Edward M.

I'm one of those rare people who can find good in any situation, no matter how pessimistic the experience leaves me. I found my first love in college and married her right off the bat. Granted, this first love was an institution and not a person but I fell hard and fast for academia. The problem was I soon fell in love with the military and given the nations distaste for polygamy I was left with no choice but to divorce academia and move in with the Army. But my love affair continues. I've been places and done things, seen things I wish I hadn't and forgotten less then I wish I could. But I'm still sold on the military and have no trouble seeing myself in her ranks 10, 20, hopefully even 30 years from now. After I got back from Iraq in 07 I enrolled at U of I and was having an amazing time, but as happens with all jealous spouses the military tore me away from my fling with my first love and sent me off to California to learn Arabic for a year. It was a bittersweet experience but one that I am thankful for. I learned more about myself in that time then I had before, and moved on to bigger and better things afterwards. I'm back at U of I now and am on track to graduate a year early, which simply means I start my PhD program a year early. In between studying for school or for my own self improvement I try to avoid being kidnapped by the Army again, though I am not always successful. I don't consider myself to have lofty goals, but I have goals and a life I truly enjoy. In the end that's all that counts, right?

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