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MILITARY LIFE
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Navigating Studying Abroad as a Military Teen
Hello fellow Military Teens! My name is Hannah, and I studied abroad for 11 weeks in the summer of 2026 as part of a language intensive in Lyon, France. While studying abroad as a teen is a rewarding and complex experience for everyone, being a military dependent played a key role in how I managed my program. I think that a lot of people would assume that military teens handle change well because it is a constant in most of our lives, whether it is moving to a new state or h
Guest Writer
3 days ago
Wherever I Go
A blog about how applying to colleges is opening new doors for me and allowing me to choose my next path for myself.
Dannika R.
Sep 4
Scholarship Season & The Milteen Advantage
Just a few months ago, I walked across a sunny stage to receive my high school diploma. And, as it will be for many of you as well, those steps marked my switch from focusing on high school to focusing on college. And, well, college is expensive. “Scholarship season” for me was the third quarter of my senior year. Dozens of scholarships went live and terminated each month, and it was exhausting (but so worth it!). I managed to apply to about 25 scholarships, and I was succes
Elisabeth H.
Aug 28
Needing the Restart
As you’ve probably heard before and might experience yourself, military families generally get an “itch” to move once they hit that second or third summer. And, well, I never truly understood that. Maybe it’s because my family tended to move over the winter or spring, or maybe we just had spent an inconsistent amount of years in places, but I didn’t understand how someone could start feeling uncomfortable in the place they’ve been living-- how they longed for the restart int
Elisabeth H.
Aug 24
The Small Things
The military child life can be a difficult one. Most people understand the moving, a parent’s deployment, goodbyes that never seem to end. But what they don’t always see are the little things, things that seem so small until they’re a part of me. Small changes Like my braces, taken off too early, since a new orthodontist means another payment Even my smile can be changed by a move. Finding care Someone to do my thick hair, I learned which styles would last, until I found a n
Morgan C.
Aug 21
Laying the Wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Laying the American Legion Auxiliary wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 430,005 people lay dead beneath our feet. We are here to commemorate the one unknown. I stand with four others. From the steps, we watch the mechanical movements of the guard—the click of his heels, the measured steps, each movement precise and poised. He turns to face us. The silence deepens. He approaches. Each step he takes rings in my ears. My heart is beating out of my chest. To me, this is
Grace M.
Aug 17
The Company We Keep
Reflection: The act of taking time to think deeply about your experiences, actions, or emotions. With it being almost two months since I graduated high school and about a week until I head back to the U.S. for college, I’ve done a lot of reflecting. Not just over the past 4 years, but over my life in general and how far I’ve come. In 18 years, I've lived in 10 houses in 8 different places. I've moved 9 times. I've attended 7 schools. But most importantly, I can reflect on all
Zoe M.
Aug 10
Spotlighting Allison Bryan - Connecting Milteens Worldwide
This article is part of the Bloom Spotlight series, where we aim to recognize current and former military teens who are doing amazing things. If you know a current or former military teen (regardless of age) who is impacting the military community in a way that deserves to be recognized, visit our Bloom Spotlight page. Allison Bryan is a rising high school senior and founder of Home Is Where the Heart Is, where she strives to connect military teens across the world. We inte
Bloom Spotlight
Aug 7
JROTC From A Milteen Perspective
Image 1 = me and my Raider team at Fort Knox. Image 2 = me and the academic team at Washington DC. Image 3 = me and the Raider team getting recognized at the Kansas State Capitol Building. Image 4 = me leading my company in the Veterans Day Parade. Let me start by saying – I LOVED my JROTC experience! Yet, it was very different than what both me and my parents were expecting, so here’s first information about what JROTC is for those who are curious about joining, followed by
Elisabeth H.
Aug 3
Nurturing Resilience as Military Teens
You’re sitting with new friends. Everything’s completely fine until a story comes up; a memory you don’t share with everyone else at the table, a subtle reminder that you weren’t a part of their lives up until recently. You bounce back after a few seconds, but that moment leaves a lingering feeling that you’re left out on years of memories that you alone don’t share with them, and that there are core memories between them that no amount of explaining will get you in on. These
Katie S.
Jul 31
Am I A Local Now?
As I pitched this title idea to my mom, she immediately answered with “no,” but still… For the past six years (and my father isn’t even retired yet), I’ve lived at Fort Leavenworth. After only a year and a half, my family moved into a quiet farmhouse just inside the city limits of Leavenworth. Many of my activities still revolved around post, but I spent most of my time in the community. I’ve participated in service events in the community, spent numerous times at the local
Elisabeth H.
Jul 27
The Story of the C-130
The Air Force hosts an extremely diverse collection of planes, each specifically and uniquely designed to help our military succeed. Fighter jets highlight our speed and power, bombers represent strength and precision, and tankers enable success by providing fuel on the go. But, in my (biased) opinion, the most interesting is the C-130. I was always captivated by my parents’ stories, by the pride they had for their plane that provides aid to so many. From Bagram, Afghanistan
Calleigh L.
Jul 24
What Home Means To Me
For most of my life, home was never a place. It was moving boxes, new schools, and learning how to say goodbye, before I was ever ready. Then, for the first time, I found people who felt like family. A place where I didn't have to keep wondering when I'd have to leave next. It finally felt like home. Now college is here, and once again, I'm packing up my life to start over. It's exciting, but it's hard to leave the first place that ever made me feel like I truly belonged. May
Abby H.
Jul 20
Fortune Favors the Bold
Summers on a military base often turn out to be the polar opposite of the stereotypical “summer break” advertised by Disney Channel, where popsicles, slip ‘n’ slides, and pool days are replaced with difficult goodbyes, moving trucks, and dingy hotel rooms. The typical summer boredom that sets in for most teenagers in early August is amplified on a military base, merging with lots of the unknown to form a super-obstacle before the next school year. If you’ve ever faced the su
Alice C.
Jul 17
Pieces of Home
Moving is always hard, and not only for military teens. The smell of moving boxes, school paperwork, and saying goodbyes. Every time I look at a blank wall, I see something new—a blank canvas of possibilities. As a fellow military kid, I know how hard it is to fill up those giant voids surrounding you. Here are a couple of my favorite things to do and some meaningful and interesting things to display when moving into a new place, both inside and outside the house. Quirky Ad
Reina L.
Jul 13
The Transition Out
I'm finding myself now growing up and moving on from childhood: a childhood seeped in tradition and culture, cultivated by the people, not a location. From Fort Sam Houston to Fort Benning, Schofield Barracks, and Leavenworth, every place had the same familiar sense as the last. As I grow out of this childhood now, and my life takes a new form, I find myself dwelling in these memories, these specific reminders of the childhood I treasure. These are only some of the little mom
Vivian S.
Jul 10
Graduation Goodbyes are Nothing for Military Kids
My eighth-grade graduation had me furious, although I was really excited for high school. Movies like High School Musical portray high school as a blast as we sing and dance, and I was convinced I was about to have the time of my life. Looking back now, it was nothing like what I had watched on TV, but at the time, I was just happy to leave middle school behind. Many of my friends felt differently. Towards the end of graduation, tears were falling from many people's eyes as
Morgan C.
Jul 6
Musical Map
Most people measure their lives by places. They remember the town they grew up in, the school they attended, or the neighborhood where they spent their childhood. I can’t recall many of those things, but I do remember the music I listened to in such places. As someone who has moved frequently, I have found that certain songs have become bookmarks for different chapters of my life. When I hear them, I can remember exactly where I lived when I discovered it. I remember being li
Dannika R.
Jul 3
Things to Do While Solo-Summering
Moving to a new duty station right before or at the beginning of summer break can feel like terrible timing. Others might have friends, favorite places to go to, and plans in place, while you're still figuring out how to even get to your house. As a military teen, I’ve learned that not every summer has a busy social calendar, and one may end up with excess free time. However, even if not always ideal, summer doesn’t have to be wasted just because you haven’t found your people
Gabrielle F.
Jun 29
A Real Choice
I recently came across a slam poetry assignment I had done in the 7th grade, and it made me realize just how much my attitude and perspective have changed surrounding being a military kid and everything that comes with that. Here I am standing still Under this summer sun I still feel a chill Here we go again Goodbye goodbye See you soon or never again Friends I have made over and over again One at a time they fade from memory over and over again Whoosh whoosh whoosh Across t
Zoe M.
Jun 22
Dandelion Seeds
This article was sent to us by Fiona S., an 9th grader Navy Brat stationed in Rhode Island. Do you have a story to share with your fellow military teens? Visit our guest contribution page to find out how you can submit to Bloom! People like me are everywhere, Not allowed to stay in one place, Some people have a choice But that’s not my case. I’ve seen everything, everywhere Scattered like dandelions in the air. It’s 2 years and then I’m gone, Always watching, waiting for anot
Guest Writer
Jun 15
Late-Blooming Flowers
I never knew I could find a connection to other people like me. Then I found Bloom. My sister started first as a blog writer, then started The Bloom Room podcast with her other milteen friends. I was in 7th grade at the time, ignorant of many things in the world. I knew at the time my sister joined something related to being a military kid, but I never knew the impact this blog had on kids all over the world. As I grew older, I learned more about what my sister did by reading
Reina L.
Jun 12
Ratio - Rowing
They pull themselves into what they cannot see (Sea) pond, or river at all The celestial uncontrollable Which demands a Dance, this chaotic Impossible Request requires Perfection that cannot be achieved From the methodic pattern A flowing pace to Contradict, to meet The tides rising falling, Swing forward, and back Never the same stroke twice; And done again and again, The rhythm of a life Of one who doesn’t stand on stable Ground, new water is rushing and Restarts the stro
Vivian S.
Jun 8
Making "Sense" of Moving
Moving can feel overwhelming, but breaking a PCS down into tangible moments by making sense of all the things you feel and experience along the way can make the journey a lot more manageable. So, what does moving actually feel like? Thinking back on my life, to me, moving feels… Like the sound of packing tape wrapping up boxes Like the smell of cardboard wafting through an empty house as we construct cardboard box forts Like the beautiful sights of passing scenery on a long
Katie S.
Jun 5
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