How Did You End Up Where You Are?

In today's mobile society, many of us (most of us?) are are from places other than those we now call home.

Tell me where you are from, how you came to be where you are, and why you stay.

For me, it goes a little like this:

I was born in December of 1963, in Ignacio, California, at a place called Hamilton Air Force Base, where my dad was stationed at the time.

My parents divorced in 1969, and my mother took us to New Jersey, where her mother lived (and still lives, God Bless Her).

We lived in New Jersey until I was 17 and left home to join the Marine Corps, in 1981.

Between 1981 and 1986, The Marine Corps sent me to all sorts of interesting places where I trained to to be particularly good at killing people in all sorts of environments.

In 1986, I was assigned to Marine Barracks, Washington, DC.

I served at the barracks until 1988 and while I was there, I met and married the woman who would end up being the bane of my existence for quite a few years.

In November of 1988, I returned to the Fleet Marine Force and the Second Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. By the time I got to North Carolina, I knew I was done with the Corps. I still loved it (and still do), but having been to DC I knew that there were other things for me to do, and that I could have a life here.

When my second enlistment was up in Dec 1989, I left the Marine Corps and went to work for the government in D.C.

Very soon after that, She-Devil and I separated and were later divorced.

I stayed here in DC because I really love the place. It is a beautiful city and it appeals to me on many levels... and to tell the truth, it is a place that is tailor made for someone with my skill set.

So, here I am.