First Impressions of Alabama and Being an Air Force Wife

Alabama: The Beautiful. That's the state motto and it's true. It is really beautiful here. I love the old trees, the beautiful flowers and the rivers. I love the architecture and the history here. I love the friendliness and goodness of the people. I love driving down the streets and seeing tons of churches! I've never seen so many churches in one town in my life, and I just moved from Utah! I love how old everything is. It is so interesting for me to think that some of the places I'll go to while I'm here have been around since before the Civil War. I like the humidity and don't mind the heat. It makes the evenings perfect for walks. There are fireflies here! If you haven't seen fireflies before you're really missing out. It makes the area seem magical somehow. I wish I could say I'm from Alabama. I'd love to be best friends with someone from here just so I could learn to be more like a Southerner. Today I said, "How you doin' today?" to the greeter at the Walmart with my best try at a Southern accent (hoping she couldn't detect my faking-it-ness). I just want to be a sponge of everything good about Alabama. I want to soak it all in and store it forever.This is my new favorite place. Here are a few pictures:

 The Governor's House in Montgomery

An old cemetery in Montgomery. This section of the cemetery is dedicated to the Confederate Army. Yes, that is a Confederate flag flying.

One of the grave markers

This is a typical Colonel's house on base. I'd like one of these some day. :)

This is the bucket from our dehumidifier. It is full of water it has sucked out of the air. We emptied it just 2 days ago!

Being in the Air Force is wonderful. The people on base are from all over the country and are used to answering lots of questions. They're all willing to help out and make you a part of the Air Force Family. Living on base is really interesting and cool. At 5pm every day they play the national anthem. If you're out walking, you stop and put your hand over your heart. If you're driving, you pull over. Then at 9pm they play taps. I love taps. It's a beautiful tune. Every time I hear it I can't help but think of all those who have committed their lives to protecting freedom at home and around the world - those serving now and those who have gone before. It's somber and moving and makes me feel like Daniel and I are inheriting a legacy of sacrifice and dedication. I love that the military has so many traditions. I love being a part of that. I think that tradition is what makes culture interesting and meaningful. The Air Force is definitely its own culture. Sometimes I feel like a missionary in Germany again: trying to figure out how they do things here and learning the lingo and customs.

I love being in Alabama. I love being an Air Force wife. I'm still a bit nervous and shy about things - I don't enjoy feeling like a beginner, so I'm learning as much as I can as fast as I can.