Being a military spouse, deployments are part of our routine life. Spending months apart from the person you love the most and your best friend, can be very difficult, especially living overseas. Coming up VERY soon, I will get to experience my husbands time away again, for the third time in three years. Once a year for the past three years, he has been gone for 4 or more months.
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| May 2012. Another Homecoming (Forgive us for looking like crap, it was midnight!) |
This will be my first experience with a deployment while living overseas. When Andy was deployed the first and second time, we lived at our last base which was 6 hours away from home. I was able to visit home about every other month, see family for holidays or they would come down and visit me for them. This time its different…and Im having a hard time with it more than I have any other time.
I started my new job on July 1st. I only receive 4 hours of vacation time every two weeks meaning 1 day a month aka not enough time to visit home and make the trip worthwhile time off wise. Since our family consists of just myself, our two pups, and my husband, Christmas and Thanksgiving will be spent by ourselves. I know that I have had friends offer to invite me to their house to spend the holidays with them (and I really appreciate it!), but deep down, it just won’t be the same without him home.
Now, before some gives me the ‘this is what he signed up for’ speech, have you ever lived halfway around the world by yourself before? Vacations are different. While vacationing to a foreign land, you don’t get to experience the day to day life of being there. You have a glazed over tourist view of the location. The ‘I would LOVE to live here!’ look. Missing family is probably the worst thing about living so far away. Internet is NOT up to the speeds like it is in the States, so Skype is a big blur not to mention the time difference. Its hard.
I know its a short deployment, but its still a deployment. I know its part of this lifestyle but it still sucks. I know I can do this, I just don’t want to do it so far away from family. Three years in a row is difficult and Im hoping this is a trend that doesn’t continue.
I hope it goes by quickly for you! I know how much it sucks being over there by yourself for holidays. Wish you could go home for some of it.
Of course it sucks, and of course you can do this. Focus on creating a reality of what you CAN do instead of what you can't. Why don't you reach out on Stampin' Discuss or something — fellow Demonstrators would probably love to use their S-U skills and send you some cards, especially for the holidays! I would!
P.S. Let your DH know how much we over here appreciate his service…
Amber, I want to thank you AND your husband for your service to our country. You both make sacrifices that only those in your situation can understand. May you both be blessed and stay safe!
With much admiration,
Ginger
DAH, So sorry Anastasia. I was looking at someone's else's blog who was Amber and the A name stuck in my head.
Ginger
I totally get it, I've lived that life too. As you say people don't have to get the kids to school, do the laundry, cook and clean etc. I lived in Cyprus for 3 years, Germany for 2 years and have endured the separations of detachments. But, we are strong and we do it because we have too. I must admit, I don't miss that aspect of military life now that we are out of it. Hopefully you have the support of other spouses there to help you through.