A Military Spouse's Journey: Where Are We Moving To Next?
Updated: Jun 29, 2022
Looking back at how this journey began I must tell you a story regarding a particular sweatshirt I decided to purchase. You're reading this like what does a sweatshirt have to do with the journey of becoming a military spouse?
Well, on January 27, 2015, my future mother-in-law and I traveled to see Kevin who was then my boyfriend of 7 years graduate from Army Basic Training in South Carolina. The following day was the first event that the Army called "Family Day". This day was allocated for family members to reconnect with their soldiers by spending time with them and taking time in the tours and activities that were offered to us to partake on that day. Before we left the base that day Kevin's mom wanted to purchase a Proud Military Mom sweatshirt from one of the vendors on-site and while looking around in the vendor's booth I spotted a Proud Military Girlfriend sweatshirt that I liked, however, his mom saw the " Proud Military Spouse" one and wanted me to purchase that instead and I said "No". Kevin also hinted I purchase it as well but I stood firm to my decision to not do so because I would feel uncomfortable wearing something that has a title that I was not. I told them that once I say I do one day I'll buy myself one similar that says Proud Military Spouse or Wife on it.
Little did I know that Kevin was planning to propose on January 29th after his graduation ceremony. There I was on that field with everyone watching us take our first step at a lifetime of commitment. I was distracted by conversations with his fellow soldiers that were in on the surprise so that Kevin would prepare to get down on one knee. It was at that moment that I wished I had listened and bought the damn sweatshirt that my now mother-in-law and Kev told me to get. I said Yes! and later I do, and made that sweatshirt statement true.
This journey is not for the faint of heart and certainly, it takes a special kind of woman to support a man serving in the military but I would not change my decision to follow this path. We relocated from Philadelphia to Maryland our first duty station. There we started our family by getting our family dog Pablo and then having our little bundle of joy Madeleine. Then few years later we relocated to Hawaii and had our second daughter Leila.
Where does this journey take us next? As you know soldiers and their families move every couple of years to new duty stations and as our time here in Hawaii has been amazing we're so excited that this next chapter of our journey is taking us across the world to Europe. Watch the video below to know the exact country we're moving to.
Do you have any advice for us traveling internationally with small children? Have you been to Europe? Where should we visit while living in Europe?
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