Well, I finally made my way back and here I am writing this from the comfort of my Drexel Hill home while in the midst of preparing - quickly - for Halloween festivities. Adjusting to the wonders of the American lifestyle from the myriad colors of fall trees to a packed grocery store on a Saturday morning to the clouds and rain, I am grateful to be here. It was amazing enough just to have the plane cross the Canadian border into Maine to know I was home. Several passengers applauded when the plane landed in Washington. Still, I can't help but think of those courageous men and women in lands so far away, risking their lives, so that we can do everything we do here from drive in packed traffic to watch a movie to go trick-or-treating. My hope is we all learn from their dedicated example. I know I have. And, I hope I never forget. God bless you, 1-150th. I look forward to your speedy return.

So, now as I make my way home, I am pulled in opposing directions. The largest pull, of course, is that toward my family and having the opportunity to see and be with them again. Just the thought of them makes my heart fill with joy and I can only imagine it will be on the verge of bursting when I get to hold my children in my arms again. Yet, the excitement is hampered by a twinge of melancholy as I think about all the people I left behind in the 1-150th Assault Helicopter Division and all the wonderful people I've met along the way. I realize they are committed to making this world a better place and they are dedicated to their work, but there is a part of me that wishes I could have tucked them in my bag so we could have all gone home together. Indeed, I am certain there is a part of my heart that will stay forever in that Iraqi desert. But, my hope is that the friendships that were made for however long will leave an indelible mark on all of our souls that for a little bit, in my case anyway, we tried to make a difference in whatever way we knew how and we touched each other's hearts in the process. Thank you, 1-150th Assaut Helicopter Division. Godspeed and may you return home quickly and safely.

As I meet people here, many have asked me what have I learned by being here.

It's a simple question but the answers are huge and it makes me pause just to think about how this experience has changed me.To say this is such a different world than the one back in the United States is accurate but underrated.

Imagine living life with a direct threat to your life hanging over head every second of every day.You learn to appreciate the small stuff. A person's smile. A simple hello. An e-mail from a friend, the opportunity to talk to your spouse. And, yes, even a bootstrap-turned-into-belt.

You realize just how much we have at home. Running water, a warm, comfy bed, green trees (or maybe not so green now), trash disposal (the Iraqis burn their trash because they don't have landfills), food and wonderful family members who return our hugs and kisses.I have learned to be much more grateful for these and for how special life really is.

But, it's also been a wakeup call for me, too.These troops put their lives on the line every day to support their own personal principles. How many of us can say we are willing to risk everything we know for something we believe? How many of us are willing to push past our own comfort to force ourselves to grow so that we can help other people?

It's something I will never forget and I will embrace as a life lesson. I will continue to find ways to push myself so that I can reach my fullest potential while trying to make this world a little better at the same time.

Alright, so the buckles on my belt broke off and I wanted to fix it so my husband suggested I get some string. Luckily for me, bootstraps are readily available on an Army base so I can now say I'm pulling myself (or at least my pants) up by the bootstraps! And, it does feel pretty good, by the way!

In preparing for this trip, I bought a little Berlitz book on how to speak Arabic, so I could get a few key words down. Hello. Thank you. Excuse me. Do you speak English?
Well after visiting state Rep. Nick Miccarelli, R-162, of Ridley, he's been doing some studying of his own. Besides being on-call 12-hours a night as a helicopter door gunner, he's got the picture of every state representative - Democratic and Republican - hanging in his room to study the face with the name so he recognizes everybody upon his return.

Here's a tip for all those women considering a career in aviation, especially the night-flying Blackhawk-type variety.
If you have medium or long hair, you'll want to make a bun or ponytail as far to the bottom of your neck as possible.
For my first night trip, I pulled my hair up on top of my head and after I put the helmet and night goggles on, I started to get a headache.
Trip Two, I lowered the bun and voila!, a happy head.
And, here's a little funny thing. I knew coming here I wouldn't have access to any hair dryers. But, I thought, hey, I still bring my hair products and a comb and do the best I can. Well, the desert air really does some strange things to my hair. I wash it when I can and by the end of the day, it's all greasy. The only thing I can really do with it is pull it back into a bun. But, hey, what's the alternative?!
So, when you go to dry, curl, shape or style your hair today, just think of all those courageous women serving in the military out there, who give up the luxury to fix their hair the way they like to try to make our lives better.

Thanks to Susie Danielson, a pilot from Denver, Colo. who's serving with the 1-150th Assault Helicopter Division, I was able to visit The Oasis again today. And, we scored! The oven was cooking and the bread was hot! Iraqi bread is really good. It's a flatbread that's kind of like foccaccia in the shape of a giant pita that you pull apart to eat. It's pretty delicious and the smell is even more intoxicating. How could you refuse all them carbs anywhere on the planet?

Here is a sunrise from the runway.

This is where I write a majority of my stories.

Here's a picture of the elite community where I currently live, thanks to the 1-150th Assault Helicopter Division in Basrah

Checked out the Oasis Bazaar. Pretty fancy place.
Here are some photos:

It is a lot of fun sitting here watching the game with some of the guys from the 1-150th. Nick Miccarelli's wearing his Phillies T-shirt and he's heated up some chicken wings for everybody. As I watch them enjoying the game, I think I hope these professional athletes and all the fans waving their towels appreciate what these men and women are doing here. They literally put their lives on the line every day, every single moment and they focus and keep doing their job despite all that jeopardy just so we can enjoy our lives as we know it in the States. Thank you, 1-150th (and all the other military) for your strength and devotion. I feel like I'll be the one in the stands waving the towel for you.

O.K. so here I am in Iraq wearing these boots that are squelching my feet. In fact, there are now several blisters - one of which has opened and is painful, making it difficult to walk. Besides being unbelievably embarrassing among such large numbers of competent men and women, I had to debate with myself whether I should say something to anybody. I felt like it was such a small matter and to say anything would make me look like a whiner compared to what they all go through.
Well, eventually, I asked Mark Martella of Glenolden for some help. He took me over to some Navy medics, who suggested I keep them clean, try to air them out and put some antibacterial lotion and band-aids on them. As minor as it was, they never laughed at me or made fun of me. Considering what they see, that's pretty professional.
And, having done just that, while still raw, my feet are starting to get better.
Besides, my roommate, Danielle Wolack, a pilot from Reading, Pa. and another pilot, Susie, took me to the general store to get some first aid supplies. Seeing some chocolate chip cookies, I grabbed one. And, I have to say they sure did taste pretty good.

This place is really nice, relatively speaking. First, the showers have removable heads! That's a big plus. Then, when I showed up, my roommate, Danielle, had already prepared the bed with linens. That's right -- I said BED! It's an actual bed with a pillow and covers. It's awesome! And, for breakfast, I had an omelet made to order.

I took these photos over the weekend:
You can see them here

I guess I'm official now

So after 36 hours and three days without showers, I have finally arrived in Basrah. Yes, there is a part of me that can't believe I am sharing that with the general public but it's a very small example of what the troops go through here. I've learned that Lady Speed Stick and baby powder can do a lot. Not that I plan to adopt that back in the States. I am very glad and excited to be here having left home on Oct. 15 and I look forward to reporting on the 1-150th Aviation Battalion!

When I went into this assignment, I really was excited about the surprises I would find along the way, which, I suppose, always accompanies travel.
And, so far, the one thing that amazes me the most is the comraderie of the soldiers.
Most of them are among the friendliest and kindest people I have met. They'll just talk to each other, even those they met for the first time and it doesn't even matter if they know each others' names.
They'll share equipment like ear plugs with people who don't have it.
At one of my stops, I found a soldier was selling small versions of concrete barriers so that 100 percent of the proceeds would aid an orphanage run by Mother Theresa's Sisters of Charity. There's such an incredible bond that they share.
Perhaps we could all learn from them.

Haven't slept for about 25 hours while waiting to get to Basrah.

Baghdad is a fascinating place, especially from the air.
Lights stretch as far as you could imagine and although there are no skyscrapers, it looks similar to other western cities from the air at night. The city is expansive and seems to go past the horizon. It's a city of 6.5 million people. Palm trees are everywhere and the Tigris River is huge. It looked like one section of the city was having a festival last night and you could see the decorative lights shining. There were fireworks going off and it was fun to fly by them.

Oh, the press credentialing center is in an actual palace. A former Iraqi king was in the process of having it built and Saddam Hussein took it over and used it to house his special guests. There's marble flooring and columns out front.

It's not quite as hot here as it was in the desert, although I'll bet it's warmer here than it is in Delco. I'm looking forward to getting where I'm going. I've been told getting here is the toughest part.
We shall see ...

I'm sitting here at a base in the middle of the desert.
My luggage hasn't arrived and I'm not sure what's going to happen next. But, I've met some really interesting people here and I am awed at their strength and resilience.
Some of my tentmates include a 17-year American Red Cross worker and a 57-year-old Army soldier.
They find comraderie and comfort in talking to each other and being human to each other. Even the simplest things like a smile or going to meals together or the simplest consideration, like using your flashlight at night instead of turning on the main light help to make conditions here more livable.
The sand is more like a very fine dirt that gets every where and in everything. And the sun can be brutal. Water bottles are everywhere.
Eating is another story.
Every step in this process brings me an unbelievable amount of gratitude for my family and home. They seem so far away, yet even the memory of singing tunes brightens things a litle bit.

Kathleen E. Carey, 37, has been a reporter for the Delaware County Daily Times since May 1998. She has covered a myriad of beats from Delaware County government and politics to education to the arts. She has been the Daily Times business writer since April 2007.She graduated from New York University in 1992 as a Trustee Scholar with a Bachelor of Arts degree in print journalism. While there, she was an intern in the New York City office of Newsday, where she counted among her interviews retired U.S. Army Four Star General Norman H. Schwarzkopf, who commanded coalition forces during the 1991 Gulf War.Prior to joining the Daily Times, Carey was a reporter for the Quakertown Free Press and the Lansdale Reporter. She was one of the few journalists selected to witness the Aug. 17, 1995 execution of Leon Moser, who shot his estranged wife and two children to death outside a church in Lower Providence Township, Montgomery County on Palm Sunday 1985.She has covered three United States Presidents, including the 2001 inauguration of George W. Bush and the inaugural ball at Union Station. She also covered the 2000 Republican National Convention and its accompanying protests in Philadelphia.Carey has been the recipient of several regional, state and national awards from the Associated Press Managing Editors, the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Philadelphia Press Association.In 2005, she was part of a team that won first place for Best Young People's Coverage from the Suburban Newspapers of American for their work on the special section, "Bullying: Kids at Risk."In addition, Carey was named 2008 Eastern Pennsylvania Small Business Journalist of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.She lives in the Drexel Hill section of Upper Darby with her husband, Daily Times Online Editor Vince Carey, their three children and their two Pugs.This is her first trip to Iraq.