Post Night

Tonight is Post Night at West Point.

Although Seth and I were lucky enough to find out around November where we would be (he is branching Aviation and the only place to do Army flight school is in Fort Rucker, Alabama), our other friends were not. Tonight was their night to find out where they would start out the lives in the "real" Army, as they like to call it.

I'm a little surprised with how emotional this feels right now. Seth's best friend Sam is going to be in Kentucky at Fort Campbell. That is a 7 hour and 15 minute drive from where we will be in Alabama. These two guys have spent their last four years on the same floor. They have even spent two semesters--the equivalence of an entire academic year--in the same room. Sam has been such an important part of Seth's life at West Point and it is hard to think that he will not be in Seth's physical presence as much....

Other friends of Seth's (and now, mine) are going to be with Sam in Kentucky. Some in Colorado. Some in Hawaii. Others in Australia.

We're almost done with West Point. Four years has almost past. If you would have told me 3 years and 7 months ago on July 2nd, 2007 that it would go by this quickly, I never would have believed you. But we're almost there. We've almost made it past the biggest hurdle in our short lives, to date.

I'm not going to let myself get too emotional. Surely I can't start being sad about starting my life four months (to the date) before my first day as Mrs. King....

Don't get me wrong. I'm CRAZY EXCITED about waking up every morning next to Seth. He and I have spent so many nights missing each other, we have a lot of making up to do. That day will mark my last day as a child. That is what it will mean in my mind, at least. I know one could argue that you only grow up when you let yourself. But how much more grown up can you get than as a married college graduate?

I'm not going to get sad yet. I'm not quite ready to wave 'so long' to my immature and irresponsible years. Not yet...