I should have started this blog about a month ago, but how did I know how busy I would be upon arrival in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba?
Most people's views of the base here are based on what they've seen in A Few Good Men and televised news stories about the prison camps. The truth is that the majority of the residential part of the base is very family-friendly, mountainous, and conducive to a laid back lifestyle. We were smart and did extensive research on the daily living conditions in Gitmo before we arrived, and were pleased to find that our expectations were met, and often exceeded. Imagine time traveling back to the early 1990's, and you will have a pretty good idea of how life operates around here--basic cable (no DVR unless you're willing to pay $$$ for it), slow internet, limited to no cell phone use (unless you're employed here on base), no texting, VCR's for sale in the thrift store, paying bills in person instead of online, etc. The weather is always warm during the day, and pleasant in the evenings (low 70's). We have free first run movies available to us daily in the outdoor theater with double features on Fridays and Saturdays, and cheap concessions!
We have the pleasure of sharing this space with active duty men and women from all branches of the US military. We witness how much they are giving to our country and the positive attitudes they display while doing their job. I like being surrounded by certain military rituals (i.e., public broadcast of the National Anthem at 0800 and Colors at 1900 everyday). If you are outdoors during either of these rituals, you are expected to stop your car if you're on the road, or stop walking if you're outdoors, and face the nearest American flag.
When we arrived on January 29, 2011, our "sponsor" (a co-worker of Andrew's) was waiting for us at the check-in gate. He drove us to our house pointing out important places of interest along the way. We were also able to borrow his car until our cars were delivered off the barge (that took approx. 6 weeks!). Our house is a two-story 950 sq. ft townhouse in a cul-de-sac neighborhood. Will has plenty of kids to play with near the house, and it's comforting to know that he can run around outside and play all day like we used to do "back in the day." The following weekend we were invited to a "Hail and Farewell" get-together at the Dock of the Bay (basically a boat dock). From then on, we've been to more social events, including the SeaBee Ball, than we've ever been to while living in Massachusetts the past two years .
The schools here are great and Will is enjoying the experience having only 12 kids in his first grade class. I've started teaching for Columbia College and Andrew is now overseeing construction projects on base. I've started attending fitness classes on a regular basis for the first time in my life, and I'm liking it so far.
After being here for 2 1/2 months, we have no complaints. I will post our adventures and pics to prove them in future posts. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!
Melissa
