Letters to Sean: You're Officially a Marine

Letters to Sean: See you soon!

Dear Sean,

If anyone had taken me aside three months ago and told me that by half way, I would be counting down the days - I would have laughed. If they had told me I would visit home and sleep in your ratty, torn sweatpants, I wouldn't have believed it. If someone claimed I was scream with joy when I saw "Beaufort, SC" appear on my caller ID one day, I would have rolled my eyes. I guess I didn't realize how strange it would be to not have you home. Though I moved out, I was still used to seeing you regularly. There were times while you were away that I thought "OH, I wonder if Sean will see this movie with me, let me text him" - and I couldn't. I guess I didn't realize how much I appreciated you being around until you were gone and while I will give you hell over the next ten days, I'm going to be sad when you leave again. Believe it or not, I told Mom you could sleep at my apartment, you could even borrow my car. Now? We're planning to go to the gym together and I'm supposed to take you clothes shopping. Everyone insists you won't want to hang out with me on your break but I refuse to let that happen. You may be a marine, but I'm still your big sister. The past two weeks have been hard because I knew that checking my mailbox would do no good. The snail mail delay meant that you couldn't bother to write. I couldn't help but be upset when I received a three sentence letter telling me it would be your last. It's hard to believe that now I'll be able to text or call on the weekends. I suppose that's better than nothing. I feel like I have a million things to tell you now but I suppose I will wait until our eight hour car ride home. But more than anything, I wanted to say how proud I am that you stuck with something, endured three months of irritating tasks and physical challenges and that you are now, finally, actually a marine. See you soon, little brother.

Love always,

Your Big Sister

Three months ago, I thought that three months seemed like an unbearably long time. It turns out that it really wasn't that long, after all. But, I still find it difficult to believe that in just three hours, I will be leaving for Beaufort, SC.

Mike Company meeting their Drill Instructors
 [source]

This weekend was filled with an absurd amount of homework assignments: an eleven-page group analysis, two midterms to study for, eight case studies to read for Organizations and Transactions, a focus group to conduct and transcribe, statistics problems to try, and marketing research homework to finish. Add to that three watiressing shifts and a photography assisting job. Plus - I needed to pack. And for me, packing means doing laundry, being indecisive over what to pack, grabbing odds and ends at the store, cleaning and packing camera equipment and then today, still sitting in class, writing a list of "things to grab" on a neon index card in hopes of being prepared.

And, now that I browse the Parris Island Facebook page, I worry that I packed clothes which will be much too warm for the humid, seventy degree South Carolina weather. (I don't think I packed a single short sleeved shirt.)

Source: MCRD Parris Island, SC

Did I ever mention how badly I am at packing?

Last week, Sean endured more than 48 miles of marching in his 54-hour Crucible, the vigorous field training exercise required for all recruits. Throughout those 2.25 days, the recruits are only given four to eight hours of sleep, and three MRE's (Meal Ready-to-Eat). If you ask me, it sounds like THON without the Gatorade but perhaps I'm a little biased. Though, as my mom said, if I could make it through 46 hours of standing and nearly 60 hours without sleep - Sean could handle the Crucible. And he did. On Liberty Day, we got a call from Sean telling us just how easy it was. I'm starting to wonder how much of that is true though - he's hardly complained since he left.

My phone call from Sean came as I rushed across York in search of glow-in-the-dark paint. Walmart? No. Lowes? No. A tiny Ace Hardware store in Dover? Of course. I scrambled on Sunday to obtain foam board, christmas lights, glowing paint and foam star stickers so that we could cheer Sean on as he ran his motivational run. And let me tell you - the search was worth it, the poster glows. It will be impossible to miss, even in the dark.

To be added? Christmas lights and a grammatically correct comma.

My phone call also happened to be accidental - Sean had no desire to talk to me but was looking for our dad. Even worse? He didn't recognize my voice and kept insisting he was "trying to reach Bill." Thanks, Sean. Regardless, on Thursday, I will proudly wear my navy blue "proud sister of a Marine" shirt and resist giving him a hard time, that is until at least Saturday. After that? All bets are off.

While I'm not looking forward to the car ride, the fact that my mom is planning to take 24 hours to make an 8 hour trip, or that I will be riding home crushed between both of my brothers - I am looking forward to seeing Sean and I will do my best to capture plenty of photos of family day, graduation and how different my brother must look by now - after all, he's no longer a medical inspect, or even a recuit - he's a marine.


If you'd like to see photographs as the week goes by, follow me on Instagram or Twitter.

Letters To Sean: Half Way

I had to stop to write you a note between dinner, homework and getting ready for bed to tell you that the dreams I've been having, they've only gotten stranger. Last night, I dreamt that I joined the army. The army, Sean. I went to boot camp. I wore a uniform. Then they found out that I had asthma when I tried to climb an obstacle course wall. Of course they kicked me out and then I was in trouble for lying to the U.S. Army. I swear, I'd be less tired if I simply stayed awake rather than running boot camp drills in my sleep. It's all because Trevor made me watch some Vietnam Marine Corps movie last night - the only part I liked was the recruits running in cadence. Those rhymes are too funny. Trevor thinks I should sing them while I run at the gym, perhaps I'd breath better. He says thats the whole point - is it? Sometimes I don't know believe a thing he says, but don't tell him that. The one part reminded me of you though. A recruit was in trouble for sneaking a jelly doughnut in to his barracks. You better be more careful about drinking chocolate milk at the wrong times - Mom told me that you've already been on fire watch for two weeks.

I didn't get a letter from you today but went home to visit. I had to do laundry, of course, and couldn't manage to fold my fitted sheet. Mom suggested you can teach me when you come home after three months of laundry duty and making your bed. It's too funny to think of you making your bed. You're going to be so happy when you get to sleep on the recliner for seventeen days. Speaking of which, mom and I were talking about how we're going to have to shop for clothes to bring to graduation. What else will you wear for the weekend at the beach? I can't begin to imagine you twenty pounds heavier, with a bald head.

But it's not far, now. (I've even started looking for a dress to wear) We're past half way - only forty-four days until graduation. I'm not sure what I'm looking forward to more.. a weekend at the beach or seeing you. (Kidding, calm down... What I'm not looking forward to, though? An eight hour car ride with Dad. And Aiden. And Mom's radio choices.) Then again, I dreamt the other night that I wrestled you at graduation for not writing me more letters. You should probably consider it. Then again, I don't write you every day but, life is boring here. Your tales of tear gas and sand fleas definitely overpower mine of boring college classes and doctors appointments. Well, speaking of class, I suppose I should go teach myself statistics or at least manage to punch holes in my papers from my classes.

Love & miss you, always.

Letters to Sean: Happy Birthday

Dear Sean,

For once, I'm not able to tell you Happy Birthday. Not through a text message, a phone call, on Facebook or even by yelling it to you first thing in the morning. And I won't lie - it feels sort of strange. Though I don't see you much now that I live on my own, it's still different having you so far away. I tried to send a singing card and pictures from your party but of course Mom said no way. Though I managed to ship you a package to arrive on your birthday, I thought I would write you a letter here too.  No matter how much I pick on you for your absurd clothing choices, inappropriate love of hunting, and your inability to spell - I love you & I am so proud that you're doing so well at bootcamp. I anxiously waited to get a letter from you and while I'm happy I finally did, I could kick you for it too. Spending Christmas with my old man? Not funny. I hope you're enjoying laundry duty, military issue food and signing your letters "Rct Lake - over and out". I'm counting down the days until you graduate and have already began to plan for the trip to South Carolina. The big surprise of it all is that Trevor's coming too! I know you can't wait. Lately I've seen so many marines symbols and semper fi bumper stickers on cars in the area... maybe Semper Fi should be capitalized, huh? Always a reminder of you. And don't worry, I can't wait to order my "Proud Sister of a Marine" shirt for family day. I'm thinking hot pink would be the best, don't you? 
Love you little brother, Happy 19th Birthday.

Love always - Your big sister.

I meant to write about Sean leaving long before now but between holidays, winter classes and my work schedule, the days pass so quickly. It's hard to believe that he left almost three weeks ago.

To be honest, I think I'm still in shock that he's at boot camp at all. Even throughout his going away party and swearing in session, it didn't really seem that I wouldn't talk to my brother for three entire months. I can't say that we saw each other all that much but we'd text, I'd still pick on him for anything I could think of and we had just spent a weekend shopping together at the mall.

Unfortunately, with a December 12th departure date, Sean had to miss both his birthday and Christmas with the family. After at least fifteen years of complaints about he never got a birthday party, we decided to change things a bit. The weekend before Sean left, we threw him an early birthday and going away party.

After trying to surprise him, we gave in. It's impossible to track down high schoolers without the use of Facebook these days. And obviously, that would be hard to hide. Instead, Sean invited his favorite friends and of course the first people to show up were a pack?.. a hoard?.. a nice group of girls.

We decorated tables with photos of Sean, photographs ranging from five year old Sean dressed as Simba from the Lion King to photographs from his high school graduation. You can only imagined how surprised we were when not only was he not embarrassed but he chose to show his friends his scrapbook, too. How bizarre. 

I had considered sending these photographs of Sean to bootcamp for his birthday but decided that perhaps, just maybe, that wouldn't be the nicest of things to do. But truthfully, what eighteen year old boy dons a pink tutu when he knows his sister is only a few feet away with a camera? What can I say, he's an odd kid.

In addition to friends, family came out to send Sean off with their best wishes. This included a cousin from Missouri, an uncle from Texas and our god mom who now lives in Virginia. Of course all of the local family was there, too.

Unfortunately, Aiden is taking right after his brother. He loves attention, especially from girls and was such a ham all day. I guess Sean has trained him well - do you see that look on his face?

Perhaps the most fun part of the party was an impromptu, last minute photobooth. We thought it'd be a good idea to capture photos of Sean with friends before he left. We've been warned several times that he won't look quite the same when we pick him up in March.

 

Somehow, we even managed some family photos. Looking back, I'm surprised that Sean had his photograph taken at all. (He hates my camera.)

I know this is out of focus but it's priceless none the less.

More importantly though, Sean had his picture taken with me - a rare occurance. Perhaps before middle school hit, we were inseparable in photographs. Ever since? I think I've got one from homecoming, one from graduation and perhaps that is it. The first one is especially attractive. I'm not sure why my mom hasn't printed and framed it, yet.

On December 12th, Sean was officially sworn into the military in a ceremony in Mechanicsburg, PA. For some reason, I agreed to waking up entirely too early to attend. It gave me a chance to tell embarrassing stories to his new platoon mates, to take a few last minute photographs and to film the ceremony for the days when my mom misses Sean too much.

By 1:00, Sean was boarding a bus headed for Parris Island, SC with nothing but twenty dollars, a bible and a few addresses. On March 8th, we will finally see him there. Until there, all we have are letters.

If you would like to support Sean while he is away, please feel free to send letters to the following address. He would also appreciate writing paper, envelopes and stamps as he has limited access to writing supplies while he is away. Thank you.

RCT LAKE, SEAN 

3RD BTBN PLT 3020 CO MIKE 

PO BOX 16355 

PARRIS ISLAND SC 29905-6355