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One of the best parts about milspouse life is the traveling! We likely get to see places that we would have never experienced otherwise. Click the image below to learn more about Space A travel, or keep reading for our latest travel features from our blog.
D-Day conjures up a multitude of emotions for many Americans.
I am flying out with my family on the morning of June 1 to visit Normandy to witness the 75th anniversary of the jump into France that essentially catapulted the United States into the European theater of World War II.
I will be writing a multi-part feature on Normandy, D-Day, and the events surrounding this week, but I want to share a story that means so much to me and my family.
There is nothing that screams “spring has arrived” as fresh flowers. You can smell them wafting in the air—wisteria, lilacs, roses. A symphony of colors, shapes, sizes, and scents all intermingling together remind me that winter has shed her coat, donned her sundress, and let all her beauty radiate through.
Nothing, and I do mean nothing, embodies this more than visiting Keukenhof Gardens in beautiful Holland, and that is the next stop on our virtual passport around the world.
Her spires reach high into the sky. Her stained glass windows reflect a beautiful, seemingly dancing rainbow of indescribable colors. The gargoyles rain down their penetrating stares as they perch high above in the Parisian sky. We were in Paris last May, and the enormity of Notre Dame’s magnificent cathedral is still fresh in my memory. I think this is why the news of April 15 cut me to the quick and left me with such a feeling of heavy sadness.
While OCONUS living has its challenges, which I’ve written about in the past, traveling is not one of them. Actually, to rephrase, the logistical part of traveling in foreign countries can be ultra-challenging but actually traveling is pretty darn cool. In the little more than a year we’ve been stationed in Italy, we’ve seen and done things I only saw on Pinterest, tucked away in a file I named “Bucket List.”
The holidays truly are the most wonderful time of the year, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t filled with chaos. If you’re traveling over the holidays, then you know that the word crazy doesn’t even begin to cover it. As military families, we often travel home since most of us don’t get to live near family. So, each year, we pack way too much stuff, muster as much enthusiasm we think we need, in order to travel 300, 800, 2,000 miles, and we hop in the car or board a plane.
If you’re anything like my military family, vacations seem to be few and far between. Maybe even nonexistent.
And if you’re anything like my military family, your “vacations” usually consist of going to visit family members whenever you have a chance, rather than going anywhere else. You can read more about my experience here.
When living overseas, it’s very easy to quickly begin missing certain things about the good ol’ US of A. It’s not that other countries necessarily “get it wrong,” but rather that it’s different from what Americans are used to. Over time, we adjust to the host nation’s culture, and it becomes our new normal.
But really, we still kind of miss certain things.
Maybe you recently PCS’d, and the idea of bundling your family into a vehicle again gives you hives. Or maybe it isn’t your family’s turn for a PCS this summer, but your budget doesn’t allow for too much travel, your spouse is deployed, or you simply would rather explore more of the area where you’re stationed. Whatever the reason, if your version of a family summer vacation this year means staying put at home, a “staycation,” then make the most of a relaxing week or two while preventing your kids from defaulting into the, “I’m bored!” mode!
If you’re due for a PCS this spring, in just a few weeks, you’re going to say goodbye to your home and pack up for a new duty station. You may realize you spent all your time saying “I’ll do it later” and forgot to actually live locally at your current duty station. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there! Maybe now is the time to make your bucket list!