Your comments and questions

In no particular order, reader's responses/ questions will be posted here.

how did you write this down if you were in bootcamp? i was told you weren't allowed to use computers for even emails

You can bring your own notebook or paper to keep in a tiny square locker below your bunk/ compartment.  It's ok if you don't bring one because you are provided several recruit notebooks to take notes but there is no way you will use up all of them especially if you have a good memory because you are just expected to write the same thing over and over again ; it is very repetitive.  Additionally, halfway through, to test our "ability to follow instructions", our RDCs gave us a list of things to buy which included more recruit notebooks, socks, pens... at the NEX.  This usually gave the recruits the opportunity to try to buy things they are not allowed such as makeup or electronics which usually got confiscated as they check what you buy afterwards.  The silly thing about this exercise is that the things they tell you to buy are expected to all fit in your square locker; if they do not fit, you must throw them out.  Therefore, I would suggest only buying the things you actually need; disregard the list they insist upon; it is a waste of the funds in your NEX card.

You are right, you cannot use the computers on base for personal business.

In short, I kept a diary everyday and wrote in it after "taps" or bedtime.  You have to be careful because there are night watches roaming and sometimes the OOD comes in to check that everyone is sleeping.  I later thought I would type everything out onto this site.  I hope it's helpful to at least one person out there.