Ice Cream

It’s funny what reminds me of home. Today at the mess hall we had a mediocre dinner, but we had mint chocolate chip ice cream. As anybody who knows me, knows that this is my favorite ice cream. It was always a treat in my family. It was also my preferred ice cream to get during the summer months; it even won out against the vanilla and chocolate swirl on a sugar cone that is available at DQ. We’ll leave gelato out of this since it isn’t truly ice cream (which is how I can reconcile my extreme fondness for it). I had thought this summer would pass without getting ice cream. Fortunately I was wrong. While I was eating my ice cream, with coffee of course, I begin thinking about summers at home. I haven’t had many since I joined the Army. In fact only one and I got to spend it with Katie. We even celebrated my birthday with ice cream cake. I also tried to remember the last time I was in the States to celebrate a birthday with my brother and sister. I finished two servings of ice cream and three cups of coffee, and I couldn’t think of an answer to that question. This important holiday will have to be rolled into the tour de force that will be my leave in October: wedding anniversary, Katie, my little brother Steve, and my birthdays not to mention Canadian Thanksgiving. Part of me longs for the idyllic summers past when I worked at camp, or even earlier when my family used to go to the Cottage for a few days after celebrating my birthday with extended family. Unfortunately those days are past, and my ice cream is gone. What to do… Look forward to spending summers with family and friends again real soon, and to have some more ice cream. 