Creative HomeFires is a series which highlights the value that creativity offers to family members of a deployed spouse/significant other. We offer stories of the creative life and the beautiful benefits experienced during some of the most difficult seasons.
To say my introduction to submarine life was simple is like saying a 400 pound gorilla is "just a tiny little thing." I couldn't have made it any harder if I tried. Having met my husband in the middle of a shore duty, far from any naval base, I was utterly and completely spoiled our first year of marriage.
-We had no children.
-He was home every night.
-Calling him at work was not only easy but normal.
-We had plenty of family and friends with which to spend our time.
-And most importantly - my job as a sports reporter for a local newspaper fed my independent nature and creative needs.
Life was bliss.
But like most things in life - and duty stations - it wasn't meant to last. Around our first anniversary my husband received orders for a five-year sea tour on a boat stationed in the Pacific Northwest - a climate very different from our warm and sunny Central Valley California- based life. It was also during this time I discovered I was unexpectedly pregnant with our son. Within moments my outlet for creativity and independence was put on hold - indefinitely.
NOTE: While not for everyone, the choice for me to furlough my career was based upon the cost-effectiveness of late-night childcare amid an unpredictable journalistic schedule and MIA husband. Toss in the fact my pregnancy was deemed "complicated" and well....there you go.
Three weeks after our son's birth, my husband left on an 80-plus day patrol. I was living off base, had no friends locally and caring for a newborn. It was a recipe for insanity....as well as rebirth.
Despite having a newborn to take care of, I still found myself with a lot of time on my hands. The long days and nights of isolation were maddening and coupled with the lack of spouse contact a submarine patrol provides I was slowly slipping into a depression...
-We had no children.
-He was home every night.
-Calling him at work was not only easy but normal.
-We had plenty of family and friends with which to spend our time.
-And most importantly - my job as a sports reporter for a local newspaper fed my independent nature and creative needs.
But like most things in life - and duty stations - it wasn't meant to last. Around our first anniversary my husband received orders for a five-year sea tour on a boat stationed in the Pacific Northwest - a climate very different from our warm and sunny Central Valley California- based life. It was also during this time I discovered I was unexpectedly pregnant with our son. Within moments my outlet for creativity and independence was put on hold - indefinitely.
NOTE: While not for everyone, the choice for me to furlough my career was based upon the cost-effectiveness of late-night childcare amid an unpredictable journalistic schedule and MIA husband. Toss in the fact my pregnancy was deemed "complicated" and well....there you go.
Three weeks after our son's birth, my husband left on an 80-plus day patrol. I was living off base, had no friends locally and caring for a newborn. It was a recipe for insanity....as well as rebirth.
Despite having a newborn to take care of, I still found myself with a lot of time on my hands. The long days and nights of isolation were maddening and coupled with the lack of spouse contact a submarine patrol provides I was slowly slipping into a depression...
Kristen will share the rest of her story on Friday May 6, 2011
If you are interested in sharing your story, use the Contact Tab at the top of the blog.
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