European Road-Trip with Mel's Mom

{Hey all! I am currently driving to Texas, with my car stuffed to the windows, blasting old Backstreet Boys while my sister and I sing along. I'm going to be out for a couple of days to account for travel, recovery and unpacking time. Oh, and to shower my husband with kisses and other signs of affection. In the meantime, you are lucky to have a couple of my favorite bloggers making guest appearances in my absence.}

That's right, on my last day of guest bloggers you get the most special blogger of them all: my momma! I asked her to write a post about her time growing up all over the world. She did precisely that, and yet, I think the post turned into so much more.

Without further adieu...

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I think most of us have moved at one time or another…

Maybe with our parents to a new home or to college and the dorm? Or you’ve PCS’d?

It’s funny how moves are fun AND scary at the same time.

I grew up all over the world, Bermuda, Japan, Germany…obviously you can’t do that without moving, and moving, and moving again, seven times before I graduated from high school. If you’ve read all of Melissa’s blog, you know there’s a recurring theme here.

With the view of the world that many of you have I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re thinking, “Military brat!!” Nope, but not too far off.

My father was a teacher, coach, athletic director and later a principal for the DODDs school system. So I grew up WITH the Military brats and I liked it, most of the time.

I’m sure things have changed, what hasn’t? Back then, the Military families typically moved about every four years. So, between our moves and the moves of those around me, not many people were there for the long haul (that’s the part I didn’t like!)

You learn to make friends fast, and how to say goodbye. But you also have an opportunity to create a family bond that is amazing because those ARE the people there for the long haul.

As a child, I saw the world with my family close to my side. I’ve seen the Tokyo tower, the Eifel tower, Neuenschwanstein castle, the Mona Lisa, the statue of David, the Swiss alps, the Mosel wine valley, Dachau concentration camp, the Arc d’Triumpf, Normandy beach, and those are just the places that come to mind first. Castles, Churches, war memorials, beautiful miracles of nature all over the world from Africa to Asia!

We skied, golfed, walked, ate dinner and generally lived our lives together as a family. What an amazing way to live your life, yes, I am blessed.

When I came home, yes the USA is home and always has been. Throughout the world we attended every 4^th of July air show, every parade and patriotic event we could. We watched AFN and got the culture etc. so mostly we were American. My father said, “It’s time to go home and become an American!” I think he was worried that I would marry a German boy and not go home to the USA.

Off I went to college for my first move by myself. This is where I think we, my family and I went wrong. Suddenly, no family, where was the milk and cookies when I came home every day? The culture shock of not having my family resulted in me getting married as fast as I could! I wanted that family and closeness that had been so important to me…what I got was Melissa & Megan! The greatest gifts that God has given me! The man, not so much. He’s a good guy but not for me.

I did the single mom thing for a lot of years, my parents and sister came home, and eventually I met the man that I want to see the United States with…MY family man! Melissa too has her man and we’re growing our family, it’s amazing to be me now.

So, what is the moral of this long history of my life?

Spend time with your kids, show them the world, even if it’s just your part of it (when my girls were little we did what we could with no money, Duluth, nature reserves, the zoo, science museums, etc. ~ The girls may not remember all of it but they know they are loved!) Prepare your birdies to leave the nest as best you can, and mostly, when you move, and move, and move again…hold on to the ones who will always be there for you.