It is an overwhelming experience coming out of the military life and into the civilian. There are so many opportunities and the world feels so big. But after having been told where you are going to go, when, and for how long... It’s almost too much to handle having the freedom a civilian family has. Where do you start? Where are the good jobs? Where are the good schools? Do you stay put or do you move closer to family? So many options…
A little over 10 years ago, I moved to Pensacola FL to be with my high school sweetheart. Matt was a flight student and I was along for the ride. Little did I know I was on board for the ride of my life! It was exciting to visit new and different places and it was lonely being away from family. Being a Navy family means having unexpected experiences. Like so many other military families, I experienced having a husband deployed somewhere in the Middle East. I had my second daughter without my husband to hold my hand. We've experienced the grief of losing fellow pilots in our squadron. We've seen squadron mates get married, have children and start a family. We've seen some friends get divorced or separate. We've seen our friends come and go in our lives but the one thing that anchors us together are the experiences we've had being in the Navy.
No more of these "hello" and "goodbyes"
So where do we go from here? Everything is a window of opportunity and every feeling ebbs and flows. Nothing feels secure, but everything feels exciting! We put our faith in God and rest assured that only He has perfect timing. He is the only one with the answers to the path we are supposed to lead. I really wish that He would hurry it up a bit though!
I am proud to have served our country as a Navy spouse. I think that it is so important to understand, support and be patient with our active duty spouses. They have one of the toughest jobs in the world. And those of us who hold down the fort learn new strengths, make new friends and make sure everything runs smoothly at the home front. We are two superheroes in one fortress of solitude. It’s quite a dynamic!
Here we are: The beginning of the end and the beginning of something new. I’m hanging on for the ride and embracing everything that happens. The transitions will be tough but it’s not going to break us. It’s time to walk a new path. A new adventure waits just like we’ve had every 2-3 years for the past 10 years. Only this time it will be more permanent and we finally get to plant some roots. Our children will get to grow up with other children and actually have two parents in the house on a regular basis.
It’s time… and we're ready.
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed in the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off your bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
~Mark Twain~
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