Her spires reach high into the sky. Her stained glass windows reflect a beautiful, seemingly dancing rainbow of indescribable colors. The gargoyles rain down their penetrating stares as they perch high above in the Parisian sky. We were in Paris last May, and the enormity of Notre Dame’s magnificent cathedral is still fresh in my memory. I think this is why the news of April 15 cut me to the quick and left me with such a feeling of heavy sadness.
travel
Where in the World: Venice, Italy
While OCONUS living has its challenges, which I’ve written about in the past, traveling is not one of them. Actually, to rephrase, the logistical part of traveling in foreign countries can be ultra-challenging but actually traveling is pretty darn cool. In the little more than a year we’ve been stationed in Italy, we’ve seen and done things I only saw on Pinterest, tucked away in a file I named “Bucket List.”
8 Holiday Travel Tips for Military Families
The holidays truly are the most wonderful time of the year, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t filled with chaos. If you’re traveling over the holidays, then you know that the word crazy doesn’t even begin to cover it. As military families, we often travel home since most of us don’t get to live near family. So, each year, we pack way too much stuff, muster as much enthusiasm we think we need, in order to travel 300, 800, 2,000 miles, and we hop in the car or board a plane.
Vacation All I Ever Wanted: Part 2
If you’re anything like my military family, vacations seem to be few and far between. Maybe even nonexistent.
And if you’re anything like my military family, your “vacations” usually consist of going to visit family members whenever you have a chance, rather than going anywhere else. You can read more about my experience here.
26 OCONUS Experiences You Might Miss
Living at an OCONUS duty station is probably one of the most exciting parts of being a military family. Not everyone gets the chance, but if you ever do, seize that opportunity with both hands, even if it scares you.
There are so many wonderful things to experience, from the extensive history, to food, to traditions, and more. If you’ve ever lived at an OCONUS location, then you may know how easy it is to leave a part of yourself there.
5 Tips to Create a Duty Station Bucket List
If you’re due for a PCS this spring, in just a few weeks, you’re going to say goodbye to your home and pack up for a new duty station. You may realize you spent all your time saying “I’ll do it later” and forgot to actually live locally at your current duty station. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there! Maybe now is the time to make your bucket list!
Military Space A Travel: Is it Worth It?
My husband originally joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard. In 2001, he went off to basic training and AIT. When 9/11 happened, he was at basic training in the woods of Fort Benning. He didn’t find out about the atrocities that had happened until later.
As you can imagine, he was fired up and ready to deploy. After training, he went back home where he worked multiple civilian jobs, including as a beekeeper and fitness instructor in addition to his National Guard responsibilities.
You CAN Vacation on a Military Budget
Like many of you, my family loves to travel. I don’t have many hobbies, but perusing for our next spot to visit is near the top of my list. Spectacular travel resources is one of my favorite perks of being connected to the military (like a free National Park Pass!). Today we’re talking military-only resorts run by the Armed Forces Recreation Centers (AFRC). They can really help us vacation on a military budget.
If you’ve been around the military long enough, you’ve no doubt heard of these resorts and maybe even been to a few. If you’re newer, let me give you a quick run down of what they are.
How to Get Exploring with a FREE National Park Pass
One of my resolutions for 2018 is to take advantage of more opportunities available to us as military families. I’m grateful for discounted travel resources which help us stretch our budget and open doors to explore places we might not have otherwise. First up: the America the Beautiful Annual National Park Pass—military edition. This is an $80 value (and is renewable!) offered for free to military members and dependents. This includes active duty as well as Reserve and National Guard members.
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