I am so excited to have one of my favorite milspouse blogger's Skinnie Piggie blog over here today. If you have never read her blog before you are missing out!
I couldn't be more excited about the post she has written for us today. It is something everyone can relate to, especially all you mil-spouses out there. After just making our first PCS move, but my second move to be with the hubs in 3 years, her post really hit home. So I will let you read what she has to say!
Reaching Out
I hate being the "new girl" but inevitably I am every few years. New state, new city, new base, new roads, sometimes (like here) a new language, and always... always... new faces. I remember packing, well cramming, everything I owned into my Mazda 3 and making the grueling drive across the country with my dad. It was great for us, we bonded, stayed in crappy hotels, saw amazing things, and even went up inside the St. Louis Arch. The trip didn't change me, the day my dad left did. I was alone... my soon-to-be husband was at work, and I wasn't in Arizona anymore!
We flew back to get married but afterwards it was the same old story. Lucky enough for me one of my husband's friends had a great wife! She invited me over, we went out to lunch, she let me get us completely lost then pointed me in the right direction, she went to the commissary with me for the first time, and we bonded really well. Later they threw a BBQ and there I was introduced to a bunch of the other wives... now everyone didn't welcome me with "open arms" to say, but eventually I became good friends with most of them, which is quite a feat with a group of women, can I get an "amen?" Haha!
About 5mo into my time in Maryland a new wife from my husband's company arrived, she actually moved in one street away from me. I went over to say hello and from there I became the girl who invited her over, took her out to lunch, etc. She was also pregnant and when I found out she hadn't had a baby shower... that just wouldn't do, so I opened my home, planned the whole thing, and threw her a shower.
All of us have now left Maryland... we are in Wisconsin, Texas, and Hawaii... but we'll never forget each other and the things that were done for us. I tell you all of this to say- reach out! Don't let the "new girl" mope around in her house, be alone, and have to learn everything all by herself. Honestly, who wants or should have to do that? Who knows, your next best friend or deployment sister could be waiting.
Thanks so much for this awesome guest post! To visit Skinnie Piggie's blog click here
Amen sister! Great post!
ReplyDeleteLove your attitude & helpfulness! I wish every Military Wife paid it forward like you did- then moving all the time wouldn't be so dreadful.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words ladies!! (And Katie, thanks for allowing me to be featured on your blog!)
ReplyDeleteEXCELLENT Post!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI have definitely been on "girlfriend patrol" on my hubby's ship. There are a couple of fresh out of bootcamp 18 year olds that have high school girlfriends that cannot deal with having a bf that basically has a career. I am that girl that texts, facebook messages and chats with them when they need advice, are upset that their bf can't call for a week or whatever else they are dealing with. All the other wives ignore the girls because they are "JUST girlfriends" . . .I can't ignore, I used to be JUST a girlfriend to my Coastie and I understand what that means!