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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“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

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

One day, something fell from the ceiling of my bedroom. It wasn’t loud enough to startle me, just a soft tap against the old carpeted floor that had been in every one of my bedrooms. I looked down and saw a blue glow-in-the-dark star -- o ne of the dozens I had stuck to my ceiling two or three years ago. The sticky plaster had finally given up. I picked it up, like it was asking me to, sitting in the middle of the newly vacuumed floor, ruining the symmetry. It felt so dusty a

With all the changes that come with a military child, my last change will be in April 2026. My father is retiring, and with that, it feels like I am losing part of my life. I have known nothing else but this lifestyle; moving every one to two years has been the one thing consistent in my life. Now, I will stay. For the first time in my life, I will not be moving this summer. I can already feel myself getting antsy. Without the preparations for a move that would be happening

Every person who's ever come to my house may remember the familiar smoky smell of pork wafting from our kitchen as they're welcomed by my mom with a smile and a laugh. Our home is always decorated beautifully, every wall with pictures of those we love, and every couch layered with blankets gathered from many Christmases and housewarmings. My mom is one of those people who will always make you feel understood and valued. She is unwaveringly strong but always funny -- the life

“This already feels like home” you’re expected to say. After all, you have already moved many times. It already feels like home, as you...

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

Falling asleep, I always ask what house I’ll be in. Tonight, I find myself in a childhood kitchen. Tonight, I wish for a restaurant and...

Scroll to see the creations! As a kid, my favorite part about moving was the boxes. With every move, I eagerly waited for the boxes to...

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...