2023/Kei-23669

I first realized that as a military brat I was different from others was when I noticed the other kids around me had both their parents around them all year long. Their parents were never on deployment or had to go overseas for their jobs and they could talk to their parents everyday without having to worry about time zones or work hours. As I was growing up, I rarely had my dad be there for my birthdays or awards and it felt a bit awkward to be one of the only kids in the school to not have a parent to escort them on “Father’s Day Brunch” or “Bring Your Parent to School Day.”

Another thing I realized was not many other families move every 2-3 years to a whole new continent. The most my other classmates experienced as moving was going to a new state or a new suburb. Everybody else had childhood friends they’d known since they were 5 yet I have no connection to anybody I’ve had a friendship with from when I was 5. Though I’m grateful for having the opportunity to explore new places I sometimes wish I could stay put in one place and form a deep bond with the friends I settled with in that area.

Lastly, when I was in America in a town not so militarized, I was one of the only half kids out of one other person. I had a friend named Miyabi and she was half Japanese just like me. Her parents were also in the military and she moved after 1 year of being there.

I never noticed how different military life was compared to a more normal life. It’s crazy how one small detail can change somebody’s whole childhood which makes a lot of us different from others.