For us milteens, change is a constant. From taping boxes, to hauling them into a truck, to old and new furniture smiling back, things never truly stay the same. Flights, oh flights… those glorious hours up in the air, turbulence, smooth sailing, all of the above. On those, you get free time, legroom (albeit cramped), and sometimes the blankets and TV screens. Boats… those aren’t really the same. Nobody uses them anymore. And if you get seasick… the sea’s right there. But in t

This summer, for the first time in my life, I returned to Fort Knox, Kentucky. Before this, the last time I stepped onto that base was at just seven years old, but now I was fifteen. Despite living in that small world for only two years of my life, the memories of coming back were almost overwhelming. I believe that when you grow up moving around a lot, it becomes easy to divide your life into chapters rather than just a constant flow of memories. I almost remember my childho

To Utah, The first place I ever lived. A place I should never remember But I’ve visited you since So I know how you look I do tend to dislike you a little, Mostly because my sister gets to say She was born in Germany, While I get to say I was born in Utah. To Oregon, I barely remember the first time we met, But knowing how comforting you are to me I’m sure I felt at home To Georgia, I wonder which house was ours when I lived here. Was it the one next to that playground Whe

One thing that all military kids have noticed is the faded moving stickers tucked under tables, behind dressers, and on the side of nightstands. To most people, they’re just old labels, but to us, they’re memorabilia of all our prior moves. The small blue or green stickers from when I moved to various places may look insignificant, but each marks a chapter of my life. Sometimes they’re barely noticeable, staying on the furniture for years, but other times, when cleaning my r

A blog about how applying to colleges is opening new doors for me and allowing me to choose my next path for myself.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Around two months ago, I found out that I would be leaving my current station of almost three years and moving back to my previous station this summer. This would be my first move after my dad’s retirement, and this news excited me—the thought of returning to a place I was so in love with, leaving my small school, and getting to reunite with my friends again. However, I recently realized that this would be my last move before I go to college. Never before have I had my futur

As school ends and summer comes around the corner, I know it’s time when many military kids are getting ready to pack up and leave the place they once called home. I know this can be a difficult process for us all, no matter how many times we claim we are 'used to it.' So I wrote this version of “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” but as 'Twas the Night Before the Move, because I know so many military kids can relate to these feelings. Twas the night before the move, in a ha

Recently, I had a conversation with my friend about our last few months of high school. As we discussed the changes we would soon face and the last few months before graduation, she said something that resonated with me. She explained that she was having a hard time being in the present, knowing that soon her community would completely change. At that moment, I realized that what she said applied to me not only as a senior in high school, but also as a military child -- and t

I learned early that goodbye is a language spoken quietly in parking lots, in driveways full of cardboard boxes, in hallways where lockers close for the last time. Being a military kid means you grow up measuring life in school years and duty stations, friends who stay for two years, sometimes one, sometimes just long enough to learn their favorite song before they disappear on a new map. But this year feels different. Senior year sits heavy in my hands, like a suitcase that

“Where are you from?” It’s one of the most rudimentary, typical questions in the world, one that most people answer without having to think twice about it. However, as a military teen, it's never been that simple, because the truth is that I’m not really from anywhere. Most people have a hometown, somewhere that they can claim as their own, a place where they and their family have lived for many years. But my answer has never been definite. Do I say where I was born? Where I

My sister likes to think of our childhood as nomadic, always packing up and moving from one place to another. I remember the boxes in our garage or storage that remained there for years, only to be moved again. Now and then, the content of those boxes would change, yet their meaning remained the same -- an imminent reminder of the next time we’d have to move. When I was younger, I never paid much mind to those boxes, always playing and hanging out with those whom I called fr

This article was sent to us by Ellanora W., an 11th grader Marine Brat stationed in Utah. 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! Say goodbye Once again another goodbye Goodbye friends Goodbye house I used to call home Goodbye school I used to wander Goodbye barn that brought it all back Hello, a phrase I’m sick of hearing Hello to the new room Hello to the new school Hello to th

There is a proverb that states, "When one door closes, another opens." This may seem like a simple saying, but it has a much deeper meaning than many people imply. Growing up, my parents always made sure I was being active and doing something with a team. I did soccer, dance, and gymnastics as a kid. I ended up not loving soccer and quit altogether. When I was about eight years old, my parents had me make my first big decision that I can remember. I had to choose between dan

I first stumbled across the word “hiraeth” on TikTok under a video titled “beautiful words that describe obscure emotions.” After skipping through the slideshow and periodically jotting down new vocabulary to cram into my AP Lang essays, one word caught my eye. “Hiraeth” is a Welsh word, and while it doesn’t have a direct English translation, it is commonly described as a certain complex type of homesickness, sometimes for a home that was brief or nonexistent, or even one tha