Deployments. For most military families it’s one of those dreaded threats always hanging over our heads. At any moments our spouses will come home and say, “Sorry honey, I’ve got to go.” We all know that a 6-month-deployment has a 50/50 chance of becoming a 12 month deployment. So what do you do when you’re the one stuck at home and trying to kill time? How do you make those months fly by when all you really want to do is crawl into bed and stay there until homecoming?
1. Start off by setting some goals.
Maybe the only things you can manage the first week is a trip to the grocery store and promising to get out of pajamas at least every other day. I get it. The beginning of deployment is rough. But once cabin fever sets in (or the cereal runs out) it is time to shake off the hard days and remember that life goes on through deployment and you are the only one that can determine if it is going to be a good experience or something you whine about every day. Take a class, find a new hobby, put some time in at the gym. By setting goals and making plans for things you want to accomplish while your spouse is gone, time will go much quicker than if you’re sitting at home every day dwelling on the fact that you’re alone holding down the fort.
2. One thing you could do is plan a solo adventure.
I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes I struggle to do things on my own. I didn’t go out to eat at a restaurant alone until I was approaching 30 because I was afraid. But now I actually rather enjoy running around on my own. Mid-day movies alone mean I have the theatre to myself and can feel less guilty about sneaking food in my purse. Dinners out by myself mean I can avoid the 30 minute wait and instead snag that last solo seat at the bar. Bartenders at restaurants know the best dishes to have and what wine to pair with the deployment blues. And if you ask my mother, a solo trip can be just the thing to break you out of a funk. She swears Seattle is wonderful for solo adventures because the people there are ridiculously friendly. I personally prefer Charleston. Southern charm at its finest can be found there (along with a killer dessert restaurant that you have to visit!)
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