Thus far

As I sit in our mostly packed up living room in our apartment in Stafford, Virginia, one day away from Derick's triumphant completion of The Basic School at Marine Corps Base Quantico, I am thinking fondly of the previous six months. I just finished a microwavable bean burger and the Price is Right. Upon my last bite, during the Showcase Showdown, I found myself wishing that I'd kept more an account of our journey thus far in the United States Marine Corps. So, I decided to begin a blog in hopes that maybe I can stick with it when we reach our new duty station, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Blogging is a good way for my family back in the boondocks of Arkansas to keep track of their wild hair relative who ventured up north where no one has heard of catfish buffets or slug bugs (shout out to my Yankee friend Beth and Canadian friend Shannon, also MC wives, respectively). So, if this blog suits the purpose of my close relatives simply keeping tabs on me, then it's worth it.

Orientation (I thought I'd throw that in there to impress Derick)
Once upon a time Derick blurted out the idea of joining the Marine Corps. I laughed, but after some persistence, he convinced me to let him go talk to a recruiter in our town. Derick and I had been married for over three years, and we were somewhat settled into our identities as "that long-haired, barefoot, hippie couple that sits in the grass, Indian style, and plays guitar and sings." We were cool with that. However, Derick had always played with the idea of being a Marine and began to discretely become more serious with the issue. He explained that with his college degree, he could attend Officer Candidate School and commission as a Second Lieutenant. We also wanted to get the heck out of Arkansas, so he used those facts to entice me. I gave in, and we went to see the recruiter, who said, "Oh, you're in luck! There is an Officer Selection recruiter in town right now." I should have known right then that this was meant to be. The Gunnery Sgt. took one look at Derick and said, "you know you'll have to cut your hair, right?" With that, Derick and I took our first steps in the direction of honor, courage and commitment that is the United States Marine Corps.

Situation (and again)
So here we are, nearly three years and a really long story later, embarking upon our first PCS and Derick's graduation from his favorite place in the world, The Basic School. I say that with sarcasm because if you don't know what the last six months of Derick's life and that of about 300 other new Second Lieutenants encompassed, I recommend you Google "The Basic School" just to get a tiny little taste. Now, for me, TBS was freakin' cake. Some wives in my position may not agree with me, especially those whose husbands have been in the Marines for a while, but after dealing with OCS (go ahead and Google that while you're at it) for ten months in Arkansas, it was nice to have my husband home most nights and weekends. I guess I should mention it was also nice to run around with my friends, hang out by the pool, and go to Panera Bread without any real occupational restrictions. Sure there were hard times, especially when I had supper cooked and he was nowhere in sight. But for the most part, I've loved every second of the past six months, and in a small way, I feel like when Derick accepted his commission, our lives, and mine individually, had just begun.

(Sorry babe, can't remember what comes next in an order)
So here we are on the edge of what some people would consider not a big deal, but to me, a huge opportunity. As a Marine wife (although currently unemployed, but NC, if you like Zumba fitness, I'm your girl, hint, hint) I hold a large amount of responsibility on my shoulders. I believe that much of our Marines' character is first influenced at home. I'm going out on a limb here, especially being a new Marine wife, but I think it's just a blatant fact to say if my Marine feels pressure at home, he'll be crap in the field and with his Marines. I've never been a perfect wife, and I've not always even been a good one, but my prayer is that I can always be encouraging and supportive in all that Derick does. Even if it's something I don't like, such as *ahem* deployment, I hope I can face it with dignity, pride, and strength because he is affected by my actions and words. My husband is and will be a darn good Marine, and because the way I handle situations directly affects him, I better be a darn good Marine wife!

Here's to new beginnings in all aspects!
"Decide what to be and go be it." --The Avett Brothers