Sometimes wanderers travel by different modes of transportation. I have chosen my vehicle as my primary mode with my bicycle attached for fun around town trips as I stop. However today I have ventured to wandering an airport.
The day started out as any other day. I was awoken by Brain with a cup of coffee…. errr… wait… no just any other day. It is a Team Rubicon Leadership conference day and Brain is my bestie! I have fuzzy memories of how it started, but this woman is a blessing. We are inseparable roomies when doing Team Rubicon things together. At some point she figured out the best way to wake me (not a morning person… I’m a morning monster). It was a lovely way to wake up. The ears have improved slightly which was good since I traveled by plane today.
Today was the day I was headed to TEXAS! I have been with TR since October 2013 and this is my 7th disaster operation, but no matter what I always get nervous about what I will encounter. The great thing about TR is that it feels so much like home, but no two days are the same.
About a year and a half ago I had some struggles in my life at a point that I was on a plane for periods of time. I have chosen not to fly since, with only a few exceptions. I am not afraid of planes and the anxiety has nothing to do with airports or planes or anything typical. It just brings back memories. I never seem to remember until I board the plane and the plane fills up and though not claustrophobic I begin to feel like everyone is stealing my air. I popped a couple of my pills that I rarely take anymore and meditated myself into a coma for the short flight to Dallas Love. Once in Dallas we hopped to Austin and grabbed a vehicle down to Wimberley.
Mama C, Mik, and JS were all with me, and we were excited to get down here. I love my R7 crew and was so glad that they were going with me. I never get to spend enough time with them. We picked up two other folks from different regions at the airport and when we made it in to the billets in Wimberley it’s like coming home.
We pull up and some folks were outside, as I get out of the vehicle here comes a HUGE hug from so many of my favorite people. There is a reason this is my 7th operation, because no matter where there are people in need, my Team Rubicon family is there and they always bring the hugs! From the moment that those I knew got done greeting me and giving hugs I started to meet new people too.
Team Rubicon is a lot like the military in many ways, including how you find instant friends. It doesn’t matter what you do elsewhere, here you have a common mission, passion, goal, drive, dream, etc, etc. All that matters is you want to help others, and so we do that together and are fast friends. I may never talk to some of these people ever again. That would be fine, but they all will leave an individual fingerprint on my heart that I will carry with me forever.
Lights out, I better hit my rack!
Signing off from Operation Double Trouble, Wimberley, TX.