightseeing tour -- we did some culinary damage as well, stopping for waffles, frites, and some world-famous Belgian beer. All in all, it was pretty much the perfect day!

Noah & Priscilla's Wedding

Noah & Priscilla were married at Curtain Bluff Resort in Antigua on June 14th, 2008. The wedding was beautiful, and I felt really honored to be a bridesmaid. It wasn't tough duty either, the bridal party spent most of the weekend doing yoga, at the spa, or lying in hammocks on the beach. Definitely the way a wedding should be! It was my first trip to the Caribbean, and I definitely plan on going back. Next time, though, I'll make sure Evan is there with me!

An Afternoon Sandstorm

I walked out of my office yesterday to a very sandy, very yellow world. Though the sand cleared up by evening and revealed a peaceful, starry sky, everything was covered in an ultra-fine layer of dust. There's nothing like blowing desert grit off your pillow at the end of the day before crawling into bed.

Egypt

We went on a great trip to Egypt at the end of April. It was our first international travel experience together and overall we had a fabulous time. We cruised the Nile, rode horses and camels, and saw more hieroglyphics and mummies than you can imagine. We swam in a pool at the foot of the pyramids, took a felucca ride at sunset, and dressed up in national costume for an evening of bellydancing. We even survived numerous taxi trips in Cairo, which in itself is a pretty big accomplishment, given the traffic and general chaos that is Cairo. So, all in all, we accomplished a lot, and had a great time doing it.