I’m officially 30 days into my 365-day interment at Incirlik AB, Turkey or, as I prefer to call it, the Island of Misfits, and I must say, it’s been quite…uneventful.
I mean, I didn’t exactly land on station expecting fires everywhere and gunfire left and right. Don’t get me wrong, there are fires and gunshots, but they’re bonfires and blanks so no excitement there. And for a guy who spent a great deal of time outside of work living every single moment as if he’s going to die, this has been torture for me.
Humans are creatures of habit, and I am no different. Any given day in the States you would know exactly how and where to find me depending on the day of the week and time of day. Monday through Wednesday it was work, gym, food, relax, sleep. Thursday, it was work, gym, food, shave, Thirsty Thursday. Friday and Saturday, gym, food, mall, shave, party.
And Sunday, who I affectionately call Sunday Funday? Oh, there is nothing that beats Dolores Park at noon with my faves, a bottle of Cazadores and some combination of sour candies and chocolate, before a night of 2-for-1’s at Beaux. That’s my week, with minor deviations here and there. Rinse and repeat for 300ish days.
Overseas, on station? None of that is an option.
I can’t go to the gym during nonpeak hours because, newsflash, military bases don’t have nonpeak hours. Especially bases with one gym and no access to outside agencies. Much to my eternal dismay, EVERY hour is peak hour. I can’t sate my craving for In & Out or that amazing bacon mac & cheese from Mimi’s that Jessica got me addicted to. Chow hall chicken breast, Burger King, and Turkish delicacies are my only option.
I can’t drive to San Francisco on a Thursday night for one too many drinks when I should be sleeping or on a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning for mimosas. But worst of all, I can’t roll over, maybe travel twenty to thirty minutes or hop on a flight to shoot the shit with the people who mean the most to me.
I say that to say this- WHAT DO I DO NOW THAT I HAVE NO ROUTINE?
Routine is the bedrock of my stability and when you take that away, I get awfully off kilter and it’s a mess no one wants to deal with. So, I now found myself searching for a new routine, a new gym golden hour, and new hobbies. A word of caution: it’s nowhere near as easy as one would think.
I’ll keep this one short and sweet because, frankly, I’ve nothing worth writing about just yet. Don’t worry, I’ll be back on track soon, promise. In the meantime, how do y’all go about getting into a new routine? What part is the easiest or hardest? If you have any tips to help me get myself back into a productive routine to help the time fly by over here, drop a line in the comments or feel free to message me.
Until next time, enjoy your weekend and be safe out there y’all!
~QuamaineB
This Cuckoo's Flown the Nest 