After 3 Months...

To: San Diego

In September, I posted about my cousin, Tyler, who left for Marine Corp Bootcamp in San Diego... It's officially three months later and I'm so excited to say that he's finally back, right in time for the holidays!

On Thursday, my family and I drove all the way down to San Diego to attend his graduation which would be taking place at the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot. As we were exiting Santa Barbara, the rain was pouring and the roads had tons of water sitting on them. During the whole road trip, I spent time editing photos and videos, haha. We decided to take a break from traffic when we arrived in Los Angeles and stopped in Thai Town to eat at a Thai restaurant called Ruen Pair. The food was SO delicious! We had papaya salad, chicken curry, Rad Na (pan fried flat rice noodles mixed with gravy and greens), and more..

Weather Conditions: Poor

We finally hit the road again and arrived at our hotel in San Diego at 11:45 PM. I was reunited with my beloved Asa! We talked, caught up and discussed our happiness to see our brother, cousin, nephew and grandson the next day. The following morning, everyone quickly got ready, excitement and anxiety lingering in every hotel room we stayed in. Today was the day we would be bringing home a Marine.

When we arrived at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, the skies were grey, rain was coming down and it was windy, no day where it should have been. One disappointing factor on Ty's graduation day was the weather. Twelve weeks of hard work, dedication and struggle should have been celebrated with the Marines marching on the stadium they deserved to walk on. My family was praying for a miracle that it wouldn't rain, but unfortunately, the rain came down harder than I've ever seen it come in a long time. We waited around two hours for Ty's platoon to be presented in the indoor theatre and the time finally came. My cousins and I filed into the theatre which was pitch black, the only light reflected on the audience members' faces coming from the stage. As different Marines were being presented the across the stage, my family and I were on our toes, waiting to hear the next clue about our Marine. Then, the drill sergeants took the stage. They would be giving the last command to their platoons. As they yelled out, "Platoon #____, Dismissed", the dismissed platoon shouted in return,

Brothers, Cousins, Chey and so much love.

voices unanimously together, filling the room. The hope, relief and hidden excitement in the mens' voices as they knew they would be headed home could be heard and clearly struck a chord. My heart was so uplifted after realizing how much every single Marine in that room had gone through. From the day those boys walked onto the bus, wondering what they had gotten themselves into to the day they walk out from the ceremony, men and proud of their every accomplishment. Without knowing it, my eyes were filled with tears and they spilled out, but only filled with pure joy. We left the room, ran towards the barracks to meet up with Tyler. And the moment we'd been waiting for, we saw our dude covered in bags and in his uniform, smile plastered on his face and everything. Hugs and "I miss you's" were exchanged. With a ton of hesitation, my Santa Barbara family departed and we were on our way back home. ALL of us, waiting for December 22nd, the day we'd all be reunited again (in Fresno, of course...).

See you next post,

Chey

Currently listening to You Bring Me Home by Imaginary Future