[Previous entry: "Bye bye, Balad"]

08/02/2004: "Back home"

Well, Peter and I are back in the great Northwest.

We touched down at Sea-Tac Airport about 12:10 p.m. local time Monday after a 20-hour sojourn from Kuwait.

While I was ready to return to my beautiful wife, Laura, and the comforts of home, I had some mixed feelings when we boarded the 767 that would take us on the first leg of our journey, from Kuwait to Amsterdam.

This last six weeks in the Middle East were the experience of a lifetime for me, both professionally and personally. Although I am bone weary and not ready to be mortared again any time soon, I kind of hate to see it end. Iraq is a fascinating place to practice journalism, and there are still stories to tell about the 81st Brigade Combat Team and the job it is doing. I regret we couldn't get to them all, but six weeks really isn't that long in the grand scheme of things.

I want to extend my thanks to The News Tribune for expending the resources to send us to Iraq. I want to thank my family and friends for supporting me in my dream to be a war correspondent. I want to thank Peter Haley for being a consumate professional and swell traveling partner.

But most of all I want to thank the members of the 81st Brigade for opening their lives to us, for endeavoring to keep us safe and for telling us their stories. They are class acts, and I'm praying they all make it home safely.