Writing dated 10/28/15
One Week Down
It has officially been 1 week since my surrender. It is safe to say that my transition has been fairly successful, as far as prison living is concerned. I have been amazed with how helpful everyone has been. It feels more like a fraternity house more than anything.
However, the part of the week that has continually gotten tougher is the increasing amount I miss my wife and children. The first couple of day, there was so much to take in, thereby keeping the mind occupied, at least during the daytime. Bit as the unknowns of my new living situations started to dissipate, the pain and anguish of being away from my family continues to elevate.
To make matters more challenging, I used up the majority of my phone minutes allowed for the months, and only have 9 minutes left to spread over the next 3 days. Thats 3 minutes a day to talk to my wife. No bueno. Lesson learned - next time I am going to keep a log of my phone time so there is an even distribution of minutes each day throughout the month.
The daily routine has just begun to get into a rhythm:
5:30am - Wake up
6:00am - Hit the track for 2 miles
7:30-9:30 - Check emails, write letters, and continue journal
9:45 - Morning call to my wife
10:30 - Lunch
11:00am-1:00pm - Weight training with my workout group
1:30-3:00pm - Play basketball
4:30pm - Dinner
6:00pm - 2 miles walk around the track
6:30-8:30 - Continue my writing
8:45 - Evening Call to my wife
9:00- More reading
10:00m - Lights out
This seems like a solid routine for me as of now. And I'm pleased to report that I am down 6.5 pounds in the past week!
The struggle each day continues to revolve around my realization that I am not a physical part of my family's day to day activities. So badly do I want to do that chore around the house, run that errand for my wife, or pick up the kids from school. But I know that's not a possibility for a couple of years. I know this exact fact is much harder on my wife than it is one me. But a wish there was something I could do to lighten that burden for her.
I am so thankful we have such a supportive family, who has banded together to get us through these next couple years. While I am not physically there day to day wit my family, there is plenty to be grateful for. I am blessed in so many ways, and I learn more and more each day about why that is the case.
