One of the most common questions I am asked is, "don't you get tired of moving?" I usually reply with a, "nope! I actually enjoy it" or "I knew what is was getting into when I married my husband."
I should probably backtrack a bit and explain why I get asked this...my husband is a proud member of the US Coast Guard. He's been active duty for over 10 years and has made it his career and he's great at it. His job provides us the stability of a steady income and healthcare among other things. The CG has also allowed us to see parts of the country that we wouldn't have seen otherwise. With this job comes sacrifices as well; we don't stay in one place for too long. Moving every 3-4 years and the heartache and strife that comes along with that. Being away from friends and family. The chance of being on a boat for extended periods of time away from us. Also long and strange hours at work. With that being said, I will continue on...
Earlier this year, we got our new assignment: Staten Island, NY. We were surprised and excited for this new adventure. In the last 5 years, we moved from Seattle, WA to rural VA and now, just outside manhattan! SI was on our list of places to go, but didn't give it much thought as we anticipated Washington DC. However, we couldn't be more excited to try this chapter of life out. There's so much to do and explore and culture to expose to the kids. I am stoked!
After marrying into the military, you find yourself thinking opposite of what the people who ask those questions in the first paragraph...how could people stay in one place for so long? Where I grew up, I know people who still live there and ask me 10 years ago, I would have thought I could live in the same place for years. Now, we look forward to starting a new chapter, meeting new people and exploring the US on the CG's dime. It's like a weird addiction of putting in where you'd like to go, and playing the waiting game to find out where. You get the call, hold your breath, heart racing and are told where you will spend the next few years of your life...to us it's an adrenaline rush. Weird I know.
