Have you ever...

felt scared to live because you might break a rule?

That's how I describe living at West Point. Erik had a conference for resiliency and infrastructures at in West Point, NY and I was scared to death the whole time!

We stayed in a hotel right along the Hudson that was just inside the guard tower of West Point. But I was scared to leave the hotel, scared to walk on the sidewalks, scared to leave, and scared to come back. I was so worried that someone was going to yell at me and tell me I couldn't be there, you dirty civilian!

But slowly I became less and less scared and right before we left we drove all around campus and saw the Cadet Cathedral and the football field and all of that jazz! West Point is a pretty intimidating place. The buildings are made of stone and brick and the edge along the Hudson looks like a fortress! I kept singing "A might fortress is our King!" I went on a run with Alyssa and that same line played over and over again inside of my head to the rhythm of my feet.

Inside the Cadet Cathedral...a big organ

Outside of the Cathedral with My Dears

Alyssa and I did some sight seeing. We spent an hour in the car each morning while Alyssa took a nap. Alyssa LOVED the choo choo trains that ran on both sides of the river. We could here their horns from our hotel room and she would go crazy to see them each time she heard the toot! We saw a big train with lots of cargo boxes and garbage and recycling in it during our run. She was very enthralled!

We went to a light house called Stony Point. It was quite deserted and when we got to the top where the light house is and I noticed an extinguished fire and a tarp I got a little nervous that a homeless man might be lurking so we cut our hike short and went back to the hotel. On the way down I started putting my wallet and my keys down my shirt so that if he went for my purse I could grab Alyssa and start running! I always get so psyched out about the silliest things.

I had to snap a picture really fast before I got attacked by the hobo.

There is a bit of patriotic pride that really gets my heart beating when I see all of the great men and women who are training and fighting for our country. I would never be able to do what they do and I am so grateful for all they give! They live intense lives, but they are lives that are good and devoted to the cause of freedom! It gives me hope that America will make it through this darkening world as a bright light of freedom!