Military Life

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Home Sweet Virginia

It’s good to be home for a hot minute. These next few days will be mostly catching up on logistical matters and spending time with family before we leave on vacation. After that, I have a couple of weeks to catch up with friends, too!

I hope to stay busy, regardless. While it is good to be home, that in-between limbo state always wears me out faster than I’d like. In some ways, I never want to leave, and I want my time in the States to be long and fulfilling. In other ways, I am just ready to get a move on!

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Some days, I love my quiet life in yoga pants, with no alarm clock, snuggling with the Bean, and taking my French lessons. Other days, I really miss being a professional who engages with and contributes to something every day… taking on the world in 4-inch heels!

Maybe I am meant for part-time work. Three days a week! Americans are notorious for working too much, right? 🙂

But, I also like money… so there’s that.

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Just got our Japan itinerary…

… And it’s the most long-winded, annoying trip ever! Seriously, who plans these things..?

April 9th, we fly DC —> Atlanta —> Seattle.

April 10th, we fly Seattle —> Yokota Air Force Base —> Iwakuni Marine Base —> Kadena Air Force Base, ultimately arriving in Okinawa on April 11th.

I’m so worried about Annie. That is a longggg journey with a lot of transfers! I’m worried she is going to get lost, or sick. In my experience, cats won’t pee on stressful trips. Crazy cat lady Mama is going to be out in full force, that’s for sure.

But, it is moving right along, regardless. Our first round of movers come TOMORROW. We are sending over an air mattress, sheets, towels, toilet paper, lamps, and the microwave in this early shipment. Should be good things to hold us over before the rest of our stuff arrives at the new house. It will be funny getting through the next 3 weeks without a microwave here though…! I don’t think either of us appreciates how much we actually use it. We will soon! Ha 🙂

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And that’s a wrap!!

As of this past weekend, I am officially finished with wedding season! I know everyone has their crazy years, and this was most definitely mine, with eight weddings this fall and winter. I must say that I am very glad I went to them all, because it will likely be quite a while before I see everyone all together again. Each wedding was special, unique, and fun. I feel like Captain Jack Sparrow – “I LOVE weddings. Drinks all ‘round!”

Anyway, this past one was in Portsmouth, a Naval port city in southeastern Virginia. It seemed kind of random at first, but it came together nicely as I realized how well it fit the couple, both of whom graduated from the Naval Academy back in the day. I think this wedding wins for best DJ! I had so much fun dancing the night away 🙂

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2013: A Year in Review

Actually, I’d like to talk about more than just one year. Specifically, I want to talk about the past 3 years! Only because I feel as though 2014 is the beginning of a whole new era, and it’s rather unbelievable how much has happened in that relatively brief period of time. The events of those years have ultimately culminated into what I am feeling at this very moment, and captures an interesting combination of emotion, growth, and self-discovery that I know is not nearly finished yet.

In that time as a new wife between 2010 and 2013, I’ve been through two deployments, two work-ups, three less-than-desirable moves (about to do a fourth), and said goodbye to two really good jobs – not to mention friends, family, and ready access to some of my favorite things. Sure, I’ve dealt with a little resentment in the process (and probably still will from time to time), but I’ve also experienced things that have added new dimension to my life, in all kinds of ways that I like to think make me happier and more interesting than I was before. I worked in the medical community. I lived on the beach. I diversified my resume in the business community. I visited beautiful Southern cities and held baby tigers. I learned the inner workings of (and made a name for myself in) a whole new city. And with frequent moves and long separations, I learned my own strength. Essentially, the past few years have forced me to create opportunity for myself in new and unexpected ways.

Now, I’m about to embark on a new adventure with my husband and partner in crime. I can’t lie – the first few weeks after hearing the news were really difficult and full of inner turmoil, but now I am remarkably at peace with it. In fact, I am even excited about it, and look upon the move with inspiration and hope for the great (and even the not so great) experiences it will bring.

I do struggle with some things that come with being a military spouse (and I try not to struggle too much out loud), but the truth of the matter is that Chuck is the best thing to ever happen to me, and I love him and my little Annie Bean more than anything in the world. I know how rare and special it is to find that kind of love and family and adventure, and I want to be sure I never take that for granted, in 2014 and beyond…

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Too much spaghetti

Chuck always says that women have spaghetti brains, while men have waffle brains. Women can think of multiple things at once, and often manage to get them all tangled together as part of some complex relationship with random connections. Men prefer to compartmentalize, thinking of one (maybe two) things at one time, and often fail to make connections among them (because in their view, those connections likely don’t exist anyway.)

Lately I’ve been dealing with bouts of insomnia, and it’s totally due to my spaghetti brain. I am trying to process things that have already happened, and things that will happen soon. I will spare you the details of each and every noodle, but I will say that I am completely bipolar over this Japan thing.

One day, I can’t believe it’s happening – and the resentment bubbles up in me like an over-carbonated soft drink (sorry, I spent too much time at the Coke Museum yesterday…) The next day, I feel like if the orders were changed to somewhere else, it’ll be as if a unique opportunity was taken from me, and I jinxed it with negative thinking.

Much of the time, these switches can change from minute to minute, not even day to day! Oy vey, I need to relax. There’s nothing I can do about it anyway. It just makes me think harder about what I want for my (our) future, and how much control over it I’m willing to give up… Which only serves to start a whole new cycle of stressors..!

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Fresh Day, Fresh Perspective

So, today I’m thinking I overreacted to the news of us potentially moving to Okinawa. Now that I’ve allowed it to digest, I’m starting to see it as more of an adventure than a lost opportunity. Everything has its pros and cons, but I think it could be fun. It could certainly be better than moving to another dead-end American town, that’s for sure.

As for that “day-to-day” experience I was worried about – it may be a great time to finally pursue an online Masters degree. That way, when I re-enter the work force in 3 years, I won’t have totally lost my relevance…

Of course, I really shouldn’t be putting so much thought into this anyway. The military is notorious for changing its mind, and we don’t even have orders yet!

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Surprise…!

… we are moving to Okinawa.

Actually, we don’t have orders yet, so I am trying not to freak out more than I already have. In an unexpected, early announcement from Chuck’s monitor, we found out we are “slated” to move to Japan in the spring. This is not great news for either of us, but especially for me. What the heck am I going to do in Okinawa? 😦

There is still hope though – Chuck is going to call the monitor and see if we have any other choice. This was not even remotely on our list of preferences, and we are still wondering why we weren’t given any options in the first place (like everyone else we know has.)

I’m just… tired. Twice this year I’ve had my hopes up for something a little better around the corner, but things just keep getting worse. I hate to be dramatic – and yes, I’m sure I’ll find things to love and experiences to value in Okinawa, just like I did in NC and GA – but I don’t particularly want to spend the next three years of my life on a remote, isolated little military base in the middle of the Pacific…

Giant chocolate cake is in the oven…

Nothing captures the meaning of sacrifice better than this photo – breaks my heart every time. Always thankful to those who serve, past, present, and future 🇺🇸🙏 #veteransday #marines #usmc #veterans #usa