Tuesday, January 29, 2013

48 days

hey all,

i know this is rather late. But I've been pretty busy today. 

well, i had some ankle pain today, I've been icing and rolling it out so I'm hoping it gets better in the morning. i don't think my body is used to all the running I've been doing lately. 

Well i had PT at the recruiters office today. i found out that i have the highest score on my PT test out of all the girls at the office. so i thought that was pretty awesome. 

I also turned in all my paperwork for promotion so i should officially be going in as a PFC (Private First Class)! 

well thats it for today.

-Allegra

Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.


Monday, January 28, 2013

49 Days

Hello All, 

Well we are in the 40's! YES! Which as you can tell makes me quite excited. I am actually getting quite far with the whole cleaning and organizing thing. Tomorrow my mission is to clean my car. And take some more stuff to Goodwill. 

I don't think I'm going to start packing up my stuff until sometime in February. I have enough boxes that is for sure. But I'm not sure if i will be able to come home before i go to my first duty station. So, i just want to get everything ready, so that my parents have to do as little as possible. 

I really don't have a whole lot to say today. But i am going to Texas for a few days to go see my Grandma and cousins, and Aunts. So that will be nice. And i have determined that i will be as good there as i was in New Mexico. I have to be. PLUS there is a CrossFit gym a couple miles from my cousins house. so i could run there and back every day. Kinda handy huh?

see you later,

-Allegra


If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus. And you must not stay there, you must go beyond them...

Sunday, January 27, 2013

50 Days

Howdy all, 

So, as of tomorrow we will offically be in the 40's! YESSSSS! That means when i go back to work on Thursday we will just barely be a little over the one month mark of when i leave for basic training. Which i have to say is frickin awesome! because from what other future soldiers that i have talked to once you hit the one month mark the time FLYS by. So, as you can all tell i cannot wait. 

After basic training i was going to get a new laptop. But to be honest i do not know if my laptop will last that long. I believe it is ready to crash any day now. And i have some money saved up. so i think i might have to invest and get a new laptop pretty soon. probably before i leave for basic training. Great..

This next week i am going to work on making sure my bills are set up for Auto Pay while i am in Basic Training. That will be easy. But its pretty important that i get that taken care of. Since i will pretty much be in another world while in Basic training and wont have time to really make sure that is taken care of. 

So, i lost about 4-5 pounds while i was in New Mexico. I guess all that discipline on my healthy eating and working out while i was gone really helped. because now i only have 10 pounds to lose before i leave. thank goodness. So we are now in the home stretch. But i know how stubborn those last 5-10 pounds can be sometimes. I've been doing about 2 workouts a day. Going to CrossFit and then a 4-6 mile run afterwards. So, i might have to change some things up if these last few pounds prove to be really stubborn. On days that i work i haven't been running after i get home. So i might have to start doing that again to get things a moving a little quicker. We shall see. 

Well tomorrow or Tuesday i am going to drop off something to my Recruiter that will prove one step closer to getting promoted to E-3 before i leave. can you say awesome?! With my college credits, Army Physical Fitness Test, and my Future Soldiers Tests i will be promoted. So that is pretty damn awesome. That is an extra 400-500 bucks a month if I'm not mistaken. Saweet! 

So, every week i have been going to my recruiting station and doing PT(Physical Training), and i am one of 2 girls and most of the others are guys straight out of high school. So it kind of makes me feel old. haha. But a lot of them are not in decent shape like they should be. When we were doing the 2 mile Run one day i was passing these 6 foot guys. Kinda funny. haha! But, I'm hoping that me being in pretty decent shape will help me in Basic Training in the long run. So lets just wait and see on that one. 

Well, thats it for now. 

-Allegra


If there is just one piece of advice i can give you, it's this- When there is something you really want, fight for it, don't ever give up. No matter how hopeless it seems. And when you've lost hope, ask yourself if in 10 years from now, you're gonna wish you gave it just one more shot. Because the best things in life, they don't come free. 




Saturday, January 26, 2013

51 Days

Hi There, 

Well i got home from New Mexico about 4 hours ago and immediately crashed and took a 4 hour nap. I guess i was tired. 

I was planning on getting right to cleaning and organizing as soon as i get home. But well that didn't happen. I'll start in a little bit before dinner. 

And i have officially decided that after basic training, i am getting a new laptop. i love my Macbook and all but after 6 long years this thing is ready to crash pretty soon. I'll probably upgrade and get a Macbook Pro. But we shall see. 

Hopefully tomorrow i will get my room finished with the cleaning and all that way on Monday i can get my car all cleaned up. That way i can hopefully have Tuesday and Wednesday to hopefully relax before going back to work on Thursday. I just have so much crap, and its so hard to decide what I'm going to get rid of, what i want to keep and what i want sent to me when i get to my first duty station, and so on. I know that once i get to AIT i am allowed to have more stuff with me and there is some more flexibility as far as freedom goes. Plus we get weekends off and can go off base on the weekends if we choose to. So, my plan is to put a bag together of stuff that i want to have sent to me once i get to AIT. so that my dad can just send it off. instead of going through my stuff and picking stuff out and so on. Plus from what i hear I won't be coming home in between Basic Training and AIT. So I want to be sure and have everything all ready. 

Goodness me, it feels like i have so much to take care of. I know that i will get it taken care of in no time. But still, everything happened so fast. Honestly when i started the Application process for the Army i didn't think i would leave for Basic Training until Summer. But hey i lucked out. And i honestly would leave sooner for Basic Training if i could. It is kinda funny but i already pretty much have a bag packed for basic training. Kind of sad huh? What can i say i am VERY excited. I mean come on, I'm having dreams about Basic Training. One night i had a dream about meeting my Drill sergeants, and then another night i had a dream about doing push ups for my DS. It's official I'm a Weirdo. 

Well tomorrow morning i will get on the scale and see How i did while i was in New Mexico. So we shall see. Cross your fingers for me. I know i was very good while there. I didn't cheat on my meals, drank plenty of water, and worked out every day while i was there. But sometimes that scale can be so stubborn. I'm just really trying to lose those last 15 pounds. 

Well i think that is a long enough rant for today.

-Allegra


When they came for the jews, i remained silent for i was not a jew. when they came for the homosexuals, i remained silent for i was not a homosexual. when they came for the protestants, i remained silent for i was not a protestant. when they came for me, i cried out, but there was no one left to listen.

Friday, January 25, 2013

52 Days

Hello all, 


Well we are one day closer to shipping off to Basic Training, and i absolutely cannot wait. 

I go back home tomorrow, and then its back to business and getting everything cleaned up and all organized. I have been really good while on Vacation. I haven't cheated and i have worked out every day since being on vacation. Which usually when i am on vacation i cheat every chance i get. haha! So I've been doing very good. So we shall see when i get home if I've lost any more weight. These last 15 pounds are being very stubborn.

I don't go back to work for several days, and I'm already dreading going back to work. I am really going to have to talk myself into it. I kinda wish that i have more vacation time, i would take it in a heartbeat. Only 11 more shifts, only 11 more shifts, only 11 more shifts. Hopefully it is 11 good shifts. 

I think over the next week i am going to make my first duty station wish list. I kinda know certain places I'd like to get stationed, but i want to do some research before i make an official decision. Since I would really love to be a Medic that is attached to a Infantry Unit, i need to figure out where the biggest Infantry Units are. I know for sure Fort Bragg (North Carolina)is one. I just need to learn where some other of the biggest ones are. If i don't get attached to a Infantry Unit, Germany would be awesome, or really anywhere overseas. Walter Reed would also be pretty awesome. So we shall see. Typically you submit your wish list within the first couple of weeks that you are at Advanced Training. And i hear that usually you find out what you first duty station is going to be about a month before you graduate from Advanced Training. 

Okay, well i cannot think of anything else to rant about today.

-Allegra


As we strain to grasp the things we desire, the things we think will make our lives better: Money, popularity, fame, we ignore what truly matters the simple things like, friendship, family, love.The things we probably already had.




Thursday, January 24, 2013

53 Days

Howdy, 

Almost to the 40's how exciting is that?! its really going by really fast. I am so excited. It feels just like yesterday that i raised my right arm and swore in into the United States Army. I hope that the next few weeks go by really fast. less than 2 months. that is crazy. 

I go home on Saturday and once i get home i will continue to finish cleaning and organizing my room. And get my car cleaned up as well. Then when i have 2 weeks off in February i will have time to relax and enjoy myself while i can. I am milking all this time while i can. Because once March 18th hits i will be busy as hell until September or October. So it is good i take advantage of this time. Plus it will be nice to see some family before i ship off. 

Nothing really super exciting about today. 

You know one thing that i will miss a ton is CrossFit. That place has changed my life. I have become so much more confident, and able to do so much more since i joined. And all of the Women there have truly had a pretty profound affect on my life. And i really will miss Ahwatukee CrossFit. 

I was actually driving to work the other day, and thinking about everyone i will miss and started tearing up. There really are a lot of people that i will miss. i wish i could name everyone. but thats a long list. But i truly am blessed with amazing friends and family. i couldn't be any luckier. 

See you next time,
Allegra

Soldiers Creed:
I am an American Soldier
I am a warrior and a member of a team
I serve the people of the united states, and the live the army values
I Will always place the mission first
I will never accept defeat
I will never quit
I will never leave a fallen comrade
I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and profficient in my warrior tasks and drills.
I always maintain my arms, my equipment, and myself
I am an expert and a proffessional
I Stand ready to deploy, engage and destroy the enemies of the United States Of America in close combat
I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life
I am an American Soldier.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

54 days

Hi, 

Not much going on in my world today. Just getting more and more anxious to leave for basic training. I really wish i could leave sooner, but i will sit here and try and wait patiently. 

Over the last few weeks i have met a few other future soldiers that i will be going to basic training and my Advanced training with. So that is pretty cool to be able to know a few familiar faces when i get to Basic Training. Makes it a little less frightening. Because even though i am SO EXCITED. I'm a little nervous as well. This is going to be such a big change for me. In a good way. But this will be my first time away from home for more than 3 weeks. So it's kind of scary but exhilarating at the same time. 

And boy i cannot wait for my last day. Ever since i put in my notice and told them what my last day of work would be, i've kinda checked out. But hey i only have to work 11 more shifts. I have been using all of my vacation time before i leave. Which has been so nice. And i have to say, i've been off work for about a week now. and its been quite nice. And i really don't want to go back to work. But i dont go back until the 31st, and then off for another 3 days. so thats not so bad. and then i work 4 shifts and off for a week. then work another 4 shifts and off for another week. then work 3 shifts and off for good! so that really isnt too bad if you think about it. 

And i have to say even though i have been out of town the last couple days, i have been really good with working out and earing good. I am commited to losing those 15 last pounds before basic training. Thank you Dad for teaching me discipline. 

Well that is it for now,
Allegra


There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving...and thats your own self

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

55 days

Hello world,

55 days. 7 weeks and a few days. less than 2 months. 1320 hours. time is flying by. This morning after i went to Crossfit i went on a longish run. (6.5 miles), and while running realized how seriously blessed i am. I have an amazing support of family and friends. i couldn't be any luckier. I obviously have done something right in this lifetime. So, thank you. Really.  

back to that run i went on this morning, best run i have had in a long time. i was booking it too. i could have kept on going, but i was pretty limited on time, because I'm going to New Mexico today to see my Grandpa and his wife. But i hope they are having some nice weather this week. because i plan on running my heart out while i am there. 

I'm thinking that maybe things are working out for the better. I really cannot wait for this new adventure of mine to begin. i truly will miss all of my friends and family. But this is going to be such a great opportunity for me. And i get to do what i truly love to do. Help people. I cannot wait. And i promise that i will keep in touch as best as i can. 

I really don't have anything serious going on today. just a day full of traveling and so on. I believe that we are going to some sort of Military Museum tomorrow. And my grandparents have some pretty decent running trails around here, so i'll be able to keep up with that. Thank goodness. 

I hope you are all having a wonderful day. 

-Allegra

Whatever you do, do it all for the Glory of God
1 Corinthians 10:31





Monday, January 21, 2013

56 Days

Hello World, 

So far i would have to say that i am doing a pretty good job with this whole blogging thing. Although it is only day 2.Its a great idea. Because i know that while i am in basic training i will be writing my friends and family and all, but this way if i can only write some of you a couple of letters here and there. You all will still be kept updated thanks to my amazing friend Sam. And i could not have chosen anyone better. We have been friends since our highchair and diaper days. 

I leave for New Mexico tomorrow to go see my Grandpa and his Wife. It will be nice to get away for a few days. I will have to make sure and keep my self disciplined with working out and my nutrition while i am there. Because once i get off track sometimes it can be really difficult for me to get back on track. and i have 14 more pounds i want to lose before i leave for basic training. It will make basic training a lot easier on me that way. Thats what my dad says anyways, and i kinda have to agree with him. 

So, before i leave for basic training i have to pass the Army Physical Fitness Test. I've already passed it but i want to max it out if at all possible. There is 2 minutes of pushups, 2 minutes of sit ups, and a 2 mile run. For my age group in order to completely max it out i need to do 46 pushups, 80 sit ups, and do my 2 mile run in 15:36. So far i have maxed out my pushups with 53, 60 sit ups, and my 2 mile run in 16:21. So i just really need to work on sit ups and my run. And i have some time so i am not too concerned about it. Especially considering i can already pass it with no problem. 

I never realized how much you have to do to prepare for Basic Training. I have all of these creeds i need to memorize. Well i don't NEED to but it will make the first couple of weeks at basic training a lot easier. And its one less thing to get yelled at for. I need to memorize the soldiers creed(already done), Army Values, Army General Orders, Phonetic Alphabet, Military Time(already done), and Army Ranks. Plus i also had to do these tests online, which i have already gotten done as well. I also meet with my recruiter 1-2 times a week and do PT(Physical Training), and make sure everything is in check. So i have been keeping busy that is for sure. 

Outside of the Army i have a lot of stuff to take care of as well. I'm selling my car, which thank goodness my Dad or My brother is buying it because it'll make thins a lot easier. I am also trying to get my room organized and decide what i will keep at home, what i want my dad to send to me when i get to my first duty station, what i will want when i get to my advanced training, and of course what i am taking to basic training. I've gotten rid of 9 bags of clothes, shoes and random crap. Today, i will probably go through my books and take the books i don't really want to changing hands. That'll help a lot to get things organized. I just have a lot to do. I'm not sure if i will be able to come home before i go to my first duty station so i want to make things as easy as possible on my dad and step mom. 

Phew, that was quite a long post. I hope you all are having a wonderful day. 

Army Values:
Loyalty
Duty
Respect
Selfless-Service
Honor
Integrity
Personal Courage

For now,
Allegra


Sunday, January 20, 2013

57 Days.

Hello World, So it is officially less than 2 months until I leave for Basic Combat Training. I am Going to Keep blogging about everything until i leave. Hopefully everyday. And my Friend Sam will keep you all updated through BCT(Basic Combat Training). And as soon as I am able i will start blogging again once i get to my Advanced Individual Training. Which is my Medic training in Fort Sam Houston, Texas. 

Time is already going by so fast. it feels like it was just yesterday that i swore into the Army. Although i do kinda wish that time would go by just a little bit faster. But i do have all sorts of things i gotta do before then. 

I am just so overwhelmed with excitement about joining the army. It is something that i have wanted to do since i was a kid. And in the last couple years i've been seriously juggling with it. And finally just decided to do it. I was so scared and frightened about what everyone was going to say, do or think about my decision to join the Army. But i have to say everyone has been so supportive. And i am so thankful for the support i have been surrounded with. So, truly Thank You. 

I cannot wait to embark on this new adventure of mine. it's all that i've been thinking about recently. As you can tell since I'm counting down the days. But now it is working on my PT(Physical Training), Nutrition, clean and organize, spend as much time with my family and friends, getting promoted, memorizing creeds and such, and a few other things. 

Well for now that is a wrap. 

-Allegra