Reflecting On My Roots

Thanksgiving – a time to look back on our lives and realize just how much we’re grateful for. As I scroll through social media, I see love and appreciation going out to friends, to family members, and to pets. I see my friends stationed around the world celebrating a holiday of thanks with the people around them. 

As I reflect on my life, I realize that I’m thankful not just for the people around me, but for my lifestyle. I can’t imagine a version of me without moving and without all the people and experiences that come with moving. 

Who I am is a reflection of each place I’ve been to, each school I’ve attended, and each group of people I’ve surrounded myself with. 

When I write, I swoop the bottom of my y’s, g’s, and j’s. My best friend in second grade did that, and I liked it, so I adjusted my handwriting to match. 

I have curly hair, but I used to only wear it in a low ponytail. I didn’t treat my hair well, and it was damaged and dying. But one of my long-time Army friends has the most luscious curls, and she (unbeknownst to her) inspired me to love my curly hair. 

As most teenagers did, I went through an awkward fashion stage in middle school. It took me a while to discover what I wanted to wear, but I know for a fact that the many hand-me-down articles of clothing from a past neighbor helped me figure it out. 

Sometimes, a Southern accent slips out when I talk, a long-standing gift from my time living in Georgia… along with a love of hushpuppies, fried calamari, and sweet tea. 

When COVID hit, I lived at Fort Bliss and across the street from a wonderful, flat, gravel 5k route. The trail made it easy to pursue running, which has led me to have major success in one of the sports I do. 

I didn’t want to move back to Fort Leavenworth, but here the military sent us. I found a swim coach that’s made me love swimming while also motivating me to work extremely hard. I found a high school with a large JROTC program, a program that’s gifted me so incredibly much – mentors, friends, activities, leadership, happiness. I found a church that’s given me the opportunity to be a part of the worship band for so many years, sharing my love of piano and worship with the military community. 

There’s a camp in the Colorado mountains called Spring Canyon. It is specifically an Officer Christian Fellowship camp, meant to be a place of rest and spiritual rejuvenation for military families. Fort Leavenworth’s chapel community is a huge supporter of Spring Canyon, and my family’s gone many times. Going as a kid meant I had a desire to volunteer as a teenager, and the time I volunteered gave me a long-distance friendship that’s lasted two and a half years and counting. 

Attending sixth grade at Fort Bliss allowed me to attend a specific middle school, giving me the opportunity of PreAP classes that set me up for success in my academic future. Finishing middle school in Kansas let me take a PLTW class (Project Lead the Way… basically designing projects) that helped me determine that I want to do architecture. And moving back to Fort Leavenworth also set me up to have had a plethora of amazing math teachers, growing my understanding and love of that field. 

And, being a daughter of the military has given me Bloom, a military teen community where I’ve been able to make a difference while pursuing my love of writing and editing. Plus, Bloom has allowed me to meet dozens of amazing military teens worldwide. 

In this time of Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for my family – for my parents’ service to this nation. I’m thankful for the values of honor, sacrifice, and service my parents’ line of duty has given me. And, I’m thankful for the experiences this lifestyle has allowed me to have. 

Who I am today is in part due to everywhere I’ve lived, all the friends I’ve had, and all the schools I’ve attended. Maybe my life would’ve been easier if I stayed in one place, never having to restart from scratch. But, I can’t say that I would enjoy that life any more than I enjoy the life I’ve lived. 

So, I’m grateful for my military lifestyle. I’m grateful for the moves. I’m grateful for needing to replant my roots. After all… switching the soil is sometimes best for fertilization.