New Year, New Surprises!

Well, we're off to another year of adventures as a military family.  

Military life keeps you on your toes, as it often surprises you.  

Although we still have some time before we move again, we like to plan ahead for every option, and pick our favorites.  The assignment process is very complicated when a family is involved, to say the least.  Usually, even though the active duty member has some say in what assignment they prefer, the places you move will not provide you with every desire you have.  

On our list of desirable qualities in a places where we like to live are: good schools for the kids, good neighborhoods, short commutes to the base, work/school opportunities for myself, access to good medical care, affordability of good housing (and yes, this varies greatly despite the DOD's best efforts at equalizing housing allowance for all bases), proximity to our families, time commitments and schedule of work at the assignment, and my husband's career.  Whew!  Those are just the big considerations.  :)

There are some jobs that my husband would love to do, but they don't make smart career decisions.  Some jobs have a more stable schedule, with a 9-5 type workload, from which we as a family would benefit greatly.  Currently, we send our kids to some of the lowest ranked schools in the nation, but when our other options were weighed, this assignment made the most sense for us.  

Sometimes, you make plans for one assignment, and in the next moment, you discover an option that might suit your goals better. That is kind of fun!:)

 The military career and lifestyle can sometimes feel like a game of chess in weighing all of your options and moves.  Facing the choices can be thrilling and/or disheartening.  

Military families must be flexible in facing a future that has yet to reveal itself, and be ever prepared for the new challenges the next assignment might bring.  

Hope you have a great January!  Thanks for listening!

C.M.