california

We Went to Knott’s Berry Farm and Got a Military Discount

We Went to Knott's Berry Farm and Got a Military Discount

We Went to Knott’s Berry Farm and Got a Military Discount Growing up in Southern California, Knott’s Berry Farm was a huge part of my childhood. I have so many fun memories of that place too. Like Disneyland, my mom would take us there during our school breaks, for birthdays, or really whenever she found a good deal. We even went there for our 4th-grade field trip to learn about the history of the area and the gold rush. When we were in California this past July we decided to plan a family trip to Knott’s Berry Farm. My mom, dad, …

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Living in San Francisco, California

Living in San Francisco, California

Happy to have this guest post by The Coastie Couple on San Francisco, California. Please visit my Duty station guest post page for posts on other locations or more information about how you can write a guest post about where you have been stationed. When we initially moved to the west coast, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew things would be different but I didn’t realize how different they would be. There was a bit of sticker and culture shock in the beginning, but I’ve learned to accept the differences and to appreciate the area for what it …

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Best Duty Station In The Military: 5 Features That Make San Diego #1

Best Duty Station In The Military:

Happy to have this guest post by Heather on being stationed in San Diego, one of my favorite places too. Please visit my Duty station guest post page for posts on other locations or more information about how you can write a guest post about where you have been stationed. Best Duty Station In The Military: 5 Features That Make San Diego #1 Yep, I said it: San Diego is THE best duty station in the Military. You may not agree, but I’m going to give you a ton of reasons why it’s true, all wrapped up in 5 important features. Ok, I’ll …

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The 10 Best Things About Disneyland

  I think I have been to Disneyland about 130 times. I came up with this number based on how many times I went growing up, I had a pass from ages 10-18, and how many times I have been since I moved out of Southern California. I love the place and it makes me sad that I can’t go as much as I used to. It was a huge part of my growing up years and I always love to take my kids when I can. The last time I was there was in February 2014 with my brother …

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On going back home

I was watching One Tree Hill and Brooke, one of the main characters was explaining to her husband that she didn’t want to move away from Tree Hill. That it was her home and where she wanted to be. I started to cry a little at this. My home is Southern California. I lived there until I was 18 when I moved to Northern California for school. Northern California is a great place but it is really different from where I grew up. When I was 26, we moved from California to Kentucky. Ben joined the Army, we moved to …

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Newport Beach, California

In June my mom was diagnosed with GBS.  Guillain–Barré syndrome which is usually very treatable although frustrating. She started to get better but then it came back.  Once it came back we decided that it might be a good idea for me to go out there to help with whatever was needed. I was able to get away and was in California from August 11th-21st. I did have to work from California so between that and helping my mom there wasn’t too much time for sightseeing which was fine. I did get to see a few friends as well as my …

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Our Honeymoon 12 Years Later

  I thought it would be fun to tell you about my honeymoon, 12 years after the fact. I might not remember everything about that week but I do remember enough. We got married on August 3rd, 2002 in Santa Rosa, CA. The reception ended about 4 or 5 in the afternoon and after that we drove to San Francisco where we were going to spend the first night. We paid a lot for that hotel room but this was a once in a life thing. The room was tiny. I was kind of shocked but it worked well. We …

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Living in Monterey, California

Living in Monterey, California

When the orders for Monterey, Calif., arrive, you will rejoice because you get to live at one of the most picturesque places in the world. Then you will calculate the cost of living in Monterey and thank the military that you will only live there for a short period of time. Monterey’s cost of living is 68 percent higher than the U.S. average.     Monterey was our No. 1 choice for Navy orders. Actually it was our dream location. We have been in Monterey for 11 months and are scheduled to move before the end of the year. This …

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The Whole California Thing

  Usually when people ETS from the Army they moved back home. Not always, but it seems to be more common than not. And when people find out Ben is getting out of the Army in June, they ask us if we are going back to California. We are not. Is this a good or a bad thing? I really don’t know. Would I love to move back to California? Yes, but I don’t know. If California wasn’t so expensive, I would in a heartbeat. If we could find a home like we have now for about the same price, …

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A Day at Disneyland

The last couple of times we were in California, it was summertime. I simply can not do Disney in the summer. Growing up 20 minutes away from Disneyland I just can’t stand paying so much and having to wait so long for the rides. I went to a year round school so we would always take advantage of the three weeks we had off in October that no one else did and went to Disney and other amusement parts. We were able to walk on a lot of the rides. Since we were finally going to CA in the off-season, …

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