The Pros
- We have the amazing opportunity to live in England for three years. We are within driving distance of Scotland and we can hop on a two hour plane ride to get to most countries in Europe.
- Housing allowance- the military will pay for housing and utilities. When you live on base you don't even see a bill when it comes to rent or utilities so it makes it super easy and it's a great benefit living in the UK not to have to worry about that cost since its already so expensive here!
- The opportunity to move...a lot! Right now Matt and I are enjoying not staying in one place for too long. I love the fact that after three years in England we will get to go somewhere else and explore new things.
- Healthcare- I think the military healthcare system is great and I have always had pretty good experiences with all the doctors I have encountered. I love that you don't have to worry about getting a hospital bill or paying for a prescription. It was so nice when I had my daughter Morgan not to have to worry about any added expenses.
- You meet a lot of great people and develop strong friendships. Also, after multiple moves you start to have friends all across the country which is great for traveling :)
The Cons
- While the constant moving is great, it also comes with inconsistency that can make it difficult to get a job or stay with a company for very long. Most of the time military wives are over qualified and underpaid for the position they work in. When you are constantly moving you will usually take the first job offered to you because it can be so difficult to get an offer in the first place. When employers know you are in the military they know you might not be around for very long and don't want to invest their time and money in someone who might not be around in a year.
- You have to learn to be flexible and give up a lot. With my husbands job he can get called on a trip at a moments notice so a lot of the times our plans have to change. I learned the hard way to always get travel insurance! I booked a non refundable trip to Paris once and my husband ended up being on call that weekend and we lost all our money from the trip, yikes!
- The air force is number one. The spouse and rest of the family will always come second and I have learned to be ok with that. There are many nights I don't know what time Matt will be coming home from work and I will try and wait for him to eat dinner just for it to end up being cold or not eaten at all. Matt also has worked different shift schedules which can add stress to the fact that we might not see each other Monday-Friday and that can be difficult.
- You are usually far away from friends and family. The military community is close so you learn to make your friends your family and holidays are spent with your neighbors or other families from your husbands squadron. However, it does not take the place that many holidays and social occasions are missed or spent apart from your family members.
- The constant reminder in the back of your head that deployments are never out of the questions and there is also a possibility Matt could be taken away from us for months.
Overall I would not have it any other way. I am proud to be a military wife and I love my husband for everything he does for Morgan and I. But I am not going to lie once he retires from the Air Force I can't wait to have our freedom back ;)
