Adeline K...
M.C. Perry High School
The struggles of being a military child are often hidden behind the glamorous idea of being able to travel the world and having many opportunities. However, in reality, being a military child, while having benefits, is a very challenging way to grow up and experience the world. My Dad was already in the military when I was born, so military life is all I’ve ever known. I was born in Iwakuni, Japan before moving to California. I moved again and started school in The Netherlands, and then again when I moved to North Carolina. The last move I made was back to Iwakuni, Japan. The question I’m often asked is “Where are you from?” or “Where do you consider home?” and while the answer does vary, most of the time, I’m not sure what to say. Out of all the places I’ve been I don't know how to pick one single place where I call home, because for me home is where my friends are. My family is scattered all over the world, so saying my friends are where home is for me, works best. If I had to pick one place that I call home, it would be Iwakuni, Japan. Yet somehow, even though I have so many different things I’ve done over the course of 14 years, my favorite part of being a military child is being able to look back and see how in every place I’ve lived I’ve adapted. I’ve changed and developed to everything going on wherever I am in the world, that for me, adaptation is part of everyday life. Having to pack up my life so frequently can make it rough to be a military child, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.