January 13, 2026

Before the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) Military Spouse Writing Program, my writing experience was limited to scientific and technical writing. I love science and research. But, since becoming a military spouse in 2018, it has been incredibly challenging to find work in my career field of biomedical research. Frequent moves…...

January 8, 2026

When I first discovered the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) Military Spouse Writing Program, it felt like the perfect blend of everything I’ve always loved. Writing has been a constant thread in my life, from studying communications and having my own amateur blog to dreaming of one day becoming an author.…...

January 1, 2026

A new year is just around the corner. For most people, this means New Year’s resolutions, family celebrations, and a sense of hope for what’s to come. For military spouses, a new year brings hope, but also cautionary optimism for the unpredictability that lies ahead. From deployments to trainings to…...

December 30, 2025

Goal setting often focuses on the individual and their personal development. But what about the goals for the family as a whole? Full honesty: it was not something I thought about until a few years ago, when we had our son. That was the year my husband and I sat…...

December 21, 2025

When you’re part of a military family, the holidays don’t always arrive wrapped in tradition. Some years, the tree goes up early because deployment is around the corner, and you want to experience as much of the season together as possible. In other years, the family photo includes one less…...

December 16, 2025

Before the Boots Hit the Floor The alarm goes off at 4:30 AM, two and a half hours before our kindergartener gets up for school. My service member hits the snooze button, and I try my best to tune it out for as long as I can. As he gets…...

December 11, 2025

A Homecoming to Remember I’ll never forget the day my husband came home from his first deployment. We had only been dating for three months before he left for nine long months in Poland. At the time, I didn’t know if our relationship would survive the distance, the uncertainty, or…...

December 9, 2025

Holidays for military families can look a little different compared to most. Many are stationed far from loved ones, and it’s not always feasible to reconnect for the season. As most of our holidays as a military family were spent on the West Coast, while our extended families were on…...

December 3, 2025

The holiday season is known as a time of cheer and joy, filled with laughter over shared family meals. But for military families, especially those celebrating the holidays abroad, it might feel like a rollercoaster of emotions. As you listen to festive songs and happily wrap your children's presents, homesickness…...

December 2, 2025

When I think back to my childhood holidays, I can still picture the Kansas snow dusting the ground at Fort Riley. My dad was stationed there, and though our little base housing was far from the rest of our family, my parents did everything they could to make it feel…...