Marine Corps wife?  This life was scary to me when I first encountered it. Sure it was fun to get dressed up for my first ball, but then came the reality of what being married to a Marine was really about. It’s about Semper Fi–Marines are always faithful to the each other, to the Corps, and to our great nation.

Our Marines work tirelessly for honor, Corps, and Country and sometimes family comes second or even third. But as a Marine Corps wife,  you’ll discover this is an amazing life filled with gems. Here’s a few things that have worked for me on my military journey…

1. Don’t give up.

The life of a Marine Corps wife can be amazing and there will be hard times. Your Marine will deploy and when they’re not deployed, they will be away training for weeks on end with very long days. Remember why you said ‘I Do’ during those hard times, and make the time count when you are together. 

2. Embrace your local community.

Maybe you’ve heard the term ‘Bloom Where You Are Planted.’ As a Marine Corps wife you may not always get the best duty stations or neighborhoods every time, but make the best of it. It’s going to be a very long tour, maybe even several years if you continually see the negative.

Make friends, travel and discover the area no matter where you’re stationed, even if you get orders to 29 Palms, yes… Twentynine Palms. You just may find that you love hiking in area. You may discover a great restaurant or find a unique park.

3. Don’t forget about you.

It gets difficult to follow your Marine around year after year. Sometimes you can’t finish school, keep a job, or make  your dreams happen right away. Don’t give up on your goals. Find ways to work towards them, even that seems impossible. Your Military Spouse Journey provides great guidance for planning your Ideal Life Plan.

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