MilSpouse Life
“I didn’t know what I was getting into.” Time and time again military spouses speak those words to me. To be honest, I didn’t know either. How does anyone really know? In the same way, you don’t understand what it’s like to be a mom or a broker on Wall Street or a barista in Italy unless you’ve lived those experiences. You have to [...]
strong military spouse
The Biggest Mistake a Military Spouse Can Make
Bouncing a baby on her right hip, she looked away from me and stared out the window. Then slowly and carefully—sentence by sentence—she revealed what was haunting her as a military spouse. “I was 19 when I quit college to elope with my husband. I was 20 when I got pregnant with my daughter. It wasn’t planned. It just happened. I mean, [...]
What to Do When You Feel Lonely in Military Life
My husband is gone a lot for work. This is the military life we chose. We both accepted the responsibility of this choice, and we are more than willing to see it through. However being apart, as a family, is met with a very hefty set of challenges. Sometimes I feel like a lonely military wife. There is a stillness in the house during [...]
7 Things Good Military Spouses Do…That I’m Not Going to Do Anymore
I remember that time my car broke down in Okinawa and my military spouse friend was there to help me take it to the shop. And she loaned me a spare car for 3 weeks! I remember that time I gave birth to a ten-and-a-half pound baby and our community of military spouses brought meals to our home for over two weeks! I remember that time I [...]
Deployment7 Small Ways to Help a Military Spouse and Make a Huge Difference
A few years ago when we were still stationed on the East Coast, my husband was gone for several months at a military school. Right before he left, I quit my job as a nurse to be a full-time stay-at-home mom to our 6 month old son. I didn't know it yet, but I was about to turn into a lonely military wife. It was an odd feeling at the [...]
31 Perfect Military Spouse New Year’s Resolutions
Military life can feel like a lot of pressure sometimes. There are countless ups and downs to navigate, requiring you to adapt year after year. I’ll be honest with you right now: I’m not usually big on New Year’s resolutions. I’m in the camp, where I believe if you truly want to do something, you will make a goal and strive to meet it [...]
I’m Terrible at Being a Military Spouse
Last week my husband and I attended an annual military family mandatory fun party. This party included a meal, live entertainment, and of course, a bouncy house for the kids. Secretly, I was dreading it. As a military spouse, I should be more enthusiastic about these “family fun nights,” but often times we get there, spend the [...]
How to Build the Military Spouse Community You Always Wanted
Traveling to the East Coast to visit my active duty boyfriend for the first time, I got my first taste of what the military community was like. It was a discouraging experience. I flew back to my home in the Midwest thinking that military life was not for me. After a weekend filled with beaches, social barbeques, and night life, you would [...]
25 Genius Life Hacks for Military Spouses
With all the unique ups and downs of military life, every military spouse can use a few military life hacks to keep life running smoothly. When chatting with other spouses at the playground or over a cup of coffee, I'm always surprised to learn that many spouses don't know about these life hacks. [...]
Military ResourcesMilitary Spouse Jobs That Work for You, Not Against You
Building a military spouse career is an uphill battle. Frequent moves, family separations, poor job markets near military bases compound challenges to both completing an education and discovering a military spouse job that works for you, not against you. Sometimes military spouses with even the most portable career are experiencing a [...]
