This article was sent to us by Sabela M., an 8th grader Marine Brat stationed in Virginia. 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! Sabela and her mom when they went to Romania to get away from the sirens for a bit. When my parents told me we were being stationed in Israel, I didn’t really know much about it or what was in store for me. I just knew I felt sad, because it meant sayi

My family has been lucky enough to be stationed in Singapore for about 5.5 years total, across two tours, and we absolutely love it. Being stationed here is definitely different from other OCONUS duty stations, but there is so much that Singapore has to offer, especially considering it’s only about the size of Chicago and showing up on a map like a little red dot. Installation Amenities “It’s not a base, it's a place” is something we commonly say over here because of how sma

Currently, as a teenage girl living in the suburban Midwest, my life is stereotypically boring. I live in what one may argue is a copy-and-paste suburban house, go to my local public high school, play a sport, and am part of the school musical. My daily routine doesn’t really vary; besides the occasional plans with my friends and family vacations, my life is calmly repetitive. If you look at the definition of boredom itself, then my current situation can undoubtedly be deem

At my school, in choir, we do a "song of the day." Every quarter, each person has to present a song and speak about it. It could be meaningful and resonate with you. Or, it could be a fun song you really enjoy. Whatever it is, you talk about it, and then that is the first thing we listen to in class that day. So far this school year, if a song has stood out to me, I wrote it down. Usually, it was a song I recognized but didn't know the name of or forgotten about it entirely.

I am from cold, harsh winters and frostbit toes I am from roaring waterfalls where you snack on warm apple cider donuts and lick the sugar from your lips I am from a home where deer run in the backyard where there are faces in trees I am from nights filled playing hide and seek with friends When we were younger and times were simpler I am from quaint coastal towns Filled with mansions from an era long before mine I am from sailboat rides and Subway sandwiches From a time wh

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

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

Being stationed abroad during the holiday season can be received with mixed emotions. Some people love it, taking it as an opportunity to...

When people imagine Japan, I think many people would picture beautiful scenery, anime, bustling cities, and really good food. What some...

Ah, television, I love it and hate it. As a kid, I looked for people who were "like me." That kid in first grade who was playing with...

I have loved music for as long as I can remember. My parents filled our home with music, and I loved it, even when all I could do was...

With over 4,000 different options for colleges in the United States and over 25,000 options worldwide, high schoolers today have an...

Some people say that military life is my entire personality. They say it somehow manages to creep into almost any thought that leaves my...

I was never one of the kids who could identify a plane during flight, who could name every single squadron, or who could speak of all the...

As a military kid, I often dread the age-old "Where are you from?" I usually answer one of two ways: the place I live in, or I'll say...

Recently, a Bloom blog titled 'Sports: Benefiting Military Teens' discussed the incredible benefits that sports can have on military...

Earlier this year, the U.S. News and World Report named Huntsville, Alabama as the best place to live in America. I had never even known...

You've probably heard your grandparents, or even your parents listening to Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR)… but do you know their political and military history? With the recent release of the Netflix documentary "Creedence Clearwater Revival (Travelin’ Band) Live at the Royal Albert Hall 1970," I was inspired to write about the band's historical stance on the war that plagued the nation. And that begins in El Cerrito, California in the late 1950s, when the band started ou

Six months ago, in June, I moved from Camp Humphreys, South Korea, where I'd lived for five years, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for my...

If you didn't notice from my last article, "New Kid," I like to use music to explain what I feel, and I enjoy finding songs to help other...