Marine Cpl. Deanna Collazo, who'll turn 23 on Wednesday, says the hardest thing about serving in Iraq is being away from home, especially during the holiday season. She'll celebrate Christmas there at Camp Tagaddum.

Delaying her anticipated career as a singer and author, Collazo today is maintaining military computers and carrying a rifle, singing and writing songs when she can.

In an interview with Tribune editorial writer Jim Beamguard, the Orlando resident shared her thoughts about life in the combat zone.

On becoming a Marine:

I went on to the University of Central Florida for two years. I wasn't as focused as I should have been on school. The Marine Corps stood for structure and discipline, and that's what I needed most in my life. So that's why I decided to join, but more importantly, I decided to join to serve my country.

For me, it was extremely difficult at first, because I was so used to the comforts of home. I was always used to depending on myself. At first, when you get there, it's culture shock. You're shoved in there with 70 other females, and you all learn really quickly that you're not going to make it through those three months without depending on one another.

On progress in the war:

I've had the privilege of meeting some Iraqi citizens. And every single one of them has come up to me and thanked me for the job that we're doing. Most of the time the media gets caught up in showing all the violence. They forget to show the good things we're doing, the humanitarian convoys. And how Marines and soldiers and everyone involved with coalition forces is going out to these cities, helping them rebuild, helping them rebuild businesses.

You really do see the fruits of your labor when you speak to these people. They are grateful. The Iraqi men will come up to us, female Marines in particular -- they're sure to thank us for the job we're doing here. And tell us that they love America. It makes you realize why you're here.

Even though I may not see it during my tour, I feel we are making progress in Iraq. The previous election was proof. American forces combined with Iraqi forces are doing something right. As long as people remain on that path and don't allow terrorists and violence to scare them, I think they'll be all right.

On living in Iraq:

Actually, it is significantly better than I expected it to be. A lot of the comforts of home have been brought over here. We can take showers. We have an awesome Internet café set up for us here. I have my own personal computer, and I'm able to call my family every day.

One of my good friends plays guitar. We'll have jam sessions. We also have karaoke -- I definitely get to do my share of singing out here.

We're in a pretty tightly secured base. I carry an M-16 service rifle with a magazine attached, not in the actual rifle.

The weather was probably the biggest surprise. When I got out here it was 115 degrees, and two weeks later it was 70 degrees, and in the desert, it's freezing. I can't even explain how different it is than in the States.

The worst part of being out here would definitely be being away from family and friends, especially with the holiday season. For a lot of Marines, this will be the first time they've been away from home for the holidays. For some, it's the second or third time around, so they make sure they help keep our spirits up.

Our section is getting together and going to Christmas dinner together. We definitely have something planned so nobody feels alone or down during that day.

On recording and writing:

Before I joined the Marine Corps, I was doing a lot of work in the studio, getting my demo put together. Since I joined the Marine Corps, I have evolved and grown up a lot. The old material, I pretty much scrubbed.

Before, being that I was so young and hadn't gone through many life-altering experiences such as this one, it was more about basic pop songs like you would hear on the radio, like Britney Spears' "Baby One More Time." Stuff like that.

And now, having grown up and been engaged, and having had my heart broken, my songs are a lot more personal. And there is a lot more about patriotism in my songs now. I don't think many musicians focus on that aspect because a lot of them haven't been taken out of their comfort zone, as I have.

On feeling support for the troops:

The outpouring of support I've received through organizations such as Any Soldier [ http://www.anysoldier.com/, http://anymarine. com/, http://anysailor.com/] has been overwhelming.

Strangers will send us packages full of movies. I think they've done a great job of ensuring that we know the American people do rally behind us, whether or not they do agree with the war.

On planning a career:

The end of my enlistment comes in August. I will be moving to Philadelphia and finishing my degree in advertising and public relations.

I'm writing a book, entitled "American Daughter." It's going to be based on my experiences as a female in the Marines, both personal and professional. It will focus a lot on my time out here.

Thank you to all of you back home who care what the troops have to say.