Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

Julie

Our Trip to Disneyland Using the Disneyland Military Discount

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It has been 3.5 years but I took my boys back to Disneyland the first week of 2022, and we had an amazing time!

We bought the 3-day military salute tickets, and here is how it went!

A trip to Disneyland

First of all, this is what we did to get the tickets and get ready for our trip. Now, as someone who grew up at Disneyland, the idea of reservations completely freaked me out. The idea of planning freaks me out. You don’t have to plan very much for Disneyland. You just show up. But things are different now.

  • I went to the travel office at Fort Campbell and purchsed four 3-day Disneyland tickets. I got a print out of each ticket with a bar code.
  • I then pulled up the Disneyland app and added these tickets to the app, and made reservations for the dates we wanted. As these are hopper tickets, meaning you can go to both parks, whatever park I chose was the park we had to start at and we could go to the other one after 1pm each day. We had a day starting at Disneyland, a day starting at California Adventure, and another day back at Disneyland. Ideally I would have loved to spread out our dates but since you can’t use the salute tickets from December 16-December 31st, we had to go three days in a row in January as school started back the 6th.
  • When we got to the park, we got in the front gate line. When we got to the front of that line, the guy was able to scan our tickets from the app, took our pictures, and gave us each a card to use for the rest of our trip. When we came back the next day, or when we switched parks, we just had to show the gate person that card.
  • Keep in mind that you have to purchase your tickets before you get to the park. This is a change from before when you could walk up and buy them that day. You also have to have a reservation for each day for every person in your party. You can check on the Disneyland website if your dates are avaliable. I do think most dates are and you are probably good as long as you don’t wait until right before your trip to reserve them.

That was basically it! If you want more of the details on the price, where to buy your tickets, and all that, head on over and read Disneyland Military Discount or for Disney World, Disney World Military Discount.

Now, let’s talk about our days at Disneyland!

Day one was Disneyland. My brother was able to go with us, which was so nice. It was great to spend that time with him, especially at a place we have a lot of childhood memories at. We had passes to Disneyland from when I was about 10 until I left for college. So many amazing memories. The best was when my mom would wake us up and surprise us with a trip to Disney.

Our Trip to Disneyland Using the Disneyland Military Discount

We got to Disneyland about 7:15 am, parking wasn’t an issue although it was $30. There were no trams so we had to walk, which really wasn’t a huge deal. It was kinda fun as we got more and more excited the closer we got.

There was a bit of a line at the front gate and then we were in. We knew where we were going to go first, the place everyone was looking forward to…Galaxy’s Edge, Star Wars Land! When we were at Disneyland in 2018, they had started building this new land and that got us super excited. Our plan was to head on over to the Rise of the Resistance. They did not have a virtual queue for the ride, so we had to wait the 90 minutes standby.

Our Trip to Disneyland Using the Disneyland Military Discount

You can read more about Galaxy’s Edge here!

After Star Wars Land we went back into regular Disneyland and did a lot of our favorite rides. The Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, and Pirates of the Caribbean.

We decided to have lunch at the Hungry Bear Restaurant. We always eat at least one of our meals here. Have since I was a kid. I LOVED bears as a kid and this place was perfect for a bear loving kid. They have burgers and chicken sandwiches.

https://soldierswifecrazylife.com/we-loved-galaxys-edge-at-disneyland/

After lunch, we split up a bit and went on more of our favorite rides. We headed back to Star Wars Land a few times. Everyone loved it so much, and that Blue Milk…we LOVED it!

One of the strangest things about our visit was the line for snacks was out of control. I have never seen them so long. Like 20 minutes for a churro. And I couldn’t seem to order any food on my app. I am not sure if it was the places I was trying to order from or something wasn’t working right but that was pretty frustrating.

Our Trip to Disneyland Using the Disneyland Military Discount

For dinner that night we had such a yummy fried chicken dinner at the Plaza Inn. So good!

We were planning to stay until midnight, but we only made it to 10 because well, two of us are in our 40s…but we gave it a good try. Our feet were so sore at the end of the night but all the walking was worth it.

The next day we were going to go to California Adventure, I let the boys sleep in and had breastfast with my parents and brother before we went so we ended up getting to the park at about 11. Our first ride was Guardians of the Galaxy, which is such a cool yet strange ride. And then we explored the new Avengers Campus. Very cool and we started talking about ways they could expand it.

Our Trip to Disneyland Using the Disneyland Military Discount

We had lunch in Cars Land which I think is so fun, and then used the single rider line for the Radiator Springs Racers. If your kids are old enough to ride by themselves, always do the single rider line. It was only about 10 minutes and the regular wait time was about two hours.

We went on a few more rides but I started to get pretty frustrated. It was so crowded. I don’t even think it was that crowded when I went in previous years July. I found that so weird because I thought one of the reasons for the reservation system was fewer people. I just wanted to go back to Disneyland.

Our Trip to Disneyland Using the Disneyland Military Discount

We decided to head to Downtown Disney for a bit, my middle son got a cool Lego set at the Lego store, and then we took the Monorail back into Disneyland, which my kids have never done before so that was fun. We split up again, I headed to the Starbucks because I really wanted a Disneyland Starbucks cup, and the boys headed into Tomorrowland.

We met back up, did Toon Town, and back to Star Wars Land. We headed home about 7 and got dinner on the way home.

Our Trip to Disneyland Using the Disneyland Military Discount

The next day we got to Disneyland about 9 or 10 and decided to start with Fantasyland. That was fun because I haven’t been on a lot of those rides in a long time. We ended Fantasyland with It’s a Small World and then had lunch in Star Wars Land. It was SO good! More about that in my Star Wars Land post.

We started the afternoon with Indiana Jones and the Jungle Cruise, which we all loved. Then we had a plan to wrap up our visit. We would do Splash Mountain, then head on over to Star Wars Land to ride Rise of the Resistance one more time. But, when we got there…they were shut down! Oh no!

This kind of broke our hearts a little so we had an early dinner at Hungry Bear again and decided to round out the trip with one last ride on Pirates of the Caribbean. That ride always makes me feel so good and I love the smell. Yep, the smell. If you know, you know.

Our Trip to Disneyland Using the Disneyland Military Discount

By the time we were done, I was done. I was good. I had my fill of Disney and don’t feel like I need to go back anytime soon. I am not sure if it is because I am older, or the crowds, what is going on in the world right now, or what but I just didn’t feel like I normally do after a visit. I had such a good time and made some amazing memories with my boys but not sure when we will do it again.

We decided not to pay for Genie+ even though I know that could have saved us time in the lines. I am not sure how I feel about Disney charging for a fast pass type system. Maybe it is just going to be one of those things we have to do at Disney, cost or not. We will see.

Our Trip to Disneyland Using the Disneyland Military Discount

Have you ever been to Disney? When do you plan to go again???

We Loved Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland

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During the first week of 2022, we did three days at Disneyland using the Disneyland Military Discount!

We Loved Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland

We had so much fun but one of the biggest highlights of the trip was Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland! Galaxy’s Edge opened in 2019 and you can find it in between Fantasyland and Frontierland. It was the first thing we did when we got to Disneyland and we were all in awe.

The first thing we noticed that we thought was pretty cool was the tunnel you enter to get into the new land. It starts off with lights from Frontierland and transitions to Star Wars lights. I felt like I was walking onto a Star Wars movie set as we headed into Galaxy’s Edge.

We Loved Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland

There were quite a few shops in Star Wars Land. My son loved the Droid shop and was able to get a red one. He had so much fun putting it together. You can buy so many different Star Wars-type things from stuffed animals to lightsabers to shirts and other fun toys.

We also loved the Blue Milk. My oldest did try the Green Milk which had a more citrus taste to it. The Blue Milk tasted like a creamy smoothie. I want to try to make one at home!

We Loved Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland

As far as rides go, the Rise of the Resistance blew us away. I wasn’t totally sure what to expect but it was really fun. The cast members were all in character and it was great to experience it. The wait was really long for stand-by but it was worth it. The Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run was also a fun ride where you help fly your own ship with a group of people. This one is easy to do as a single rider, but you might end up on a ship with no one from your party.

We Loved Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland
We Loved Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland

We ate one meal in Galaxy’s Edge, at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo. It was one of the best meals I have ever had at Disney. I ordered the Endorian Roasted Chicken Salad, which was marinated chicken, mixed greens, roasted seasonal vegetables, quinoa, and pumpkin seeds, tossed in green curry ranch. The boys got the Fried Chicken Tip-Yip Youngling meal, which was crispy chicken, macaroni and cheese, and seasonal vegetables. They thought the chicken was fun and like the chicken in Minecraft because it was square. The setting was also really cool and felt exactly what a restaurant in Star Wars would be like.

We were not able to experience the Cantina, which I heard was pretty amazing.

We Loved Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland

We were all really impressed with the new land and curious to see what else they will do with it. I couldn’t stop staring at all the features. We also caught some storm troops and Kylo Ren. Right now characters have to stay behind a barrier but someday it would be cool to see them walking around the land. I am also curious to see how Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland compares to the one in Walt Disney World. Someday I hope I will find out.

Have you ever been to Galaxy’s Edge either at Disneyland or Walt Disney World?

For The Military Spouse Who Lost A Loved One This Year

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For The Military Spouse Who Lost A Loved One This Year

In February of 2017, we lost my SIL unexpectedly. Over the years since, we have lost other family members. So many of us have.

The holidays can bring up a lot of emotions. You think about how this is the first time your loved one will not be there for the holidays. The first time you won’t be able to wake up and see them Christmas morning. The first time you won’t hear their voice on the phone when you call to wish them Merry Christmas.

You might be going through a deployment, without your spouse by your side to lean on during this time.

You might already be feeling lonely, and now you are dealing with a hole in your heart for your missing loved one. This can all be so hard to deal with. This is when writing in your journal, writing letters to your spouse, and staying busy will help.

You might be in a new city, missing your group of friends. You depended on them after your loss, you still need them, but they now live states away from you. You don’t know anyone well enough to confide your sadness is.

You might be struggling to know how to act after the loss. You might not be the closest person to the one who passed away, but you still feel their loss. You want to reach out to those who are closer, but you are not sure how to do so.

So for the military spouse who lost a loved one this year, I understand.

Your loved one is missed, by so many. Even if you think you are done mourning, the holidays can make it feel like you were not. Know that you are not alone, that others know what you are doing though, and talking about your loved one is okay.

Know that going through the holidays without them will seem strange, especially if this is the first one. It will seem like someone is missing and rightly so, someone is. You might have pictured this year differently than it turned out and that in itself is hard to come to term with.

Reach out to your loved ones and mourn together.

Understand that some might be having a harder time with their loss than others do. Some might not be able to make it through the holidays without a lot of support. Some might feel like they took a few steps back in their grief.

And if that person is you, know that you can get through this season too. That your grief is understandable, that your loss is very real, and that no one expects you to treat this holiday the same as you have in the past.

After a loss, you have to adapt to a new normal. You have to figure out how to go on without them. And this isn’t always easy. The holidays can be a reminder of what you lost and what you no longer have.

Every new memory you make is a reminder of what they are missing.

So to you who have lost someone this year, do what you can to have an enjoyable holiday. Tell your closest friends and family what you are struggling with. Find ways to honor your loved one especially.

Life is filled with good and bad things. Some years will be harder than others. Know, you are not alone and that you will figure out ways to get through the holiday season.

How do you cope with losing someone during the holiday season?

Missing You, On Christmas

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Missing You, On Christmas

Another Christmas and yet you are gone, across the ocean, serving our country.

We knew this was a part of the deal, and yet, that doesn’t make it any easier. You are gone, away from us, and all we want for Christmas is you.

As the days get closer to the 25th, my heart feels a little less thrilled with the idea that we are so far away from one another. There is something about this holiday, more than any other, that you should be home for. And yet I know, the military doesn’t work like that. Life doesn’t work like that.

I know as a military spouse, just because I want them to be home doesn’t mean they will be. Just because I think they should be home, doesn’t mean they can be. I have to go with the flow, even if that flow hurts.

As I set up the Christmas tree, I can’t help but hold back a tear. I can’t help but think about the year before when you were here for all this. When you were right by my side as we decided on where each ornament should go.

As I set up the Christmas tree, I think about how hopefully you will be with us next year, and the year after, and the one after that. I hope and pray you never have to be over there during Christmas again. But how realistic is that type of prayer?

As I start to buy presents for our young children, I think about how you won’t be there to see them open them. To see the joy on their faces, and hear them laugh and get excited about Christmas morning.

I think about how I will make sure to record everything so that you don’t miss a thing, but you will anyway. That is just how it is. A million photos never make up for being there, no matter how many you take.

I think about how on Christmas Eve, it will just be me getting everything together. It will just be me putting the kids to bed in their cute Christmas PJs, and just me making sure the cookies and milk are out for Santa. It will just be me pouring some eggnog and watching a Christmas movie late into the night.

We will be missing you on Christmas.

As a military family, we have missed you so many times over the years. You have missed birthdays and anniversaries, and all the little things that make life special. And yet, I can’t help be feel like this is the road we have to be on. That you are a soldier, and I choose to follow you, even if it meant a Christmas away from you. Even if it meant missing you.

I think about how much you have given to this country. And how much more you will give. There will be more times apart, and more Christmases spent in different time zones.

But as I think about missing you on Christmas, I also think about how we can get through this, just like we have before.

You won’t be here for Christmas day, but we will be thinking of one another all the same. That is what we military families do. That is all we can really do when we are hit with missing each other so much.

Christmas won’t be the same, it can’t be, you are not here. But Christmas can still be special and we can still make some memories.

We are missing you on Christmas, as you are missing us. But we will get through this time apart. We always do and make it to the other side.

Feeling Strong as a MilSpouse, It Doesn’t Always Happen

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“We are military spouses, we are strong, we can do anything that comes our way!”

We hear this a lot. How strong we are. How we can get through anything. And while I know we can get through so much, it isn’t always as simple as that. Sometimes military life punches us right in the gut, and that isn’t the easiest to recover from. And the last thing we might be feeling at that time is strong.

The truth of the matter is we as military spouses want to feel strong. We want to believe we can take anything that comes our way, and for the most part we do. But, it is never that simple. 

There are so many different emotions during a deployment. From sadness to excitement, to feeling strong to feeling weak. And the truth is, there is no one right way to feel. Some days you might be on the verge of tears, others you are rocking around your living room because you just hit four months down.

Don’t put the pressure on yourself to always have to feel strong. Because you won’t always feel that way. Some days you will, some days you won’t. What you can do is work to remind yourself that you can do this, no matter how long they might be away. Here is how to do that.

  • Remember what you have already been through. For me, that can be a 15-month deployment or even a short one with two young boys, and a baby. I think about all the time I have been away from my husband and how I was able to grow through that. It helps me put this current situation into perspective. 
  • Change up your routine. Sometimes all we need is to change things up. Maybe this is you deciding that every Friday will now be pizza night. Maybe it is you deciding you need to cancel a few events during the week as the burnout is hitting you hard.

Don’t worry too much about feeling or not feeling strong. Figure out how to make it through the harder days, and you will find that inner strength. You have been through things that you can look back and say, “wow I did it and I can do it again.” 

In addition to this, you can also help other spouses find their strength. You can help one another out, and help each other get to the finish line. Because sometimes when we are feeling strong, others around us are not. And we can here there to help them, just like they help us when the time comes.

Yes, military spouses are strong. We pretty much have to be. But feeling strong isn’t always possible. And sometimes that can make us feel less then.

Just remember that this is normal. Military spouse life is really a mix of emotions, and you won’t always feel like you can conquer the world. And that really is okay. I promise.

9 Reasons You Want to Get Stationed at Fort Campbell

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9 Reasons You Want to Get Stationed at Fort Campbell

Orders have been cut, and they say: “Fort Campbell, Kentucky” Say what? Is this where you wanted to go? You aren’t sure. You don’t know anything about Fort Campbell.

The truth is, getting stationed at Fort Campbell can be a great experience. It really can. The area isn’t perfect, and there is some room for improvement, but here are 9 reasons you might want to get stationed here at Fort Campbell.

We have four seasons

Yes, we have four seasons here at Fort Campbell. Sometimes all in the same day. But really, just when you get tired of a season and can’t take much more, things change. We have falling leaves, it can snow, but not too much, humid summers, and refreshing springs. Hmm…the summers might be a bit much but you will miss them when you leave. Maybe. Okay, probably won’t miss the summers.

We are centrally located

We are pretty centrally located. Want to head to the midwest? You can be there in a few hours. Want to head down south? Go for it. Many families are closer to extended family when they get stationed here. If you are however from the west coast like we are…that isn’t going to be true at all and the airport is a pain to get to but it is what it is.

Many families like to vacation at the beach, Walt Disney World, Gatlinburg, or St. Louis. There are many different options whether you want to fly or drive.

Choice of where to live

One of the great things about being stationed at Fort Campbell is you have quite a few choices where you can live. You can live on post, live in Kentucky, or live in Tennessee. And with each state, you can choose to be closer to the post or further away. You can stay within the city or live out in the country. The choice is totally up to you, and well your family size and BAH of course.

Nashville is an hour away

Nashville is only an hour away! Nashville has almost everything you might need. However, Nashville is also an hour away, which isn’t always easy to deal with, especially if you don’t like to drive.

Nashville has the Nashville Zoo, the Adventure Science Center, Broadway, McKay’s bookstore, Opryland and Opry Mills, and much more. We live to go about once a month and always have a good time when we do.

9 Reasons You Want to Get Stationed at Fort Campbell

Lots of Army

Fort Campbell is of course an Army post and there is so much Army everywhere. From active duty to retired military. Many people come here as their last duty station and stay, and others grew up in an Army family, married a soldier, and have stayed. Many people in the community have connections to Fort Campbell and the Army in one way or another. If you do want a break from the Army, I go back to choosing where to live. Some places in this area are more civilian than others.

Nature

From the Greenway to parks! We have nature here! Which can be a great way to spend your time. You can tube down the river, or go for a long walk on a Sunday afternoon. Of course, nature isn’t always fun and if you try to be outside in the month of July you will probably regret that. Unless it is a pool, and even then…you might just want to stay inside. Sorry July, you are not my favorite.

We have things to do

Fort Campbell is not in the middle of nowhere. Even if it CAN seem that way if you compare it to other bigger places. We do have things.

We have your chain restaurants, Olive Garden, Outback, Applebees, etc. And we have many local restaurants as well. New ones seem to be opening all the time. Yum!

We have entertainment for kids such as Defy, the City Forum which is our favorite and so much better than Dave and Busters, and plenty of parks in the city. We have soccer teams and little leagues and plenty of actives for kids on post as well.

There is the Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel, movie theaters, and Clarksville has a mall that is pretty okay. If you want the nice big malls, you will have to go to Nashville.

We are lacking libraries and bookstores IMO. This is the only city I have ever lived in with only one library. But that’s a rant for another day.

Plenty of events

There is a lot going on in the Clarksville and Fort Campbell area. Clarksville has many events from a Christmas parade to a farmer’s market every summer. If you do get stationed here, follow some of the local pages to learn about what is going on. Clarksville Parks and Recreation, Fort Campbell MWR, and Fort Campbell & Clarksville Tennessee Fun and Events.

Military supportive city

Clarksville, Oak Grove, and Hopkinsville are all very military friendly. There is a lot of love for Fort Campbell and the soldiers and families that get stationed here. That can be comforting for a lot of people. During normal times, we have concerts at Fort Campbell, and those can be a ton of fun getting together with the community.

9 Reasons You Want to Get Stationed at Fort Campbell

Overall I think Ft. Campbell is a great place to get stationed. A lot of people agree with me. There are also plenty of people that do not and that is just fine. We all have different experiences. In the end, duty stations are what you make of them. Good or bad. Popular or not.

If you are getting stationed at Fort Campbell, welcome, and I hope your experience is a good one!

7 Ways to Celebrate Fall, in GIFs

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7 Ways to Celebrate Fall, in GIFs

Fall is just about here, although at this moment it is 96 degrees outside. Tennessee is being ridiculous this year and summer doesn’t want to go home. At the same time, leaves have started to fall, and you can tell the season is about to change.

Fall is my favorite season, even more so now that we live somewhere with four seasons. I love how the weather changes, and how colorful the leaves are in the fall. The start of autumn takes me out of summer and leads to me a cooler time of year, filled with the holidays, cozy nights, and warm drinks.

Looking for ways how to celebrate fall? Here are 7 of them, in GIFs:

Go to a pumpkin patch…take your kids, take your camera, enjoy the time on the farm and come home with a pumpkin for each of you 🙂

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Admire the leaves…check out all the colors, take a lot of photos, and share with your friends and family that don’t get to experience their amazingness where they live.

via GIPHY

Decorate your home…grab your fall decor, buy a few new items, and get going. Your house will feel like the season is here, even if it is still pretty hot outside (Tennessee, I am looking at you.)

via GIPHY

Bake! Bake! Bake! From Halloween cookies to apple pie, it’s time to bake all the yummy treats. Try a new pumpkin cookie recipe and frost some ghost cookies with your kids.

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Order that pumpkin latte! You know you want to. You know you can’t wait to have the first one of the season. Look, I am not a huge fan of the pumpkin latte but I always enjoy having at least one, to start off the fall season. Plus, this year, the pumpkin cold brew at Starbucks is actually pretty yummy!

via GIPHY

Carve a pumpkin with your kids, if you don’t mind the mess. Or, you can skip the carving and paint your pumpkins, which can be just as fun. Unless you want to roast your own pumpkin seeds. Then you will need to carve them.

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Light some pumpkin candles…or get your pumpkin-scented Scentsy or both! It’s the time of year for all the fall scents. They are the best, from applies to pumpkin to fall nights!

via GIPHY

Hopefully, by the time you read this, it feels like fall where you live too. I am hoping we get our fall weather any day now. So I can break out my sweaters and put my shorts back into my closet 🙂

What is your favorite part of fall???

What To Look For In A Military Spouse BFF

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What To Look For In A Military Spouse BFF

As a new Army wife, I didn’t know a whole lot about the military lifestyle. Sure, I knew the basics, but standing at our first duty station in Schweinfurt, Germany, I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. I can remember standing there, watching a group of soldiers going by, and knowing everything had changed for us.

I was lucky though. Within those first months of being an Army wife in Germany, I found friends. I found other spouses who not only knew what military life was like but going through the same thing I was. We were all getting ready for a deployment, the first deployment for many of us, and we knew we could do it together.

I honestly am not sure what I would have done or how I could have gotten through that deployment without my military spouse friends. Although things were not always perfect, and there was drama, of course, there was drama, having people to go through a deployment with helped us all make it through what would turn out to be one of the longest deployments.

Over the years, I have made friends at every step of the way. From my best friend in Germany to my current circle here at Fort Campbell. From military spouse bloggers to some of the amazing people I have met through blogging and social media in all parts of the world.

I know for me, finding friends is the easy part. Finding best friends is not.

Finding best friends takes a lot of work, and yet you can’t force that. You can’t exactly walk up to someone and claim them as your best friend, can you? Best friends just happen sometimes, and even if you like someone else, they might not be the person to fit that role.

So what qualities make up a Military best friend? How do you know they are the one to fit that part of your life?

Here are a few things to think about when you are out there, making new friends: 

That you click

As I look back over my closest friendships, they all have one thing in common. We clicked. Sometimes we click right away. We met, and before we knew it, we were making plans like we had known each other forever.

In other cases, clicking took more time. There isn’t one set way to click with someone else, but once you do, you will know that there is a special friendship forming and that is a good thing.

That your kids get along

It’s hard to find a friend with kids sometimes. Your kids might not get along. You might not get along with their kids. They might not mesh well.

I don’t think all of your friend’s kids have to click with your kids but for a Military spouse BFF, it is an excellent thing to have. You will be spending a lot of time together without your spouses around. You can have sleepovers and go on trips together.

As your kids get older, I think there is more room for friendships that do not involve them, but when your kids are young and tend to always be with you, you tend to come as a full package. A good best friend will be loving towards you and your children.

That you can vent to them

If you have ever been through a deployment, you know that some days you just have to vent. If you can’t do that with someone, it is going to be hard for them to be your buddy during the deployment. You need someone who you can vent to, and that isn’t going to come back with a “suck it up and don’t talk to me about that anymore” type of attitude.

While no one likes it when all someone does is complain about their lives, we all need a safe place to go to let off steam. Whether we are annoyed that our husband can’t seem to put his laundry in the laundry basket or are upset that he is once again going to miss something important, finding friends who let us vent during military life is a good thing.

That you can depend on them

I have a very hard time asking for help, even when I need that help. I want to try to get everything done myself if possible. However, sometimes things happen, and I have to call someone to help me.

Having a best friend to call to help you out and not have it become an awkward situation is a good thing. Whether it is because your child needs to go to the ER, your car breaks down, or you need emergency babysitting help. Knowing you won’t be totally alone when that happens can take a lot of the worry out of a situation.

That you can trust them

The military, especially at the branch level, is a small small world. You will find this to be true when you have been a military spouse for a few years. Your neighbor at Fort Bliss knows your old neighbor from Fort Campbell. You were stationed in Germany with your FRG leader’s best friend. You are reunited with your friend from three duty stations ago, in Italy of all places.

Because of this, it is really important to be able to find people that you can trust. Rumors can get started. Maybe your brother is coming to visit, but all people see is a man coming in and out of your house when your husband is deployed. People are not always honest, and some people do like to start drama. 

When looking for your military spouse best friend, you have to be able to trust them. You don’t want to share your deepest worries to find out that now half of the FRG knows about them. Use caution and be the type of friend you would want to meet yourself.

If all of us can do this, the military spouse world will be a much better place overall.

Making friends is something all Military spouses have to do. There have been times during my husband’s military career when I didn’t feel like I had a good friend circle. And that just made military life a lot harder.

While finding and making those best friends can be difficult at times, working to find them is a good goal. Yes, you might have to put yourself out there more than you are comfortable with. Yes, you might encounter people that just want to be about the drama. Don’t let that stop you. Finding a military spouse best friend will be worth the search.

What do you look for in a military spouse best friend???