My interview with "Army Wives Lives"

One of my blog friends, Army Wives Lives thought me special (and glamorous) enough to interview me for her blog!
Here is my interview, and be sure to click the link above to check out the wealth of information her site provides!

Interview with Keri Smith of The Glamorous Life of an Army Wife

Posted by Candace on Jan 8, 2011 | One Comment

We chatted with Keri Smith, aka “GlamorousArmy”, to find out more about her humorous take on the ups and downs of Army life and to discover how she adds a touch of Army Wife Glamor to even the most difficult situation. Keri blogs at The Glamorous Life of an Army Wife.
What topics do you write about on your blog?
Life as a military wife, of course! The great things, the not-so-great things, tips for survival. I also talk about how evil my children are, what it’s like to deal with my son’s Asperger’s Syndrome, and other random topics.
What is a favorite post of yours?
The Deployment Series-Part 1-Letting him Leave.
Tell me a little bit about your military spouse journey.
My husband has been in [the Army] over 13 years and I met him at MEPS the day he joined, because I was joining the Reserves. We wrote for 3 months, and got engaged 3 months after he graduated from Basic Training.
Yes, [he's deployed] twice. Once in 2004 and last year. Both times to Iraq.
What are the challenges of being a military spouse?
It’s hard to get family members to understand that our service as military spouses is just as important as our soldiers. We are sacrificing our fathers, mothers, husbands, wives and trying to live our lives without them. It’s also difficult to learn how to make easy transitions, between PCS moves, friends leaving, new schools for children, new jobs. It’s a challenge to get used to having a partner at home when they have been gone half the time. You need to be self-sufficient and independent when they are gone, but they still want to feel needed when they are home. It’s a life of mixed emotions.
What are the best parts of being a military spouse?
I love moving! Each duty station brings it’s own adventure, and that’s just how you have to think of it. We moved to Alaska for 3 years. Yes, it was far away and completely unknown to me, but we looked at it as our challenge.

To what extent have blogging and social networking affected the military spouse experience?
It makes it easier to reach out to someone else who will understand, because unless you have had a spouse deploy, you really can’t relate in the same way. It can be a lonely road, but it can also be very rewarding. After all, we get to date our husbands again every time they are gone! We write letters and emails, we have long phone calls. We have a chance to miss each other, and therefore appreciate what both sides contribute to the relationship.

If someone you care about was about to marry a military servicemember, what one piece of advice would you give?
Be social, and make your own life. Your soldier is not going to create one for you. You need to accomplish goals for yourself and as a couple. Take advantage of the free education benefits the military offers for spouses. Keep your chin up, and reach out if you need help. We all do from time to time. You aren’t alone in this