So many things have filled my days this autumn. The changing of leaves brought many changes to my life. The biggest of which is that I am now a married woman!
The tangled path to this step with C is for another post, but after a very quiet and small backyard ceremony (big party with family and friends comes later in 2018), we are now officially ourselves, but with a couple of contracts between us. The biggest challenge so far has been that we only had two weeks together before he left for South Korea for a year. By far, one of the loneliest times in my life was driving back to Louisiana from Georgia after bringing him to Atlanta. We arrived and waited intertwined at the terminal until he had to board. Then it really was like a movie…holding hands until he couldn’t anymore and watching until I couldn’t see him anymore before leaving, tears streaming down my face.
Right now we’re grappling with whether he should power through a year alone in Korea, or if I should join him for a two year tour. We’re still very much just trying to adjust to all of the pragmatic changes that come with being married (receiving the license, applying for mutual benefits, altering life insurance policies, getting on car insurance policies, what should I do about my last name, and so on).
To be honest, it has been a little overwhelming. The sense of responsibility is very real. I need to get a better grip on my finances, so I requested that we opt out of common property (which is the default when you get married in our state) so that he will not have to take responsibility for the debts I bring into our marriage. It also makes a little more sense to do right now since we are living completely apart in different countries with different sets of household expenses. It’s difficult to make long-term decisions as well without knowing where he will eventually be stationed, but at the very least we know we need to save for moving expenses and for a wedding party 😛
Although to some it seems like an unnecessary expense, it is something I’ve always imagined (my wedding with my maid of honor and bridal party and dancing in a wedding dress), and aside from quickly announcing it at a welcome home party for him with his family, I haven’t had an opportunity to celebrate with my own extended family and friends. Plus tradition! And decorating and food and so on 🙂
As I try to sort through these to-do lists, my and our finances, and my new life as an army wife, I hope this can serve as a place to sort my thoughts. Feel free to offer words of advice and hopefully I’ll be able to offer some knowledge as well.
little fish in a large pond 