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...

I’m no stranger to changing neighborhoods and schools, having nine of each under my belt. The transition is always tough, but as an...

"There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind." — C.S. Lewis This quote hit me hard the first time I read it.  It...

I’ve always been fascinated with the Red String Theory. As a kid, I imagined having a little red string tied around my finger, wrapping...

It was 3 a.m., and I was dragging my two suitcases through Vicenza , Italy's hotel lobby, hoping silently that the items tightly packed...

Military life involves a lot of time away from those you love – parents who are deployed, or who simply work such long hours that you...