Deployment as a Spin Class

Even before Hubby left, I had this analogy in my head that the deployment would be like a spin class, filled with ups and downs. I must be smart, because I was spot on. Let me explain:

The Beginning - You walk into spin refreshed and ready, if it's your first class you may be a little nervous, something new can be intimidating. The beginning of the deployment is the same, especially if you are a deployment virgin, as was I or a newbie to the Army, as I was.... With the beginning of the deployment comes a lot of uncertainty and nerves.

The Instructor - He/she will explain the details of the class, the different stages and techniques on how to get through it. An instructor is key in a deployment too. A homefront veteran, per se. They can show you the ropes, and explain what they did to get by and how they made time pass.

The Workout Partner - Everyone knows that a workout goes by quicker and less painfully with a workout partner. Someone to cheer you on, give you motivation and help you with your workout. In a deployment, a "battle buddy" is essential. Someone who is going through the same things you are, whose loved one is there too, someone you can share your concerns and emotions with, someone who will keep you motivated.

The People in the Class - The mood of a spin class is positively correlated to the people in the class, we feed off of each other. These are the people you surround yourself with during the deployment, whether they be good friends, family or both, the people you surround yourself with will make all the difference.

The Hill Climb - In the spin world the hill climb is that nasty long uphill battle that goes on for about 10 minutes, eternity in spin, just waiting for that song to be over and you can coast it down. From the homefront, they are those periods of time, days, weeks that you don't hear from your loved one. No emails, no phone calls. It seems like eternity. All you can this is - when will this end? Why hasn't he called? I hope he is ok. No end is in the near future, but when they call, relief: a calm rushes over you.

The Sprint - Those pesky, increments of quick, hard climbing. Not fun, but not as bad as the hill climb. These are those random days when nothing in particular has changed, but is still hard nonetheless.

The Flat "rest" period - This is the period between hill climbs, jumps and sprints. A time of recouperation, just long enough to catch your breath. These are the days, weeks, even months where communication is good. This is usually followed by a positive, refreshing outlook on the deployment in general. This offers a small amount of recouperation before the next hill.

The Jump - The rapid "jumping" up & down out of the bike saddle with high resistance. Comprable to random mood swings. The ups & downs over the course of the day or week. Phone call - up! Not being able to tell him you got an A in class - down.

15 minutes in - My current deployment status. Almost 25% done! With that comes a little expected fatigue, but nothing I can't handle.