There is nothing easy about Defence Life. For the partners of serving members, it takes every ounce of strength, determination, creativity and resilience we have to navigate this world for ourselves, much less guide our families through too!
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My heart is to make this a community where we can learn from each other, because no one should be doing this life alone!
From a Defence Wife who learned everything the hard way: I hope you’ll recognise my struggles and achievements in your own journey and know that you’re not alone! From long separations, to household management, Army culture-shock, new postings, Defence housing and everything in-between: here you’ll find my honest thoughts on the experience of being a military spouse, along with any tips and techniques I've learned along the way which might help simplify your life as an Army wife and help you feel a little more at home in the world of Defence.
Jessica xo
Life as an Army wife CAN be a struggle, but together; maybe it can be a life where we thrive, instead of just survive…
I wish I'd known this before becoming a Defence Wife: there's a mad scramble to prepare for the unknown before each and every absence…
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).
I wish I'd known this before becoming a Defence wife: the challenges of starting over and over again…
After a while, Military spouse life becomes its own familiar rhythm; sometimes it feels daunting, but daring - fearless, but also fear-inducing. Yet something that throws me off each and every time we relocate, is the overwhelming pile of admin we need to complete with each change of address.
I wish I'd known this before becoming a Defence wife: How to quickly turn an unfamiliar house into a home
Here's how we have learned to settle in quickly and make each new rental house feel like home for our four children and ourselves; I hope that If you have yet to step into this lifestyle and have fears about constantly uprooting and making a new place feel like home - that the tips we've learned across four Defence relocations with young children might help you to settle into a new routine for your family as you begin your ADF journey…
I wish I'd known this before becoming a Defence Wife: I'd be leaving the home where milestones & memories lived
Whether you're uprooting from the neighbourhood and house you thought would be your “forever home” or preparing to move on from the rental house you turned into your family's haven and safe space; the goodbyes and the grieving process look the same.
New Military posting? - Follow these tips for a smooth delivery day!
I've been an Australian army wife for five years now … still a newbie - I know! … but having completed three military relocations in just five years - I've been forced to learn a thing or two! I thought I'd compile a list of my top tips for a smooth defence move and spare you a little of my military wife heartache! These are the things I wish we'd known before posting with the defence force:
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.