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

They line up in caps and gowns, a soft parade down familiar halls, each step returning them to a classroom that never left them. Teachers wait with knowing smiles, walls still painted the same colors, floors remembering exactly where they grew up. I stand at the edge of the line, tassel brushing my cheek, searching for a doorway that could claim me. But my childhood is scattered four playgrounds, two countries, pledge of allegiance in different languages. I learned two alphab

My first day of school in Germany, my skin still tan from the sun in Georgia. Dearest Germany, The first time I met you was July 4, 2018. I was jet-lagged and could barely keep my eyes open. I didn’t even realize I met you at that moment; I was too tired. My memories of the first day together were captured through an out-of-focus camera lens at the airport, the drive to the hotel, and then sleeping -- all seen through a blur. As the days passed, though, I got to know a little

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

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 

Summer, how joyous you are to others, How warm and comforting I hear you are. Getting everyone so ecstatic to see you around the corner with the promise of a break. So why have you always skipped me? Summer, why don’t you give me the light of day? You give me no warmth, no comfort, no place to rest. Everyone else welcomes you like a long-lost friend, and I see you like any other day of the week, nothing special, nothing kind. I’ll never be excited for your arrival, not when

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

As a military teen, I’ve never been able to actually choose where I went next. While my family has always had a say in the place we move to, I could never absolutely choose where. The military could always say, “Nope - you’re going here.” I’m currently a senior in high school, and I’ve spent the last three years ignoring the very prevalent question of “where do I want to go to college?” I couldn’t figure out where I want to move. I suddenly have the ability to choose, and I c

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.

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

The shock of leaving, again Saying goodbye to my “not so close” friends, again Packing up my nicer clothes and beaten-up furniture, again...

“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 Makenah V., an 11th grader stationed in Kentucky. Do you have a story to share with your fellow military...

“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...

When I was younger, I had no trouble calling my house a home. No matter how many times I moved, it always felt like home to me. However,...

My dad has served in the military my entire life. 16 years of moving. 16 years of deployments. 16 years of orders. But now, after 17...

From Hawaii to DC, and Pennsylvania to Texas, I'm no stranger to the "PCS Road Trip." With packing all the "essentials" - sleeping bags,...

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...