In the beginning, it was a friendship. We had so much in common. We'd talk late into the night about our past, our goals, our future. By April we admitted feelings for each other and began dating. By July, we were exclusive. By September, we had to say good-bye. My orders sent me to Guam, while his took him to San Diego.
The Navy told us we needed to get married if we wanted to be stationed together. We threw caution to the wind and took the plunge. We were married on a breezy October day in 2002.
From that point forward, everything was a whirlwind. I moved to San Diego in 2003. Ahron was sent to shore duty. Shore duty is different from sea duty, because you don't deploy. It's like a regular, daily job with consistent hours. That was a huge blessing for us as baby #1, our daughter, arrived, and then two and a half years later, baby #2, our son, completed our family.
My time in the Navy was over and I transitioned into a supporting role for my husband. The adjustment period of getting discharged had ups and downs. On one hand I was thrilled to be able to stay home with the children. On the other had, we lost an entire income. I also needed to reform my identity from an active duty sailor to a wife and mother, without losing interest in my own passions.
A little over two years after I left the Navy to take on the supporting role of a Navy wife, Ahron's time came to an end on shore duty and he needed to return to a ship. After going back and forth a bit, we chose to be stationed on an aircraft carrier in Washington. That way, when he did deploy again, I'd be close to family.
TBC
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