Mood:  sharp
Topic: Daily Life
Receiving mail is the highlight of any week. Serving in Iraq is rough. You feel cut off from your family and friends, and receiving a small package or even a postcard from them makes you feel much better.

All mail in Iraq comes through the Army Post Office (APO). The APO is an extension of the U.S. postal system. When people mail things to me, it is just like mailing a letter to somewhere in the States. Sending me a letter only costs the price of a single stamp. However, it takes about two weeks for that letter to make it from the States to Iraq.

The APO is fairly reliable. I have heard stories about packages that have never made it through the system, but that is fairly rare. The system is so reliable that I even buy things through Amazon.com and send them to myself here in Iraq.