Was This Your Dream?

Today I was sitting at Starbucks, hogging a table trying to study medical terminology while downing a double shot PSL when the girl next to me asked what the Marine Corps Sticker on my laptop was for. Now I'm not an overly Marine wear wife, but in place of the standard Dell circle, I stuck a small EGA. I told her my husband is a Marine and went back to studying.

A couple minutes later, she asks "Was this your dream as a kid?" Now she has to be close in age to me and really who dreams about being a military spouse. As a little girl I wanted to be a ballerina, a princess, a mommy, a teacher and a nurse but never was military spouse an idea. When I asked her what she meant, she said well on TV it seems like so much fun. The uniforms, free housing and big paychecks. Uh that does sound fun but its so far from real life.

I love my husband and I'm a proud Marine spouse, but this wasn't my dream life. We've moved two times in less than a year and to opposite sides of the country. I've settled into my new area just to have his orders re-issued and our lives turned upside down again. It's hard to finish my degree when we aren't in a place for very long. There aren't big paychecks like people think so we budget while I finish school. And the uniforms? As nice as they look, they are expensive as heck and so rarely worn. But in the off chance you need a certain uniform and it doesn't fit, its you who pays for it.

But as I was talking to her I saw that with the bad things like budgets, expensive uniforms that we have to pay for, early morning PT, long hours, and moving a lot, there's a great upside. Without the military we never would have lived right outside DC and had the chance to see so much there. Our last unit did a few spouses trips that were amazing and truly once in a lifetime things. Now we are living in San Diego, the military is helping pay for my school and while life isn't what we dreamed at 18 it is pretty amazing.

Tour De Fat

A few weeks ago NewBelgium brewing company had a touring beer festival visit downtown San Diego. After walking 3 blocks to the park it was hosted in we had an amazing time. There was good trucks, special brews we cant find in stores and tons of activities. So many people were wearing costumes or riding bikes so we got ideas for next year. 

I love living in a city where there's so much going on. We can always find something to do or just get out and explore on weekends. 

Blessed

Today Ty is off work for Columbus Day which means a Monday where the alarm does not go off at 5 am. There is nothing better than 3 days of lazy mornings with him. This morning Ty left to go out with a bunch of guys from his shop while I stay home to do schoolwork. After he left I was thinking about how much has changed in the last 1.5 years we've been married.

When we got married, he was still in his MOS school and duty stations seemed like a far away dream. I was working 40-50 hours a week while he was gone. Then he suddenly got his first station Quantico, a we truly started married life. We visited DC a lot and saw so many sights. 

His new orders for California were a dream come true earlier this year. We moved in August and have loved it here since then. I'm now enrolled fulltime in school. We have explored a lot and love being able to take Lexi so many places. The only downfall is our parents are on the east coast. 

Even though things haven't been the easiest with moving or trying to get into school with moving I'm so blessed. I have an amazing husband who supports me in anything. He has a great job in the USMC and that has allowed us to live in a couple fantastic cities in our short marriage. So many people knock military life but while his hours are long, there are always upsides. 

Getting Settled

Over the last couple weeks we have really settled into San Deigo. Our living situation with the roommate has been going ok but all that changed last night when his wife arrived. While she's nice she has zero common sense and is very immature. Less than 24 hours in she's sprayed so much body spray my apartment smells like cotton candy now and she's convinced the government is closed forever. This will take some getting used too. 

If you need me I will be outside in the fresh air while my apartment airs out.