This week, I am thankful for my Marine Corps friends...and for acquiring the ability to come out of my shell and make those friends!
I'm really shy when I first meet people, actually it takes a good 3-5 times being together before I feel really comfortable having an actual conversation with people. You see, my two best friends and I met when we were 3, starting a friendship was as easy as "you like Barbie?" "me too" "lets be friends!". I had those same friends that I met in preschool all through high school. Our Catholic elementary school wasn't too far from our Catholic high school so most of my entire class went to the same school. It wasn't until college that I realized, I don't know how to go about actually meeting and making friends. Ive just always HAD friends.
(My 2 best friends- Ashley and Dani at Dani's wedding! They were both in my wedding as well!)
Obviously, I did make friends in college and had a great group that I hung out with (Hi Emma...I know you're stalking my blog now!) They got me through my first deployment and I have told them on a regular basis that I cant believe how annoying and nutty I was during that time and I cant believe they were still friends with me...I totally would have dropped me as a friend if I were them! We got so close in the year that we knew each other, but there was somewhere else I needed to be...
(Emma, Tim, and I on Topsail Island...the day after Tim took his iPhone "swimming" in the ocean- oops!)
When I moved down here to Camp Lejeune, I was once again left without friends. Kale had a group of friends but most didn't have their spouse living down in NC at the time so I only knew 1 other spouse. Kale also left for a 4 week training exercise about 3 days after I moved down to be with him. Nothing like saying "Welcome to the Marine Corps lifestyle!" right after I move down then my fiance leaving for training and me to unpack and organize my first apartment!
(Day after we got everything unloaded, Kale had to pack his gear while I had to actually unpack and organize our new apartment!)
It was sometime during that 4 weeks he was gone that I got the reality check that if I don't go actively do something to make friends, my time down in NC would be miserable. I started going with the one girl that I knew (who turned in my best friend- Ive talked about her a ton of here- LeShea) to our unit events and meeting other ladies. The "Weapons Company" wives were amazing and we really enjoyed each others company. We all knew what each other was going through and were always there for each other during the Afghanistan deployment (2nd deployment)
Then some Marine wives that I know from online (Hi to all my CW loves!) starting having get togethers and I started going to them...before I knew it, not only did I have some great groups of friends, but I was quickly realizing that these ladies will be more then my friends, they will be my family! I contribute 95% of my sanity to them during my miscarriage and the following months.
So thank you Marine Corps, without you, I wouldn't know some of the most amazing women on this planet! You've taught me how to reach out to make friends, and boy, I found some great ones!
I love this post :)
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