First Week in the Desert

Week 1:

It has been one week since I arrived in Iraq. I still feel detached from the reality of where I am. Maybe it is the coffee shops and salsa lessons that perpetuate my state of mind. The way things are going now, I can see myself getting through this next year pretty easily. I am currently in Baghdad where I am getting trained up on the systems we are maintaining. Once I am done learning the basics they will send me out west to a place called Ramadi. There is a good chance I will spend the rest of my trip there.

The first treat I got upon arrival to Baghdad was a yummy spiced chai. There is a chain of coffee stores here called ‘The Green Bean’. Despite the weird name they make excellent espresso and chai drinks. Welcome to the war zone, here is your chai. You can’t beat that kind of hospitality. I don’t know if Ramadi has a Green Bean, but I am sure I will survive if they don’t. If all else fails, I can always order Starbucks online.

Most of the people I work with are prior military. Add to that there are no females in our shop. You can imagine the conversations that take place. It can be a quite vulgar at times. There is also a lot of complaining and back biting. This environment is difficult to operate in, but I have done it before in the military and can do it again here. My biggest concern is that I will love these guys in spite of these difficulties. Most of them are pretty good guys, just a little rough around the edges.

Dancing has always been a love of mine. On Saturdays they have Salsa lessons at 8 followed by dancing from 9 to 12. I took off work early to check it out. I have always wanted to learn salsa. I learned a few basics steps and was able to catch on pretty quickly. There were some really talented dancers there and it was fascinating to watch. I danced a few times once the dancing started. It got really crowed quickly so I ended up leaving after an hour or so. I have come to the conclusion that I don’t do the things I enjoy enough. Dancing is one thing I thoroughly enjoy, and I am going to do more of it when I get back.

I have been nervous once on this trip. When I got on the airplane in Kuwait I finally started getting butterflies in my stomach. Since then I have adjusted to the environment really well. When I read the paper or watch the news about Iraq it still feels like those events are far away. It is hard to put things in the proper perspective. I don’t know if it is a result of my personality or a psychological response to the reality of being in a war zone. There is definitely a lack of empathy and sorrow for the daily tragedies. It is almost like it is just part of being at war and it is not some horrific sad state of life. My hope is that while I am here I can come to terms with my indifference and apathy. I look forward to the lessons and growth that will come my way.