A blog from Army&You’s spring 2023 edition by Jenni Hill
I want to reach out to anyone who can connect with that uneasy, pre-move feeling. That grey space where you can’t really do anything useful to facilitate your move in any way, yet somehow the new posting order has completely zapped your interest for where you are living now!
We found out before Christmas we are to move back to the UK from Cyprus in the summer and though I absolutely love it here, now that I know we are leaving, I’m sort of done.
How ridiculous is it to live life like that? All those friendships we could make but we think “oh, I won’t bother because I’m leaving in a few months”, or worse, we think “they won’t want to bother making friends with me”. We even do odd jobs in the quarter, bring down pictures weeks in advance and fill holes way before pre-march-out! Isn’t that such a draining way to live?
A great friend of mine, who is also a military spouse, said to me recently: “If only we could capture this moment right now.”
She was referring to me frantically typing emails to schools and councils for our children, desperately trying to secure their education (and failing by the way). What she meant was how great it would be to capture the resilience and dedication of the military spouse. I think she is right. Our adaptability is our unsung strength.
So, I’ve made a resolution this spring that I wish to share with any of you out there, in the UK and posted overseas, who share my feelings. Let’s just live for today. Let’s stop feeling like time is running out (I mean I literally have months so what am I panicking for?) Say yes to things more often and plan fun trips for the here and now.
I believe if we maintain the mindset of ‘we are leaving so what is the point?’ we are going to miss out on so much. We have the right to live each posting to its fullest and I for one am going to try this time to practise what I preach – fifth time’s a charm eh?
Jenni is our Best Blogger for this edition – she wins a Great Outdoors Experience Box, worth £49.99 from Buyagift. With lots of exciting options in many locations across the UK, Buyagift offers something for everyone. For thrillseekers, take your pick of treetop adventures, Segway experiences or paintballing, or if you’re looking for something more low-key, why not try a vineyard tour, a glamping break or an animal encounter? Whatever you choose, you’re sure to be left with unforgettable memories – head to buyagift.co.uk