Too good to be true

When the news finally came that Justin's PRD had been changed back, and that we were heading to Washington at the end of the summer, it was hard for me to believe. I couldn't believe that I wasn't going to have to spend a whole summer alone in a foreign country, where my husband and most of my friends are on a ship that is soon to be deploying. I couldn't believe that I wasn't going to be here during the hottest, most miserable months in Japan, where the second you step outside you're already drenched in sweat. I couldn't believe that in a few months, I'd never be lectured again on how to separate my trash properly. I couldn't believe how soon I would be seeing my friends and family. I couldn't believe that I would be able to drive a car again, or shop at Target, or scrapbook. I couldn't believe that my days of walking up 204 stairs would finally be over. More importantly, I couldn't believe that Justin and I would finally be in the states together, starting a new life all over again. I couldn't believe any of it, and now I know why. It was too good to be true.

Five days after Justin spoke to his detailer and found out where our next duty station was going to be, the Navy decided to place a hold on all PCS moves due to their budget. Even though Justin had already been approved for his new orders, they were in the process of being finalized and we were waiting to receive them. The Navy announced that anyone who has not already received their orders will not be able to transfer until after October. Justin decided to contact his detailer to see if he was among the some 14,000 sailors affected by this. His detailer told him that he has been unposted and that his PRD has been adjusted, yet again I might add, to November 09 and that we will not be leaving until November at the very earliest. "The very earliest," which to me is their nice way of saying it'll be longer than that. After everything we went through the past few months with hearing that he had been extended out here another year, and having to go through the stress with the runaround and the headache with the paperwork and the anticipation with waiting, to eventually get everything worked out, I thought we were finally in the clear, but I guess not. Somehow I have a feeling that had all that not happened, Justin would have received his orders a long time ago and we wouldn't be in this mess now, but who really knows. So now the Navy has come up with some other way to keep us out here longer than we thought, and I'm feeling a little frustrated. I feel like we are back in square one again. I feel hopeless. I feel like we are going to be stuck in this country forever. I feel like we are never coming home. And pretty soon, I'll feel alone.