Being a military brat comes with it's own set of challenges and blessings. The most unique and probably the most stress inducing question for most military brats is the age old question, "Where are you from?" It seems simple enough, but that loaded question was the vain of existence when I arrived at college. Do I tell them the last place I lived? Do I tell them the whole, "Well my dad is in the military, and I don't identify with one place as my home" spiel? I mean I have moved 10 times, I have lots to pick from. Here is what usually goes through a military brat's head during that conversation:
1. The dread
Whenever meeting someone new, you know that you have to decide how you will answer the question "Where are you from?" Are you going to semi-lie and just claim the last place you were stationed at? Are you going to go with the mini life story? Which ever you go with it's pretty tiring and stressful.
2. The spiel
So if you decided to go with the mini spiel, you probably have it down to a science. You probably can say it in a few minutes. Your parent(s) are in the military so you move every few years, and because of that you don't claim a home town.
3. The confusion
For some reason, not claiming a home town really confuses people. Maybe it's because I have lived this way my whole life, but the idea of not having ties to one town or house is completely normal to me. To others, especially those who have lived in the same place their whole life, this is a concept that is hard to grasp.
4. The questions
Now once the initial shock and confusion pass, the questions come. "Where have you lived?" "Which place was your favorite?" "Did you hate moving so much?" No, I don't hate moving, it's all I have ever known. I don't have a favorite place because every place has helped shape me into the person I am today. I also often get, "That's really cool, but how could you leave your friends?" or "Wow I could never leave my childhood home, how do you do it?". The simple answer is because I have to. This is the life I was given and I am so thankful God has given it to me. I have loved my life in the Air Force, and I'm so thankful for everything it has given me.
