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

“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

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 

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 article was sent to us by McKenna P., a college freshman at the University of Providence in Great Falls, Montana. 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! McKenna with her dad and younger brother in 2013. I hate this. I hate being the new girl. Why did my dad have to join the military? I wish I could just live in one place. Nobody is going to like me. I always have to leave.

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

“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...

A promotion is a significant occasion in the life of a service member. It is a milestone marking their ongoing commitment to service,...

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...

We packed our lives in cardboard dreams, side by side, a roaming team. Through cities bright and towns unknown, you were the closest...

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...

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...

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...

It begins with the desire to reconnect - to relive old memories and share new experiences. But as you stare at your phone, you're met...

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...

This article was sent to us by Emma H., a college freshman stationed in Nashville, Tennessee. Do you have a story to share with your...

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...

Every year, a brand new school starts, Holding onto memories, but leaving parts. Faces change, the names unknown, In every place, a new...