I remember thinking so many times back when I was a brand new defence wife, how much I wished I'd had a friend, relative or mentor in the Australian army world - a sisterly type - who would share with me all the things I didn't know.
Exactly what was I supposed to be preparing myself for? What were the hardships I didn't know were coming?
I want to share with you one of those tidbits of information I wish I'd had someone to share with me back before I became a military spouse and mama: that the first and last week of every serving member's absence are an absolute nightmare; it's normal! And you will survive them.
I remember our first full time year of Australian Defence life and just how woefully unprepared I was for the plethora of chaotic events that would unfold in my husband's absence (a.k.a Murphy's law of military life: anything that can go wrong while your serving member is completely inaccessible… WILL go wrong).
Whether it's the first or fifteenth time that you've waved your military husband goodbye, there's really nothing that prepares you for that shift … where you go from being a ‘we’ to a ‘me’.
Five years into Australian Defence Wife life, my philosophy when he's away is: keep commitments light and schedules tight! The kids and I enter survival mode; but we try to survive in style ;)