MilSpouse Life
"Let's go sit in the driveway with our firepit and drink a beer," he said. With that one simple suggestion, we were searching (sitting 😉) to find some new friends after PCSing. Grab the dog and the kids and make them come out there too. We're like a display at a mall. We should've made a sign that read, "In search of friends. We aren't [...]
strong military spouse
The Secret Life of Military Spouses and Their Curtains
Every military spouse I know has one. It’s some sort of marked box or storage bin; usually shoved in the back corner of a closet. Sometimes the lid closes nicely. Sometimes it’s crammed so full that we have to stack other boxes on top to keep it closed. This box is filled with curtains. And it is more than just something that takes up [...]
DeploymentWhy Deployment Meltdowns Are Actually a Good Thing
After multiple deployments and separations as a military spouse, you’d think the deployment meltdown wouldn’t exist. This is simply not true. A few deployments ago, I hit a catastrophic wall right around the one-month mark. I am unashamed to say it was probably one of my worst meltdowns since becoming a military wife. In the middle of [...]
33 Ways You Absolutely Know You’re a MilSpouse
Inside: Military life can get a little wild! Grab your favorite drink and laugh through this humorous list of crazy things that make military life unique for military spouses. Because so many of my friends are fellow military spouses, I sometimes forget that there is a whole wide world out there where people actually expect to [...]
Why I Stopped Preparing for My Service Member to Leave
If you could see my living room floor right now, mere hours before my husband leaves for an extended training mission, you might cringe. Sea bags leaning against the sofas, empty magazines piled up on the coffee table, extra blouses strewn across the floor—all hiding the cherry hardwoods underneath. Crossing into the kitchen requires [...]
Military ResourcesThe Emotional, Stressful and Exhausting Reality of a PCS Move
The longer we are active duty military, the more quickly and aptly I’m able to self-diagnose and articulate the funk I’m in. What it is this time, is something I have recently described as the Post-PCS Crash, also known as Complete Depletion. There is a process to arriving at this state of being, so I’ll explain. For the few weeks [...]
How to Prepare for Deployment as a Military Spouse…in 33 Steps
It never fails. Military life always throws some monkey wrenches into your life plans. Okay...a lot of monkey wrenches. If you want to prepare for deployment as a military spouse, you'll need a deployment binder. But more importantly, you'll want to practice and train just like you would a marathon or a hot dog eating contest. This is [...]
The Sometimes Forgotten Piece of Military Spouse Friendship
I recently heard a story about a military spouse struggling with the challenges that come with military life. She moved overseas with her service member. He deployed. She wanted to have a career, but struggled to find any work. Between juggling the kids and deployment… She felt lost. She went to a group of friends in her newfound [...]
7 Free Resources for Surviving Deployment as a Pregnant Military Wife
Inside: Being a pregnant military wife presents a unique set of challenges. Remember these seven free resources to help you through deployment. It suddenly felt very difficult to swallow. Tears pooled behind my sunglasses and my heart thudded fiercely against my chest. For months, I prayed this day [...]
8 Totally Awkward Moments That Can Happen After Homecoming
Inside: If you're feeling weird about homecoming, read these military homecoming tips and you'll know everything really is normal. Or how to avoid the awkward altogether. "Hi," I said. "Hi," he responded. "Hi." "Um. Hi." This is basically how the conversation went when my husband returned home from his first deployment. I couldn't [...]
