2024/Ryker-27477

Being a military kid has its ups and downs. I think the first thing that most people think of is that we get to constantly travel all over the world, and they would be right. Sometimes, we get to live places in and around Europe for years at a time. In fact, as of right now, my family is stationed in Belgium, which is far from what is normal for us. Other times, you go to America. At one point, instead of flying, we spent two and a half weeks driving all the way across the country, seeing all points of historical value and hot spots along the way, from Washington State to the Nation’s Capital, Washington DC (I always enjoy telling people we moved from Washington to Washington)! It’s always an adventure, every time, because you aren’t the one who chooses (okay, there is some degree of choice. I mean, we get a choice between three or four random places.). Living as a military kid is the same as being any other kid, except that the constants that make life easy for some people are always changing, for better or for worse, and you can always count on the sights, the smells, and the mixed emotions that come with every move (packing boxes, airports, that new house smell, the sadness, and the glee of moving). The worst part, really, is having to accept a couple things, like how, at any point, something might happen, and your parent, for me my Dad, might not make it. Especially with the threat of war looming over our heads, I stay up late some nights just thinking about what would happen if he doesn’t make it, because I really do love him, and sometimes I’m worried I don’t spend enough time with him. Sometimes, when I was 3 or four, he would have to stay up very late doing his job on the ship, and he wouldn’t come back until early the next morning. At one point, he was deployed for 11 MONTHS… DURING THE PANDEMIC. He took a tour all around the world while we were home schooled. During that time, we mapped out where he was, every day, and how close he was to coming back. It became part of our routine, until we were all happy for him, and we didn’t miss him so much anymore. I’m only 13, and I have moved 10 times, across 3 countries, and have gone to 9 different schools. I have only attended school for eight years, and I have changed schools 9 times. Try doing that math. You can count on a house that isn’t at all rich, but is far from being poor. You get to see life as someone from the outside, and from all angles. It makes us resilient. It’s never easy to leave your friendships, your school, your life, but it’s also not hard to make new ones, and have a fresh start, again and again. You truly do get a little bit of everything, the good and the bad.

-Ryker Y.