Why I Stay...

Deployed again....

But this time I am on a Navy ship in a foreign place.

The good things about the ship are the gym, the hot showers, the clean room, my TV, my internet access and my roommate.

The bad...where do I start? Well, the bad parts are the food, the constant loud noises, the fact that you are never alone, 14 hour workdays, no days off, micromanagement, my command, no WIFI, limited telephone access, and many, many, more.

Why do I do this?

Every year that rolls around I re-think my decision to stay in the Marine Corps. I don't love what I do but there are times when I like what I do. Not for the last two years...but hopefully that will change when I change duty stations in a few months. No, I don't do it because I love it; I do it because I can retire when my children are still young and I will only have to work if I choose to. I do it because I make a lot of money (by my standards) and I couldn't do much better if I changed jobs. I do it because the economy is very unstable and even if I got a dream job, you never know if it is going to last more than a short time. Most people don't plan to get laid off and I don't want to take that chance.

I look forward to the day that I do retire. I have 6 years and one month until that day and I am so excited to know that when I am 40 years old I will no longer have to work unless I choose to. I can take my children to school and go on field trips. I can take them to sporting events and be a team mom. I can go out of town anytime I choose. I will be able to choose where we live and not ever have to move again unless we decide to. I can spend my days laying by the pool if I have nothing else that I want to do more. I can't wait to be free. The most important and exciting part of retirement is this; I will never ever have to leave my babies for a deployment again.

Introduction

Today is the first day of the rest of my life! I believe that I have heard that somewhere before and I thought today would be an appropriate time to use that phrase.

I am an active duty U.S. Marine that is currently forward deployed. My husband is in the Navy (and also deployed). We have 2 little boys together, ages 15 months and 2 years old. I also have 2 stepsons that are 13 and 8. We usually reside in Lemon Grove, CA...though it's getting a little harder to remember what my house looks like. I think that my husband left my car at my house, where my nanny is temporarily staying while we are gone, but I can't really be sure. I guess I should ask her if it's there.

I am interested in many things and will probably write about them as I get time. I am pretty knowledgeable about family, children, CHILDBIRTH, fitness, arts and crafts, travel, the war(s), the military, women's issues, sports, Arabic flies, and many, many other topics. I have recently become much more interested in politics than ever before. Common sense is something that belongs in government but is rarely present. This will probably be mentioned in most of my posts.

Some random things about me...
I have very little will power. I hate to diet. I love to spend money...though I don't love to shop in the traditional sense. I am very impulsive. I am usually too honest. I love my kids. I have many unfinished projects. I love "hands on" work. I am probably overpaid. I am often underestimated at first. I love my family and my friends. I don't like the effort that it often takes to meet new people. I change my hair all the time. I wear a size 12 but would really love to be a size 10. I am an extrovert and I thrive off of the people around me. If I am alone for too long I might just go a little crazy. I am a little crazy anyway. Funny things happen to me all the time. I read the news multiple times a day. I love to read novels and write in first person. I win almost every argument that I take part in. I know everything.

This is going to be fun, I can feel it!