So I got to go downtown yesterday, and it was a pretty good time. We went shopping, got a hotel room, and relaxed by the pool. Hopefully, next time I drive through Doha, I'll be familiar enough with the city so I don't get too lost.

I've made kind of a big decision. I'm becoming a vegetarian. Actually, I've been a vegetarian for about 8 days now, and it's going pretty well. It's something I've been thinking about for a while now, and after doing some research, I dropped meat from my diet. I haven't gone totally hard-core, yet. I'm allowing myself to eat seafood still. I may give that up eventually. Several things have contributed to this decision. There are many benefits to a vegetarian diet, both in personal health and in the environment. If it's something you've ever thought about, I encourage you to do some research of your own. There are tons of websites explaining the best ways to go about excluding meat from your diet, the best foods to eat for a balanced diet, and recipes, too. Actually, I haven't gotten to try any recipies yet, but the chow hall usually serves a vegetarian entre that's quite tasty!

We had a big squadron meeting today regarding our departure. Apparantly, our replacements are set to be here around 8 July, hopefully putting us on a plane within a week of their arrival. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'll be taking leave in the States for a couple weeks, so I may not get back to Japan until the beginning of August. That will be nearly 8 months I've spent away from my home. Craziness! I so miss everyone back there. I can't wait to see them all so we can go camping and to the beach and rolling down hills.

Okay, so I'm gonna shoot out a few e-mails, head back to my tent, do some reading (I'm currently reading "High Fidelity" by Nick Hornby), and hit the sack. Take care, everyone. No worries. God Bless.