I woke up to early Monday morning. Ugh school. I reluctantly got out of bed and got dressed. Jeans, camouflage t-shirt, cowboy boots, and a high ponytail would do just fine. For breakfast, the last remaining donut and a glass of apple juice.
I frantically run out of the house to catch my bus, but only because my truck broke down. It's a beautiful April morning. I climb the three steep stairs of bus 113 and find a seat next to one of my distant friends, Brianna Starkland. "Hey Bri, what'd you do this weekend?" "I did absolutely nothing, and loved it." We both laugh, and I tell her about my eventful weekend.
The bus pulls in to the school parking lot. Everyone gets off the bus and combines with the other 1500 high school kids walking in to the giant brick building. Gosh I hate this, I think as I open the door, nearly getting trampled by my peers.
I go through my day, same boring classes, same teachers, same people, same everything.
I finally walk through my front door, and am instantly greeted by my one-year-old Bichon Frise, Bailey. "Bailey Baby!" I pick her up and hug her.
I start on my homework, but I am quickly distracted by my cell phone ringing from a number I don't recognize. "Hello?" I answer. "Caitlin Jo Jackson?" A lady on the other end asks. "Yes?" "Congratulations, you have been selected for an interview with the Air Force Academy!" For a moment, everything froze. I had no words, no emotion, nothing. "Seriously?!" Was all I could think. "We will fly you out the the Academy on Saturday, May 2nd for your interview. Your plane tickets are in the mail." She hangs up.
I am totally speechless. That's in only one week!
At dinner, my dad tells us about his day; working for the city, being a machinist, talking about stupid things his coworkers do. His day seems endless.
As soon as he pauses, I interrupt. "Saturday I'm flying out to Colorado." "Why?" They ask in cadence. "I got an interview with the Academy." I say smiling. My parents congratulate me on my achievement. "They're sending my plane ticket in the mail. It should be here by Thursday." "We don't get to come?" My dad asks. "No, they're only interviewing me." He seems disappointed.
After dinner, my mom loads the dishwasher, my dad goes downstairs, and I go to my room to find out more information on the Academy.
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Tuesday morning, I go through the same routine. Leggings, mint colored Victoria's Secret t-shirt, and camouflage moccasins. Only today, I take time to straighten my long blonde hair. I go to the kitchen to get breakfast, a strawberry pop tart. My mascara is on point as I go out the door.
The bus is cold, and I sit next to Brianna again. Today, she has her headphones on and doesn't seem to notice that I sat by her. I also put my headphones on and tune out the world to Garth Brooks.
My day is the same, except for some reason, I am less upbeat than I usually am.
"Hey CJ." My friend Andrew stops me in the hallway. "What's up?" I ask. "What are we doing tonight?" "I guess you'll have to wait and see." I smile and walk away. Every Tuesday afternoon after physics, he would ask me about what we're doing that night in Civil Air Patrol, and every week I answer the same. Just because you have a class with the Cadet Commander doesn't mean she has to tell you everything.
When I got home, it was almost 5:00 already so I started making dinner. Chicken Alfredo, my favorite.
By the time my parents got home dinner was already done and the table was set. we went through the same thing at dinner again, just like every other day.
Dinner and dishes are done, dad is downstairs, and I go back to my room to get ready.
I pull on the camouflage pants of my BDU uniform. To fit standards, I put a rubber band around my calve right where my boot top would end, and tuck the ends of my pants under it, blousing them. Then, I put on my black crew neck t-short and tuck it in to my pants. I take my combat boots out of the closet and shine them until the light could be reflected off of them. I put those on too, double knotted, and tuck the laces inside the boot. My hair is such a struggle to put up in to military format, but I get it eventually, and put a hair net around my tightly pulled bun to keep all the loose hairs together. Then finally, I put on my camouflage blouse, making sure my last name, branch bar, flag, and wing patch are all in order. I load up my pockets with a flashlight, multi tool, pocket knife, tiny notebook, and my cover. "Well don't you look nice." my mother says smiling. "Well I'm one of the cadets that represent the squadron so..." I suggest.
It's almost 6:00 so I hit the starter button on my dad's jeep. "Im leaving now!" I yell across the house to my parents who were trying to get the printer to work. "Okay we'll see you later!" My mom calls back as I'm walking out the door.
It takes me almost no time to get to the airport, considering I live only a block away. I pull up to the gate and put in the code I've had memorized since I was a little girl. I park my car across the airport road from the Anoka County Squadron building, most of the staff is arriving as well. The minute I get out of my truck, people start greeting me. "Good evening ma'am." They say with a salute. "Good evening, thank you." I say, returning their salute.
I arrive a half hour early so I go upstairs to prepare for a staff meeting.
