2023/Samuel-

There are many benefits and disadvantages to being a military child, but most people have the perception that being a military child is challenging all the time. But to me it isn’t. I have enjoyed my whole life being a military child. I have lived in many great places including Hawaii, on the island of Oahu, Washington State, and Japan. Sure it isn’t fun moving every three years, or when my dad was on deployment, but it has brought me exciting experiences that I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. One of my favorite memories is going to the beach right outside my family's backyard everyday after school. We would go surfing, snorkeling, and explore all of Hawaii.I have always had the opportunity to meet new people and make a lot of friends. While there are many benefits to being a military child, as I have mentioned, there are some bad things as well. Moving every three years is one of those drawbacks. I have lived in 5 different places in the past 15 years. But that has only made me a tougher person and made me who I am today. I will always miss the Hawaiian sunsets and the Washington mountains. My dad has been on deployment a couple of times and that is always a difficult time to only have one parent to take me where I need to be and to cook dinner. But so far I think the hardest adjustment in my life has been living in Japan. It is a completely different experience compared to living anywhere else. This is a whole new culture and the language is definitely weird, but at the same time it is a cool experience. But overall being a military child is a fun and cool experience, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.