PCS Season

Every time I log onto Facebook lately, it seems like SOMEBODY has orders to a new duty station.

Every time I check my bloglovin', one of the military families in the blogosphere is also PCS'ing.

I can't help but think to myself, "Why can't it be us?!"

Leaving Texas when I was 18 years old was tough.

 But the Marine Corps stationed me in the beautiful and sunny Southern California, so it made being away from home not as bad.

 In fact, I fell in love with"SoCal" pretty quickly, and for a split second (in my younger days), I wanted to live there forever.

When I found out that we were moving to New England, I had the same feelings of excitement that I did over 10 years ago when I found out as a young PFC that I would be stationed in California.

I think I was more excited about finally being together with my hubby after almost a year stationed separately.

Either way, I was excited about Boston and the change of scenery.

Here I am 9 months later, and I don't have that same sense of excitement that I did when I first moved to California.

The winter was long.

The gas prices are even higher than California.

The cost of living is higher than California.

I hate am scared of driving in Boston, so I never go there (even though all the fun things to do are in the city).

I also miss being around other Marines.

I miss being around a base.

I miss the commissary.

I miss the 10 dollar haircuts at the barbershop for my husband (they're 20 here for a military regulation haircut...RIDICULOUS).

I miss hearing artillery at night.

I miss the friendships I had with other Marines and Marine wives.

I mean, the people we have met here and have become friends with are awesome.

I love our church here.

I love our neighbors. 

But no offense to any civilians reading this...

Y'all just don't get it!

 

A lot of the friends we've made here have a ton of questions about the Marine Corps and military life.

I feel like I have to break it down "Barney style" every time I answer a question.

I feel "suffocated" when it comes to explaining the last 10 years of my life to someone who has no idea about our "culture".

Most of the time, I just nod and say "yes" because it's easier than explaining all the lingo, the terms, and the reason behind the madness (that we call "life" in the military).

Because of this "gap" of difference between civilian life and our life, I find it hard to really let anyone I've met here fully into my life.

I really feel the two happiest places I will ever be is around other Marines or in Texas...

Thank God when Nick retires, we can move back to familiar territory...in Texas...