Change it is a comin'!

Well folks, the time is finally here!!  We have ten months left on our orders and Hubs has been selected for promotion.  He's talked to the detailer a few times in the last few months, and we've received some recommendations and possibilities for our next duty station.  But without the promotion, it was pointless to engage the detailer and attempt negotiations for orders...  They wouldn't write Hubs orders for an O-4 billet until his name was on the list, and the chances of Naval Post Graduate School were slim due to poor planning within the Supply community (regarding the number of slots they have available in the program and the number of Officers that need the program).  So we've moved on to other options that bode well for both promotion opportunities within the Navy and career enhancements that could be a positive impact on a post-Naval career somewhere down the road.

Needless to say, change, it is a comin'!  And it's coming soon!  Hubs's PRD (Projected Rotation Date) from his current billet is July of next year.  And of course, depending on the billet he's assigned, we could rotate anywhere between April and October.  I just know that the next ten months will fly by!  It's likely that we'll be leaving the area, which makes me both happy and sad.  I grew up in a Marine Corps family, so I moved every three years, and thrive on the adventure of trying new things and discovering new places.  I don't let grass grow long under my feet and get the itch to move every few years.  I'd like to go away from home again (like I did when I went off to college) to test my wings without my parents close-by.  But on the other hand, of course, I've lived in Hampton Roads for nearly ten years.  I graduated high school here and know my way around.  I feel a sense of pride in my community and it's nice to finally have roots...  And yes, it's nice to have my parents close-by if ever I should need them!

All that said, yes, I'm a little apprehensive.  I'm pretty outgoing, but I have my shy tendencies too.  I haven't been as good as I should about going out and meeting my neighbors.  Probably because when I was in the Navy I was gone all the time, and now I'm in school, so it's not as if I sit on my front porch and drink iced tea every afternoon.  So, I do have a million worries running through my head:  What if I get pregnant and we're due to move in my seventh or eighth month?  I love my doctor and I hate the thought of having to find a new one so late in my pregnancy!  When will we have time to go house hunting?  I can't imagine finding a home on the internet, even though we'll certainly be renting so I don't know why I should care so much.  What about my Reserve duties?  Will they allow me to finish my obligation by affiliating with a unit where ever we transfer or will I have to fly back here for a weekend every month?  What if, what if, what if?  I know that Hubs is our primary breadwinner and that any obligation or desire of mine needs to play second fiddle to his Naval career; I volunteered for that!  It's what I wanted!  It's better for our future family!  But I can't help thinking what about me? what happens to the stability I've built into my life for the past ten years?  Even though I know Hubs would never do something detrimental to me or any children we might someday have, and I know he'd never make a decision without discussing it with me first, I do have to come to terms with the fact that every decision we make plays an important part in Hubs's future in the Navy so we will have to make sacrifices and we will be thrust into situations that at times seem less than ideal.  But we will overcome any obstacles and we will become stronger in the end.

Either way, Hubs and I have a lot of discussions ahead of us.  The next couple of weeks will likely determine where we'll be this time next year.  I know we'll be fine, because we'll forge ahead together as a team, and it'll just be another chapter in the adventure we're weaving.  There will be challenges regardless of where we end up, but I know we'll make the best of every situation and we'll flourish where ever we end up.  It's going to be scary, but it's going to be exciting.  Some of the duty stations that have been mentioned are places I never imagined I'd live, so of course I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to experience something totally new.  It's funny, but the thing that thrills me the most about the possibility of a brand new place is starting "from scratch" with Hubs for the first time.  When we got married, he moved into the house I'd purchased 18 months before.  His furniture was sold or stored in the garage, with a few choice items arranged around what was already in my home.  We never set up house together because it was already done.  We didn't need to register for linens and appliances and suitcases when we got married because we already had two sets of everything!

So, lovely readers, stay tuned!  As the weeks progress and as decisions are made, I'll try to keep you in the loop...but for now, we're working through this process together and trying to learn as much as we can about the different opportunities so we can make the best decision possible!