Embrace the Suck.

by Vicky - 11:03 AM

a good friend of mine wrote this about his experience in the army and his tenure in iraq.

below are all his very own photography!

"i spent 5 months in a place like no other. a place that has no mercy on anyone or anything. a place that is unforgiving, no matter your sex, age, or race. i spent 5 months in iraq before going home for two weeks. the 5 months passed very quickly, but the 2 weeks passed by even quicker...it felt weird, almost unreal to be back home. those who have never experienced anything like this say i'm a changed man. in my eyes i am the same person i was before entering the military, the only difference now is that i have a different outlook on life and death, friends and enemies, joy and dissatisfaction, etc...it's funny how when a person is here in iraq all they think about is home, but as soon as that person is home all they think about is iraq. going to a terrible place isn't so bad if you don't know what to expect...but going back to that terrible place knowing exactly whats in store, that's the hard part. it's probably the hardest thing i have ever had to do mentally. as i was leaving home i thought about all the things i want out of life; get married, raise a family, help build a house, sail the ocean, etc...there are way too many things i want/need to do, but never ever will i have enough time to actually do any of it, at least that's what it seems like. the day i left, i woke up at 4:30 a.m., sat on the side of the bed and got the worst feeling in my chest...almost like i was sinking into myself. my dad and brothers are probably the only ones who understand me best and know exactly the things i've gone through. my dad spent 10 years in the marine corps, one brother is in afghanistan and the other in iraq. i waited for my dad to meet me at the airport, i stood there with a bag on my back with enough clothes for two days...not the smartest thing considering it's a 5-10 day trip back to iraq. my dad hugged me goodbye and all he said was 'life is what YOU make it...good or bad, it's up to you...only a few more months...all you can do now is embrace the suck'."

Chris Pikalek