Eleven Months in the Making

December 22, 2012

In a month from now, I'll be getting ready to go to the airport to pick up my husband. I can't believe it.

So far, I've arranged for our apartment to be ready for our arrival. The rental truck is reserved. All we need to do is just show up and get our keys. After that, we'll be set to move in!

Wedding stuff is coming together too! Just two weeks after my husband gets back, we'll be flying to Texas to celebrate our marriage. I'm ecstatic!

When I started my journey as a military spouse just one year ago, I wished I could just fast forward to this moment. Last December at this time, I was getting ready for our civil ceremony and mentally preparing for a yearlong tour away from the man I love. It was a very difficult reality to overcome.

Well, here I am now. I'd be lying to say that we never argued or I never cried. We fought plenty. I cried plenty. I can't tell you how many times I've almost reached my breaking point.

All of it was worth it though - and I wouldn't have it any other way (call me crazy?). We've learned so much about each other during the year we've been apart. Things that wouldn't have surfaced otherwise. It's made us stronger as a couple and ready to take on the countless other challenges in our marriage.

My parents told me that their first year of marriage was the most difficult for them because of the drastic  change and it was a big adjustment. They've never lived with each other and they were also living in an environment that was both foreign to them (Japan). I think my husband and I will endure that at Fort Belvoir. We both never lived with each other and all at once, we are both going to a place that is foreign to us. I'm hoping what we learned during this tour about each other can help with all our challenges that we're going to face. We're going to have to get used to each other again too.

Love gets you through the difficulties and that was the biggest thing I've learned from my parents. Understanding and trust helps too! I'm more excited than anything else about being able to start a new journey with my husband. There is no doubt that I've picked a better life partner.

I'm hoping the next month goes smoothly because not only am I excited, I'm also anxious! :)