The Beginning of my Beginning

I, unfortunately, got married at the age of 18, to a boy I thought was "him". What girls, and guys, don't understand that at such a young age you haven't met everyone you're going to meet. Whether they are going to college, joining the military, traveling or even staying in their home state, you will meet someone new almost daily. Also, you change. Not only do you change physically, but mentally. Your brain doesn't fully develop until you're 25. That boy (and I say boy because we were both young and still teenagers) changed more than I did at first. The military is what changed us. It was his calling and mine, but because our paths didn't stick together there was no way WE as a married couple, could make it work. Divorced before I was even 20. How cute, right? Great way to start off a young adults life right? Well, honestly, I don't regret one thing in my past because it has given me the amazing path I am on right now, and there's no other way I'd be wanting to live my life.

Little Maine Girl Shipped off to Basic Training

Yes, I joined the military! As a girl in high school, I didn't do too much. I barely passed gym, but because I was lazy. Now I wasn't overweight by any means. I was a good five foot zero and maybe 120 pounds soaking wet, but lazy. Lazy meaning I smoked a little pot, ate the amazing food my mom always cooked, and hung out with friends. I got pretty good grades in high school, and never had any trouble. Until I joined the Army. I say this because I've always been an outsider, didn't fit in with any cliques at school. 

Once I got into basic (which I tried hiding always) I got noticed real quick. They like to put the shortest people up front, and of course, hey there's me! So then I got picked on. Not to mention my laziness didn't really go away, so there I was, also being late to a formation here and there. If you know of anyone in the Army, or you yourself were in the Army, you would know what this means. To push, and push again. At one point during basic, I was so late that my platoon had to go upstairs, come back down, about ten times and change in and out of the uniform from PTs. At this point, I didn't think they would let me graduate! I snapped out of it real quick though, especially because my Drill Sergeants still had faith in me. I had a one on one with my Drill Sergeant and he kind of put me in my place but in a nice way.


After basic training, there is Advanced Individual Training (AIT). A college for soldiers. Fun you'd think right? Not so much, waking up early for PT, going to school all day, having late formations and finally sleep. My job in the military was basically a weapons smith. We also had Marines training with us in school. That got really interesting, as the Marines made it so we lost our chairs before because they can't just be quiet. I'm not even kidding, it was horrible. Also during college, you're free to roam, well here you aren't. By week five you can get a pass to go off post, but you have an eight o'clock curfew and if you miss it, boy was you in some deep shit. Not me, never me, I went out maybe every weekend, but with one of my best friends and we mostly walked the mall or went to a movie. AIT was chill for me, and also by default I got an incredible award at the end of it, honors. I had the highest grade average in my class, other than someone who failed their PT test, and someone who missed a formation. So by default, I was the raining champion of my class.

Fort Carson, Colorado

My first and only duty station. Yay, I loved beautiful Colorado Springs and would go back there in a heartbeat. I never got sick of it, and there's always something to do. I didn't get stationed with any of my friends in AIT, so I was alone at first. Met a friend there, and she and I hung out until we both went to our units. And that's when I met the "him", like for real.   I didn't know it at first but always knew there was something amazing about him. We clicked instantly, and I knew I could always look to him for anything. When I got to my unit we were about to deploy, and that's when I needed him the most. First I didn't know what I needed to deploy with, so he helped me with that. Then my orders said something different than everyone else's so he helped me through that situation. Then it came to actually leaving the United States. That's when he really, really helped me. We spent that weekend together, with some friends, partying. I drank, he didn't, but we all watched movies and hung out. August 2nd and August 3rd of 2015 changed our relationship completely. He became more than just my friend, but in a way, we didn't discuss, until halfway through the deployment. 

During the deployment, we hung out almost every night after work. Eating chow, going to the MWR, playing pool, watching movies or just hanging out. Honestly, it was the most memorable time I've ever had with anyone. Halfway through the deployment, we got to see a Seether concert for free! It was fun, and of course, we went together. At this point, I didn't know exactly where our relationship was, we had never discussed it. I had been begging him and our friends to go to the front of the concert, where everyone was standing, but they wouldn't. A guy who had been sitting with us told me he would take me, so I went. Not thinking anything of it of course. Well, my friends and he came and got me about 10 minutes later saying they were leaving. I went with them because it was dangerous to be walking alone in the dark, and didn't know anyone else here. That night really changed us as he told me he loved me and was kind of mad I went with that guy up front. I loved him too, in fact, I loved him from the moment of our time spent August 2nd, but now I knew it was true love. No one ever acted this way towards me.

Back to Fort Carson, Colorado

We started to live together! For the next two years, we were stationed here at Fort Carson, Colorado. Living with him was so easy, and we had so much in common. Not one day went by where either of us was looking for something else. We both knew it was meant to be and he even proposed November 11, 2016. I know he's the one for sure because of everything we've been through (there's a lot you don't know) and then the next deployment I didn't go on, but he did. I didn't go on this next deployment in 2017 because I actually got out of the Army. Yay me, and I went back home to Maine. I spent the next nine months, still madly in love with this man, not having to worry about what most girlfriends do, cheating. We spent every night video chatting, everyday texting and every moment we could sending each other adorable gifts. I never felt unhappy, or out of love and I know he feels the same way. Those nine months went by fast, and by the time he came back our love had only gotten stronger. 

Fort Stewart, Georgia

Fast forward another nine months or so and here we are in Georgia. Living in a beautiful home, about to get married (May 29, 2018). We even had our first baby, our Cherry Head Red Foot Tortoise named Gohan. He's, of course, still in the military and I'm about to start my new job as a nurse. I'm currently in college for psychology, with just two years left before I got my BA, and my dream goal is to help people. I'd say after finding out what true love meant, having an amazing life with him, has helped me get to be the amazing person I am today. Another dream I have is to write, I feel like every day of my life should be written about. I'm also into health and fitness, so my next blogs might either be about that, Gohan or just my life. I don't always have happy go lucky days either, there are days we both just want to sleep in and be quiet all day. Together we can get through anything, and you can too.