Louisiana...Again?

It's been a while since I've written a personal post that doesn't pertain to my quest for healthy living.

Things have changed so much since the beginning of last year. You can read all about my thoughts on becoming an Army wife here. It was an emotional journey from the time my husband decided to enlist until the night my brother, my daughter, and I picked him up from the airport a few days before Christmas. That time apart not only changed my husband from a civilian to a soldier but it changed me too, as a wife, a mother, a person.

I'm a complete newbie to this Army wife, Army life thing. There are still things I don't understand or know. I still have to subtract in my head to figure what time my husband is coming home for dinner. There are times I just nod my head like I understand what he's talking about but really all I know is that I have a headache from trying to understand all the lingo. I'm super thankful for websites and Facebook pages and groups that offer help and support for military wives. And I definitely need to take some of the classes offered on post for helping me understand everything.

We are settling into our new home in Fort Polk, Louisiana. We were somewhat disappointed to find out that after living in Louisiana for two years and Ryan enlisting there, that we were headed back. I mean, if we were gonna do this Army thing, let's have a little adventure. Not that it's not an adventure living here. It's Louisiana for crying out loud. Just going to Walmart is an adventure. I figure that God has a sense of humor. I must not have liked Louisiana enough the first time. It's definitely an adjustment. There is all the sleaze of New Orleans, like strip clubs on every corner outside the post without all the fantastic culture and places to eat.

We lived in a hotel on post for about 5 days. That was fun...at first. But after realizing what very limited dining options we had, I longed for a home, my pots and pans, and a home cooked meal. Thankfully, we were able to get a really nice town house with a garage and a fenced in back yard. I love it. I really do. It definitely makes living here more bearable. We were worried about not having enough storage space but we have plenty with room to spare!

The post itself is nice. I love shopping at the Commissary for my groceries and we went to the PX probably every day for the first week. We haven't really had a chance to check out everything else the post has to offer like the recreational areas and the other stuff like the bowling alley and the putt-putt course but we will eventually. We did make a Saturday trip into Alexandria and had lunch at a barbecue place called Outlaw's and then we hit up the mall and Target. I'm dying to go back so I can go to Hobby Lobby. I got a sewing machine for Christmas and I'm itching to get supplies and start learning to sew. The hubby didn't feel well that day so I didn't torture him with a trip the HL.

Last week was a rough week in general and then we decided to get a puppy. The night we brought him home and named him Halt after a favorite character in a book series, I got sick. I stayed sick for about two days. In the end we decided to give Halt to a different family. I realized, too late, that the puppy was just too much stress on me right now. It's hard being away from my family, being in a new place, not knowing anyone, and not really having a routine. The pup was just too much. We were sad to see him go but he has a great knew family. My daughter was heart broken, she'd been wanting a puppy for a while, but ice cream, a new toy, and the promise of a pet fish, cheered her up.

 

Things are a bit better this week. We are hoping to finally meet a few people around here and make some friends. We haven't been able to find a church yet because every Sunday someone has either been sick or something else was going on. I know I'll feel more at home and at peace when we find a church to be a part of. However, I am loving being with my husband. It's so, so, so good to have him back. I am so proud of him and everything he accomplished last year. He is definitely my hero.

Peace, Love, and Healthy Living,

Jessica