Over the 18 years I’ve been a military brat, my family’s been stationed at Fort Leavenworth for about nine years (over three different times). Most recently, when we were told we’d be going back to Kansas, I was upset. Kansas… ugh. What’s there to like about Kansas?  Well, as I’ve found out, there’s a lot to like about Kansas. Even in the small town of Leavenworth, which I can drive across in no more than 15 minutes, I have found an extensive amount of joy.  Signature Cafes 

This article was sent to us by Loralie H., a 9th grader Army brat stationed in Oklahoma. 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! I finally found it! My niche, my group, my clique, My team. This is my place  These are my people And just now when I’ve found it all We got orders… Three more months  Three more months in the place I love with my whole heart  I want to stay right here 

Thanksgiving – a time to look back on our lives and realize just how much we’re grateful for. As I scroll through social media, I see love and appreciation going out to friends, to family members, and to pets. I see my friends stationed around the world celebrating a holiday of thanks with the people around them.  As I reflect on my life, I realize that I’m thankful not just for the people around me, but for my lifestyle. I can’t imagine a version of me without moving and wit

Surely you've heard the saying "it's a small world." This phrase refers to the connections we make with other people as we go through our lives that overlap with someone new we have just met. It implies the interconnectedness of everyone living in this world, that the bonds we create with other people help us form new relationships, making the world seem a little smaller than before. Such instantaneous connections are possible in places and with people we may have never expec

There’s a red sticker on my bedside table. Its edges are curled, the nine-digit number is fading. It’s one of hundreds slapped on our furniture by movers over the years. These stickers have followed me through seven moves and new schools. They've felt like an annoyance I tried to peel away. Now, the red sticker feels personal. It represents where I’ve been and who I hope to become. My earliest memory of the stickers was yellow ones in Texas (our second move). I spent hours pe

Before entering the Naval Academy gates, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what the U.S. Naval Academy Summer Seminar would be like: rigorous workouts, military drills, and a glimpse into life as a midshipman. But nothing could have prepared me for how much I would learn about myself and the U.S. Navy in just one week. The Naval Academy campus felt like stepping into a world where tradition and discipline reigned supreme. The historic gray stone buildings, the perfectly t

“Oh, so you’re like Jessie from that Disney show?” Military life is something that, when you’re a military child, can seem like it...

As Autumn approaches and the cool air blows in, I Break down the boxes my sweaters lived in Collages on my wall show the people I've been...

This article was sent to us by Annika F., a 12th grader stationed in Japan. Do you have a story to share with your fellow military teens?...

They ask me where I’m from—real sweet, Like it’s a place I clearly know. But moving every year on repeat Means roots don’t get a chance...

I've lived in nine houses, attended nine schools, called four different states my home, and reoriented my internal clock off of three...

This article was sent to us by Natalie S., a ninth grader stationed in Texas. Do you have a story to share with your fellow military...

This article was sent to us by Natalie S., a ninth grader stationed in Texas. Do you have a story to share with your fellow military...

This article was sent to us by Hannah M., a 12th grader stationed in Pennsylvania. Do you have a story to share with your fellow military...

Me leading Delta company! Left! Left! Left right! Right! Right left! My first sergeant’s voice filled my ears - The cadence ringing...

This article was sent to us by Natalie S., an eighth grader stationed in Texas. Do you have a story to share with your fellow military...

The song "Home" by Phillip Phillips is one I was raised on, and it has always resonated with me. The meaning of this song is so close to...

Four years ago, in mid-January, my family PCSed from coastal California, where it was around 60 degrees all year, to our current home in...

Growing up at the intersection of military and civilian life, I've learned that identity is rarely a simple narrative. Living between two...

This article was sent to us by Natalie S., an eighth grader stationed in Texas. Do you have a story to share with your fellow military...