I'm posting 4 letters this time! Sorry I haven't posted in a while I've been quite busy with homework.
Letter #2 To Alex:
"Hey Alex,
Our letters must have crossed paths in the mail. I sent you one early in the week. Last week I was on light duty and at medical most of the time so there wasn't much training for me. We finally did get to shower with shampoo and now it's 1-2 times a week we wash our hair. Our senior DI even let us shave!! So far our only uniforms are our PT gear and camis. They're not as comfortable as they look. In a few weeks we go to get measured for our service uniforms, (brown shirt and green pants). No dress blues :( until we buy them on our own. We did our first hike yesterday with a small pack and it was only 3 miles so it wasn't bad. Apart from the tight knee muscle, cough, runny nose, and pink eye in both eyes, not much has changed since my first letter. People are still bitchy as ever and most haven't learned teamwork yet. It sucks that you got pushed back again but it does give you more time to get ready. Please tell everyone to write me! Getting letters at mail call is my favorite part of the day! I was expecting lots of letters but have only gotten a few from my family and you. As far as capital... I don't know what Jon is talking about but I didn't call him from here. I've only made 2 phone calls and they were both to my mom. I knew Dace on his business trip... He's down here near me working w/ the SWAT guys. How is Andrew doing? (Big, tall blonde guy who used to be a marine) - tell him to write me too. I feel so disconnected without my phone or Facebook. You don't get used to the suck. It gets really annoying after a while especially when you have to dress and undress 10 times because one person moves slow. I'm almost 1/4 of the way done. The days have been going by pretty quick. Keep writing.
Chelsea"
Letter #3 To Me:
"Hi Logan,
I don't remember what I wrote in my last letter so sorry if I repeat anything. Fannie said you've been doing a good job keeping everyone up to date. I've gotten a few letters since I last wrote you but only 3 other than you, mommy and grammy.
First, I got assigned my MOS on Saturday. (I also got a phone call home to get some info and 2 choc chip cookies for lunch- at the security clearance building). My school is 5 months in Pensacola. We get liberty after our classes & on weekends but I think there are mileage limitations for the length of the weekend but he said there will probably be a long weekend w/a holiday where I'll be able to visit you.
My knee still hurts but I'm trying to work through it to graduate on time. I also got pink eye in both eyes already. A lot of our schedule got postponed b/c of heat and rain. Tomorrow we get to do the confidence course..yay! Finally something fun! We had our first hike on Sat...It was only 3 miles with a small pack so it wasn't that bad. The worst part was my knee. After this week we go to the pool for 4 days to do our swim qualifications. Then we start Phase 2 where they give us a little more freedom. BTW, I'm still waiting on my double rations. I can't believe we're in our 4th week here, the days are starting to blend together but go by quickly. I go to church on Sundays because we get 2 hours away from the drill instructors. One is pretty nice but the other is a complete b***h. Our senior DI is nice too. She let us shave twice already & her last platoon had to wait 8 weeks before they shaved.
I wrote this part yesterday & got your letter today. Our classroom stuff is mostly history, customs, traditions, rules & regulations. Stuff like that. I think we start doing more activities in phase 2 but we're on our feet all day & holding our rifle a lot so we're all really tired. We only sit down for meals, classes and free time. The food isn't too bad. Breakfast is my favorite meal. We get scrambled eggs (kind of rubbery), either French Toast, a waffle or a pancake (my favorite is the french toast- only every 3 days though), a hash brown, 1/2 a PB&J sandwich, cereal and fruit.
I got your second letter today... PT today was rough. Its been raining like crazy so our PT field is basically underwater we had to crawl through it today and a bunch of other stuff. Its been getting cooler too so we were freezing after getting wet. We got to do pugil sticks today too. I'm not sure if I won my match but I got in some good hits after I got up off the ground. Grass week & firing week are the rifle range so those shouldn't be too bad. Today was when it started to get really tough. The DI's do yell but not as much as some from the other platoons.
My pink eye cleared up but my knee still hurts. If it still hurts after the end of next week I'll go back & have it checked.
So If you can't run will you be allowed to play when the season starts? How is everything else going? You should be allowed to send it. If it fits in an envelope w/a letter just put it in there.
Everytime it gets hard I remind myself the fastest way out of here is to go straight through training. Keep telling everyone to write!
Love, Chelsea"
Letter #4 to Mom:
"Hi,
I was glad they let me make the phone call. Sorry I didn't say more or elaborate. I wasn't very private and they said to keep it short and business like. Hopefully we'll get another one. We got cookies for lunch that day too! They were sooooo good!!
I finally got a letter from someone other than you or Logan. Logan said she has a big Marine Corps flag hanging on her wall, a countdown to my graduation and space cleared so she can hang all my letters.
Talk to you soon,
Chelsea"
Letter #5 To Mom:
"Hi Mommy!
I got your 2 letters and package this week. I hung the pictures up in my foot locker already.
I know the package seemed menial to you but here being able to have those things are a luxury.
I just wish we could get food.
I'm back at medical today for my knee because the the pain hasn't gone away even though
I did everything they said to.
When we first got here was when we got divided into our platoons. 5 of the 6 of us that were
on the bus got put in the same platoon and the other one is in a different platoon. Most people
seemed to adjust pretty well with the exception of missing home. Some others didn't adjust too well
and are still struggling. It seems like there are 3 or 4 that can't seem to do anything right so the drill
instructors are on them all the time. We are not supposed to talk on line or in formation but our
platoon can't grasp that concept.
Today medical sent me to the trainer they have here. She showed me some other stretches
because apparently I was given the wrong ones to do. She said that's why I wasn't any better.
We got french toast this morning for breakfast! That made my day. Yesterday we go to do pugil
sticks. It was fun but hard. We had so much gear on it was hard to swing the stick but I did get a
few good hits in For our PT session yesterday we put our green camis on and did the different carrys
and low crawl. It wasn't that fun since it had rained the few days before and the weather is getting
cooler. It's nice during the day when the sun is out but in the morning and in our squad bay it's cold.
Once we get to the rifle range we get to wear our green camis with the sleeves down and when we
come back it will be time to wear the greens for the fall and winter months.
When we were getting our gear together for our march tomorrow (which I won't be going on
because of light duty again) our senior DI mentioned about dropping to another platoon. I don't know
if she was serious or just messing with me since she said it in front of everyone. I would think if I was
getting propped she would have said something to me directly alone. I really hope she decides to let me
stay. I've made some great friends already. It seems that people tend to bond more with the recruits
that bunk around them. I sleep right next to the girl that I had met through the forum and facebook
which is nice. There are a few girls that are closer to my age and 3 or 4 that are older but for the
most part they are 17 - 19.
How is everything going with the business? Have you done anything else with PADF or connected
with any other organizations?
I do miss Charlie but I'm sure that you're taking good care of her. I haven't gotten a letter from
Aunt Paula yet and only a card from Grammy. Fannie did say, Logan was doing well keeping everyone
up to date on everything. Apart from yours and Logan's first letter, Alex was the first one of my friends
to write to me. He updated me about everything at Capital and is going to tell them to write. Logan said
she keeps telling everyone to write. I did get a letter from Gary and Eileen too. I also got a letter from
Rosemary too. So, what has everyone been saying on facebook? Logan is relaying all my info but not
keeping me updated on everyone else. Alex had mentioned that he got pushed back again. I'm glad
they didn't keep doing that to me. He has a lot more training than I do.
The Cape should be fun. Hopefully you'll have good weather. Are there any hurricanes or tropical
storms headed this way?
I'm looking forward to morning chow!! My favorite time of the day!!
Love,
Chelsea
PS: Send more pics and have others send them too."
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