How many times have you been in a situation where civilians find out you're a military spouse and automatically assume you're a stay-at-home mom?
For the first several years of our relationship, my husband and I lived across the country from each other. We got engaged at 19 years old and married less than a year later, but I continued to pursue my degree in Radiologic Technology while he served overseas and in several locations stateside. I was asked many times "why are you even bothering to get a degree you won't be able to use?" and "aren't you just going to stay at home with your kids?" Funny...I don't remember having kids?? But as soon as we got married, everyone just assumed I would start popping out babies and stay at home to raise them. Don't get me wrong - I 110% support women who choose this path, but it's not the path that's right for me.
After six years of military life, I have met many spouses who continue to pursue their own personal careers, I have met many who choose to give up the career they went to school for and pursue more "realistic" paths, such as entrepreneurship, and I have also met many who are SAHM. I'm not surprised by this variety of positions. Despite popular belief, being a military spouse doesn't define who we are as human beings.
With that being said, military life comes with many challenges when it comes to working outside the home. Often times our spouses schedules are unpredictable and they're not home often, meaning we have to pick up the weight and be there for our kiddos when they get off the bus or are sick. We have to service the cars and pick up the groceries and make it to all the doctors appointments. These situations can often make pursuing a job in the civilian workforce seem impossible. Yet so many make it work!
I asked for the help of the military spouse community to provide some feedback on their personal experiences and opinions on being a working military spouse for this blog series. My hope is that this compilation of perspectives will not only help our young military spouses find their way, but also be a resource for even our most seasoned spouses. So buckle up and enjoy the ride because these milSOs brought the heat!
- xoxo -
