10 years ago, yesterday was my final day as a service member. Today, I’m looking back at military service. For me, leaving the military was not an easy decision. Deep down I knew it was the right choice for my family. But at the time it felt like a huge sacrifice to walk away from a career. As a military spouse, transitioning into a new role with a company and continuing my career as an Engineer also didn’t feel plausible. I’ll admit I didn’t do a lot of research in figuring out how to make a new career path work. It felt easier and somehow harder to stay at home with my infant son.
Looking back at military service
At the time, I felt like walking away from my career in the military would mean closed doors for my future. All that I had accomplished was in the past. What more could I do moving forward?
But a few months after leaving the military I started this blog. I was looking for something and at the time my focus was on how I could be of value and in my eyes bringing in an income was my ultimate goal. I had tried to work through a company as an MLM rep but that wasn’t right for me. Blogging seemed like a great new option.
I had no idea what I was doing.
And it was way harder than I ever expected. But it also helped me find community. A community I had loss and didn’t even know I was missing when I took my uniform off and went from service member to mom. And while the writing community didn’t have a military connection it is what led me to the veteran community and finding purpose again. Lots of twists and turns have led me to where I am today. And thinking of all I have accomplished in 10 years has me so excited about what will come the next 10 years.
Leaving the military can feel like the end. And in some ways it is the end. But only to a chapter. Not to your life story. The experiences from your time in the military will stay with you for the rest of your life. And you can make an impact in your work, your family, your community. And you have the potential to do so much.
Women of the Military podcast
Creating Women of the Military podcast was following a crazy idea of something new to try. I had tried so many different ways to share my stories and had just started sharing the stories of others. And the podcast was an open door to so many opportunities. Opportunities, I could have never imagined and often were far beyond my dreams.
Later this month I am going to publish the 250th episode of the Women of the Military podcast. In this upcoming episode I reconnected with 5 of my past podcast guests. Their encouragement, friendship and support has meant so much. And doing that interview I felt so blessed to be able to do the work that I do. And there has been so much that I have accomplished. But this like the end of my military career isn’t the end, it is only the beginning.
