Everything is Difficult Before it's Easy
My name is Katie and I'm a Navy wife - strike that, I'm a Submariner's wife. If someone would have told me I would be a Submariner's wife seven years ago, I probably wouldn't have believed them. We've been married three and a half years now and this is our story.
Josh enlisted in the Submarine force January 2013, and I waved goodbye as he headed toward Great Lakes, Michigan for basic training. Two months of separation followed by watching him graduate as a sailor was our first step as a military couple. Looking back, two months of separation seems like a walk in the park now that we've experienced a seven month deployment, but who's counting? While many wives move to their spouse's home port, we chose a different path. Josh's home port is Groton, Connecticut and I'm ported here in Pennsylvania. Four years later and somehow this works for us. Is it easy? Not always. But everything is difficult before it's easy.
Josh and I have made this life work for us the best we know how. We have a beautiful home and an adorable dog, Baxter. While Josh is away and out to sea I hold down the home fort. I take care of the yard work in the summer, shovel in the winter, and keep the house cleaned, all while still working as a full-time Insurance Agent. I've become very independent and learned how to fix things around the house every day. I like to think of myself as a positive person, but when PA got 34 inches of snow in 2016 I wasn't positive and wanted to cry thinking about all of the shoveling I was about to do. We've all been there!
Josh and I are extremely lucky. We have an amazing support system both here in PA and in Groton. Living in PA I can talk and visit with my family after a long day or when I'm missing Josh as he's out to sea. My mom and I spend a lot of time together! I have great co-workers who understand our lifestyle and can lean on other military wives when this life gets too difficult.
While in port, Josh and I talk every day; making sure we get up on time, support one another, and keep each other informed of "the little" things going on in our lives around us. With us being apart, trust is key. Our relationship/friendship/and love is strong. Without trusting one another, this lifestyle wouldn't work.
I don't pretend to have all the answers or act as though being a military wife is easy. It's not easy, and it is different for everyone. Some days are far easier than others - some days are a one beer kind of night and then again some are a two beer kind of night. I've learned early on that you put one foot in front of the other because you don't have a choice. My husband has an extremely important job to do and he can't be excessively worrying about me here at home. I've got a part to play in this, too - holding down the home fort - one day at a time.