If I’m honest, a life within the military community has always been my destiny. As an RAF child myself, I very nearly signed the dotted line a couple of times. I guess it’s inevitable if it’s all you have known, writes Ceri.
I HAVE always relished every aspect of the nomadic lifestyle and the thrill and spontaneity of never really knowing what’s around the corner.
I married Darren, leaving my own home, family, friends and a company I loved and had worked hard to get to the top of. I was full of excitement for the adventure we were to embark on together. For the most part, I still very much feel like this.
I settled quickly into the pace of army life and almost immediately landed a job with the local radio station, which kept me busy and connected when Darren was away. I was pretty independent and self-sufficient. A few years into marriage I fell pregnant with our little boy, Edwyn, and weeks after his arrival, we were posted.
So began a new experience of army life, a fully immersive one. For the first time, I found myself beginning to appreciate the sentiment I had heard about the difficulty of being a military spouse. Previously that hadn’t resonated with me at all. Whilst I’m outgoing and friendly, I found it challenging and it wasn’t quite as I had expected. My naivety caught me off-guard.
I feel blessed that Edwyn will grow up a ‘dandelion’ and enjoy all of the unrivalled rich experiences and opportunities that I did. For us, the pros still far outweigh the cons.
But, as I return to work, having spent a year feeling quite isolated, I know that the path ahead will involve much juggling with very little support. I do feel sad that the sense of community and security I so relished growing up seems to no longer be present.