In the life of military kids, there are so many things that we can all relate to, regardless of our journeys, and there are so many things that almost give off a sense of nostalgia. As the title says, here's a list I came up with of the top five things that military kids can relate to.
1. The Smell of Cardboard Boxes: Now, military kids definitely aren’t the only group of kids that have experienced moving in their life. However, we’re one of the only groups that have to repeatedly move during our childhood. I know from personal experience, and I’m sure many others do as well, that the smell of cardboard boxes signifies the change that is about to occur - again - in our lives. It’s almost like a switch goes off in my mind and a sudden rush of nostalgia goes through my body. I can remember exactly what it was like the last time I smelled cardboard boxes, whether it be settling in at our new house or getting ready to pack up and head out on a new adventure.
2. Colors: Who remembers playing outside with neighborhood kids and suddenly hearing a trumpet and immediately freezing in place? At that very moment, we all knew that colors were about to begin and we would have to pause what we were doing. I know that my friends and I would sometimes try to quietly begin our activities again, but normally, an adult would remind us to pay respect, which definitely wasn’t the worst thing in the world for us. :)
3. Playing With Neighbors: Almost every day after school, and every weekend, I would always be outside playing with my friends. Whether it be at the playground in our neighborhood, at someone’s house, or riding bikes, you pretty much couldn’t keep me inside. It’s so cool how you automatically can become friends with people just by your experiences in life. Sure playing with non-military kids can be cool, but there’s just something special about finding people who understand your lifestyle and what you're going through.
4. The Feeling of Getting Your First Military ID: I remember on my 10th birthday being so excited to get my Military ID. It almost felt like the equivalence of what it felt like when I got my driver's license. I felt so cool. My friends and I would show off our IDs to each other and would pretend that those were our licenses. Also even though I’m older now, it never gets old when I use my ID and someone almost looks shocked that a 17-year-old girl is using a military ID. That’s always so fun to do.
5. Standing For the National Anthem at the Movies: When I would bring my friends to the on-base movie theater, they would always be confused about why the national anthem was playing before the movie. To me, this was always normal, and it was weird going to a regular movie theater and the national anthem not playing before the movie. Just another thing that shows how the culture of military life can be different from other people’s lives.
Overall, these are just a few of the many things that military kids can relate to. There are so many cool and small things that make us unique!