Since she’d returned from Boot Camp nine days earlier I noticed a LOT of changes, the most endearing of which was a preference for hanging around the family vs. going out with friends.
But the biggest metamorphosis? Her packing skills.
This is how Civilian Linda would pack a suitcase.
Civilian Linda would throw loose items of clothing into a suitcase when packing for a trip. Actually, into multiple suitcases. She would pack 4 times as many things as she’d need because "it was faster that way."
As I watched Marine Linda pack up her gear for Combat Training my jaw dropped.
I watched in awe as she rolled her clothes into burritos. She would start by placing underwear, a sports bra, socks and shorts on top of her t-shirt.
Then she’d fold the sides of the t-shirt over top of the stuff and roll it tightly starting at the top of the t-shirt. When she got to the bottom, she'd magically pulled out the end of the t-shirt to hold the burrito in place.
It was magic.
The nerd inside of me had never been prouder.
Then she asked me for a ruler.
“You want a ruler?” I said, barely able to hide my excitement.
“Never mind,” she said. My disappointment was short-lived as she reached for her own ruler. She had her own ruler.
It should be noted that I couldn’t get Civilian Linda to use a ruler when she was doing algebra homework. She’d freehand the X and Y axes.
Oh how I tried to convince her that it would be SO MUCH EASIER to plot the line y=mx+b if she used a ruler.
Now she had her own ruler.
Marine Linda used her ruler to position the insignia on the front of her uniform.
(Civilian Linda may not have noticed if her t-shirt was on backwards.)
I have to confess that Marine Linda made quite an impact on me.
I was headed out for a walk with Becca at Harbison Lake. But you never know when disaster might strike and a walk at Harbison Lake could turn into an overnight camping trip.
To that end, I created my own emergency burrito pack. But keeping in mind the imptorance of hydration, I made an adjustment.
I'm sure Marine Linda would be very proud.
