October 8, 2015

One of the things I love about being a military wife is that Nick and I get to live in different places. Every couple of years (or sometimes, even sooner), the military packs us up, and we go live somewhere new. We get to experience so many things that we just wouldn’t have the chance to experience otherwise. We don’t have much of a say in where we go, but I’m up for anything.

Military life is hard in a lot of ways. But I think that moving is one of the ways that makes us stronger, because we have to pick up and start all over every few years, because it forces us to adapt to new situations really fast, because Nick and I have to work together to get a big job done.

I remember when we moved into our apartment in Hawaii. We moved in before our stuff got to Hawaii. We had nowhere to sit and nothing to cook with, besides one pan that Nick put in his suitcase, but we figured it out, and it was a blast. Then the movers came. As we consolidated our stuff from living in two different places, we realized we had way too much stuff for our small apartment. We could barely walk around! It took over a week to go through stuff, donate things we didn’t need, and organize everything. It was still a blast and we got to go out for ice cream to reward ourselves for our hard work multiple times.

The day we moved to Hawaii! Here’s us at the airport in New York, boarding our flight:

moving to hawaii (1 of 1)

So, it’s a bit bittersweet that I write that we are leaving our island home in a few months and moving to Connecticut.

Yes, of course, I am very sad to leave Hawaii. This island has come to feel like home for both Nick and me. I have lots more I want to write about the ways Hawaii has helped me grow and change, but right now, I want to talk about what’s coming next.

A friend of mine, who has been a Navy wife for a while now, always tells me that no matter where the military sends you, you can always find more positive things than negative. I think that is really important to remember for life in general.

So, here’s a toast to all of the things I am excited for about Connecticut:

I don’t see many negatives in moving to a new place, experiencing something new, being closer to my family and friends. Sure, we are moving in the middle of winter from a tropical paradise to a place where it snows a lot, but that’s the Navy for you. It’s all part of the adventure, right?! We’ve already got a bucket list going of things we want to do, like go see a broadway show in New York City, and we will only have a few months to do it all.

I know it’s going to be a blast to be somewhere new with Nick. I love Nick’s optimism, his sense of adventure, and the way he always finds the best parts about the places he lives. He’s the perfect partner to be doing this with. Now more than ever, I am sure that this is the best life for us.

I have lots more I want to write about Hawaii, and I am sure I will be getting a bit more dramatic once it gets closer to leave. I’ve got lots planned for the next two months – beaches, food, and revisiting all of my favorite places one last time.

So yeah, here’s to new adventures!

And does anyone have any moving tips?!

4 responses to “From Palm Trees to Pine Trees”

  1. Joan Lauri Marrines says:

    Looking foward to your next adventure ❤️❤️❤️❤️

  2. Wow Carolann! I have so much respect for your constant positive outlook to things! A few of my male cousins in India are in the military and I always used to assume that the constant moving must be so stressful for their wives and children but having read your post, I now resale I might be completely wrong about that and actually, you make me pause to think it’s actually really exciting and leads to so many new opportunities! I’m so pleased you mentioned Christmas in NYC because I’m spending a couple of days there in December and have only ever been there in the summer so I can’t wait to see it all festive ☺

    • Carolann says:

      Thanks so much! That was a really sweet comment. When we were deciding whether or not Nick would get out of the military or stay in until he can retire, I talked to a few military wives. The happiest ones were always able to find the positive no matter the situation, no matter where they moved, even when their husbands are deployed. They would even talk about things they liked about deployments. I decided that I would always find the good, that I would always be the positive about whatever comes our way. Nick is naturally like that so I have a good influence around. Moving can be stressful, but the military hires movers to pack everything up, so we just have to make sure that everything is in order. It’s a lot to do but it’s not too bad. I think I might try to do a few posts about the whole process. It is really exciting to me to be able to live different places and see different things.

      New York is truly magical in December. I am so glad you are going to experience it! I am so excited to go see the lights and the tree. If you have a chance, try to go to Carmine’s. Amazing family-style Italian food and they always have the best decorations.

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