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OK we are on our countdown…..Posters made…..checkOutfits for the kids picked out……..checkMenu planned for the entire R&R……checkPets bathed……..checkBedroom beautiful…….check (It is not Morocco, but it is a romantic setting)My outfit ready…..um not check. The dress I ordered hasn’t arrived yet.Back-up outfit ready………checkHair colored………..checkAll his favorite treats stocked….checkHis truck vacuumed out…………..check And I am happy to…
Grab This HH6 Graphic! World War II Poster Collection from the Northwestern University Library |
Monthly Archives: July 2007When we were in Germany, people would say that it would take six months to a year to get over culture shock. Generally speaking I would agree, it took me about six months to feel comfortable and a year to feel like I lived there. Our next pcs was to a place we’d been before… I am engaged to my beloved soldier looking toward getting married this fall. I have no military background or experience whatsoever, except what I’m learning through web sites like this one and what I learn through him. And sometimes it gets just so overwhelming that I just have a hard day. So I know how you feel, even though you’ve been at it so much longer than me. I am a strong person and know without a doubt, I will get through it all, but sometimes it’s just so intimidating. He just graduated from BCT and is starting his AIT. We are separated by several states right now and working everything out to be together soon. I’d appreciate any advice you could give, about getting married and getting ALL the things we need to get done, done. I just wanted to say thanks for giving me validation when I just have a hard time. God bless! Always remember that you are never alone. There is always someone you can talk to. There are Army wives eveywhere. AWTR is a great resource because it can connect you with Army Wives all over the world. Military life is what you make it. It is a tough life, but it can also be a great experience. I have made some incredible friends and been some wonderful places. Make it work for you!!! Don’t ever get too upset about anything in the Army, because you can bet it will change tomorrow. Always remember that you are never alone. There is always someone you can talk to. There are Army wives eveywhere. AWTR is a great resource because it can connect you with Army Wives all over the world. Military life is what you make it. It is a tough life, but it can also be a great experience. I have made some incredible friends and been some wonderful places. Make it work for you!!! Don’t ever get too upset about anything in the Army, because you can bet it will change tomorrow. Do you ever just go outside and appreciate all that’s around you? I rarely do, lol, b/c I always feel like I’ve got a hundred things to do or ther is something wild always on my mind keeping my attention focused. But today, because my hubby just reupped (HOOAH!) he was off. He was washing… Aren’t those days wonderful? I love when that happens, which is not often enough. I still feel like I haven’t really gotten the chance in a long time and I really have nothing to do! I love the feeling of everything being still and quite just so I can look at it. It really doesn’t happen too often. This past Friday, my best friend from Ft. Stewart came up to visit. I was wishing the workday away as fast as I possibly could. We met for dinner at Truett’s grill in Griffin, GA. We spent the whole night talking and catching up. It was so great to visit with someone (in person) who… I’m a townie. Yeah, I might not be from the town originally, and I might only be there for a couple of years, but I’m definitely a townie. Where ever we move, it seems I always am attracted to living in the town, not on post. Why? Well, I think it’s because I like to… I’m with you on living in town. I have always chosen to live in town when I can. I like to be in the atmosphere of the different places. I’m with you on living in town. I have always chosen to live in town when I can. I like to be in the atmosphere of the different places. I love living on-post. I find comfort in knowing the people around me are in the same situation I’m in and it’s a great ice breaker. But I also think it’s great to be around different people, different situations! I love living on-post. I find comfort in knowing the people around me are in the same situation I’m in and it’s a great ice breaker. But I also think it’s great to be around different people, different situations! I love living on post too, you get more information here I think than you do off post. I have a friend here who literally told me she had to become her FRG leader to get information, and she attributed a lot of the lack of info on living off post. But aside from that, I feel more secure and more a part of the Army family living on post. My name is Kara, and I am new here but I’m engaged to an army man and am a teen, so it’s interesting to hear the different lifestyles of on post or in town since I have no idea. I think it sounds like I would like to live on post, but then again…living in town is always something that I will be use to. This is a common conundrum.I just responded to a Field Problems’ reader who wondered about the Pros & Cons of Working on & off Post. See below, I think it addresses the same things being discussed here. <>On post you are with military spouses, military children, and military friendly employers. If you live on post, then you’ll be working close to home. If you have children, they’ll be with other military brats and military friendly teachers.You will have to meet certain requirements to become DoD teacher, but those requirements will be pretty much the same across all military installations, so you don’t have to start over at each assignment. Off post, you get a break from military life, contribute to the local community, and meet people that can either totally embrace your military connection or reject it. (There’s not usually a middle ground here.) If you live off post, of course, you can attempt to work close to home and put your children near where you are, but there are no guarantees. (You didn’t mention children, but you’ll want to consider where they’ll be comfortable too, when you do have them.)<>Truthfully, I never did live on post. We had to consider where my husband (the dependent) would work and lived somewhere between post and where he worked. I know Tara enjoys having her own home, A lot! I agree with you..I have always lived off post. I think it is the best of both worlds. You are close to post and all the facilities there. You generally have at least a few other townies around so you have some comraderie. You also get the added benefit of not having to be all Army all the time… You know? My husband loves being a soldier and there are great things about being an Army family—but it is nice to just be us sometimes too……And of course it is nic eto get invloved in the local community and have those experiences. Like right now we live in an equivalent of Mayberry outside of post–and I love it. We are THE army family in town. The town has adopted us and they take care of us..the cops know my DH is deployed they make extra patrols down our road. The mayor is my friend–my kids play in her office…we will only be here a short time…but what cool memories. We have had both experiences, and LOVE the on post living experience MUCH MORE! We love being with Army families; love being just a 2 minute drive to the commissary, PX, his office. We still make the most of town, the sights, activities (we’re in Colorado so there are many things to do…unlike some other Army towns). As a Chaplain, my husband has every excuse to bring work home with him, and to drop everything and take care of soldiers who need him. He takes the calls, judges the situation, and for the most part, can handle it quickly w/o interfering with our family time. But, before, if he got a call he had to handle, it was a chore to get dressed, drive to post, go through the gate at all hours, take care of business, and then drive home. Now, OH MY GOODNESS, he’s back so much quicker! So, for us, we love the on post life and really try to encourage younger families to give it a try. Then, if it’s not for you, try living off post next time. Everyone is different…as for our family, we like being all army, all the time. For example, we LOVE standing at attention for the bugle calls at 5:00 (not to the point where I convert my time to military time). And personally, I could not afford to live in the other gated communities in Colorado Springs I grew up an Army brat and the only time I lived on post was the first 5 months of my life at Fort Hood. I am now an Army wife, and still have never lived on post. It really is such a personal choice, for some people it works and for some it doesn’t. I don’t think we’ll ever live on post unless we move to Europe. We live in Anchorage, Alaska, and we chose to move here to experience Alaska. I know some people who live on post and never really get out to experience Alaska and that really is sad to me. We like separating our home life from our work lives, and we get to meet so many more people with so many more backgrounds by living off post. We are still very connected on post by participating in the FRG and ACS activities like AFTB, I get all the emails about every activity on post. But to each his (or her) own, and this is what works for us. I am a townie! We just bought a house off post and am loving it! It gives my husband some separation from work and I enjoy being with the locals. For me it’s on post or bust! I’m not a happy camper if we can’t get on-post housing. I’m glad so many of you are townies. Makes more room for those of us who prefer to live on post. For me it’s on post or bust. I’m not a happy camper when we can’t get on-post housing. I definitely agree with you….living off post is the preference for me. We just PCS’d and it is the first time we have been MADE to live on-post. I feel totally isoloated from the local community. I don’t like not being able to walk to the market or just stroll around for some quiet window shopping. The locals treat you like family when you live in the community. I love that, especially when the husband travels and deploys alot. So far I hate living on post. No one speaks to each other and everything is dirty and badly maintained. Three years – then we can retire and return to our sweet life – off post! Stay strong Jeri. That’s got to be difficult. Can’t wait till you’re both back home near your friends and family. In the meantime, you’re in my thoughts;) Sorry you are not off post. Hope you enjoy Germany anyways. God protect all our soldiers ,who have to be in the warzones now and fight for our all peace and freedom and can’t not be with the many left behind family members or friends.I can imagine how you are all feel and it makes me sad, that we can’t nothing do, to stop all this Wars.But i know, women can be also strong like the soldiers and so we can support our soldiers with Love and strongless,till they will come home. |
~Jennifer
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I hope you guys enjoy his time home! I am so glad for you that you get to see him!! I’m sure your kids will love it too!Have lots of fun and God bless!!