Lessons in Life: One Year of Being an Army Wife

Even though we got married in February, March was really when we started "Army life" at Fort Carson. March was when I really became an Army wife and had to start to figure all of that out. Let me tell you, there was (and still is) a lot to learn. Here are some highlights of the things I've learned in our first year at Fort Carson:

• I still don't really understand what to do when retreat happens and I'm driving at 5 pm; like what if I'm at a red light and it turns green? what if I can 't pull over to the side of the road???
• I definitely don't understand why people don't stop for the flag at 5 pm
• Military/24 hour time still confuses the heck out of me; all I can tell is 1300 is 1 pm and 1700 is 5 pm- everything else I'm having to do the math on
• Being an Officer's wife has a ton of stereotypes surrounding it and I can guarantee you like 90% of them are not true...and they're really not true when your husband is a Lieutenant 
• Your military ID is the most valuable thing you own because you're honestly not even a person without it
• ACS is a beautiful program, especially here at Carson
• If you're completely new to being a full time Army wife, you should absolutely take AFTB classes
• I honestly thought I knew a lot from Connor being in ROTC, but there's SO much to learn
• Getting through the gate by myself used to make me nervous all the time (I honestly don't know why) but now it's just a part of everyday life
• Honestly just driving around post used to freak me out because I was sure I'd end up in a restricted area and get in trouble (lol ridiculous, I know)
• If you're a military family and not taking advantage of ITR (or ITT for the Air Force) you're crazy; you can get tickets and vacations at a serious discount
• Sometimes I forget other people (aka normal people) don't understand military abbreviations and I forget to explain what I'm talking about
• It really just depends on your family and where you're stationed, but I love living on post. We lived off post when we first moved here and while our apartment wasn't awful, we were broke trying to pay for it and hated our complex. Plus I feel so much safer being inside the gates.
• The Army 100% runs our lives, but it keeps us on our toes and I'm fine with it
• Learning the lingo really helps
• Knowing all the different ranks isn't vital, but honestly doesn't hurt to learn...I'm still learning like of half the ranks
• Going to the doctor when you're on Tricare is easily a month long process
• You can be super involved or totally hands off  Army life as you want; join the FRG or Spouses Club...or don't 
• I definitely recommend finding something to plug into; a lot of people don't understand this crazy life unless they're living or have lived it

Here are some things specific to Fort Carson:

• There are so many events and resources here, its incredible! While majority of them are for families with children, there's still stuff for couples without kids. 
• I kind of already mentioned this, but ACS here is awesome! There are a ton of classes and resources offered that are completely free. This is where you would take AFTB classes
• If you PCS here, do the Newcomer's Orientation. You get a tour of post AND Colorado Springs, which is extremely helpful
• MWR is also 10/10 here-there are a ton of gyms (aka personal fitness centers), pools, and programs here to keep you moving and exploring
• the 'get on the bus' trips are perfect during ski/snowboarding season, definitely something we have to do before we leave here
• Our PX is pretty nice, better than Peterson AFB (which is nearby)
• I honestly don't mind shopping at the commissary, it saves us so much money; if the Carson commissary is out of something (which happens often around paydays), we'll go to the Peterson one because it's pretty nice too
• sometimes we'll go elsewhere for select stuff, but that's more like if we want a brand of something the commissary doesn't carry
• A lot of people complain about Balfour Beatty aka on post housing. We haven't really had any problems with them, but I've learned all of this depends on the village you live in. So do some research on your village before you count them out.
• If you want to live off post, its pretty much buy your own house or live in an apartment
• Mountain Post Spouses Club is the spouses club here and it's definitely worth joining 
• Fort Carson is big! I still get lost once and awhile

I could honestly add on something to this post daily. I am always learning and discovering new things. This time last year, I was in such a different place. I'm thankful for this past year though, because I have learned and grown so much. It's not easy being a newlywed AND trying to figure out the Army, but what is life without challenges? Any Army wives read this blog? Give me your advice and share your stories with me!

Until next time,

K. Shep

Garden of the Gods

If you read my post about things I was excited to explore out here in Colorado, then you know that I couldn't wait to check out some of the scenery! On my list of parks I couldn't wait to see was Garden of the Gods, a National Natural Landmark that's located right here in Colorado Springs. During my Newcomer's Orientation, our instructor drove us through the park. After that I couldn't wait to go back and take Connor along because I knew he'd love it too! So last Sunday, we went out there and even took Ivy with us!

Garden of the Gods is a collection of red rock formations that occupies 1334.64 acres of land. There are paved and unpaved hiking paths that surround the incredible sandstone formations and provide an awesome view of Pikes Peak.  The Garden even has a cool history. The park was given to the city in 1909 by the children of Charles Elliot Perkins. He wanted the park to kept forever open and free to the public. Coolest thing? You can even rock climb some of the formations, as long as you have the right permits.

I tried to take a ton of pictures to capture how cool Garden of the Gods is, but it's easily 100 times more beautiful than what I shot.

We will definitely be going back and doing some more exploring out there. If you ever find yourself in the Springs, this is something you cannot miss! What are some of your favorite natural landmarks?

Until next time,
Brandt

Road Trippin'

On Tuesday morning (hopefully) Connor and I will hit the road to start our journey to Colorado! Our plan is to try and get there by a reasonable time on Thursday, since we will have to unload our U-Haul. It looks like we can take three different routes. Route C actually seems pretty similar to the route we would've taken to Oklahoma. We haven't completely made up our minds on which one to take yet, but are leaning towards A.  It's the one Connor took when we drove from Fort Gordon. Which one will we take? Guess you'll have to keep an eye on the blog to figure that out!

Oh, and my posts might be a little few and far between next week.  I'll try to do my best to post! You could always follow my Instagram (@thediaryofbrandt) for more frequent updates!

Until next time,
Brandt
(Soon I'll be signing off as a Shepard!)

It's Going to be ColoRADo

Well now that we won't be moving to Oklahoma, I guess I've got to do a new post on what I'm looking forward to in Colorado! Long story short, the Army decided last minute (less than 24 hours before he was supposed to leave Fort Gordon) to change Connor's orders from Fort Sill, Oklahoma to Fort Carson, Colorado. We feel incredibly blessed to say the least. I'm so glad that I could be at Fort Gordon when he found this out, because I was able to share the excitement with him! I could also be there to take a deep breath with him and completely re-map the plans we had been working on for the last eight months.

Okay so Colorado is just a tad bit cooler (no pun intended...or maybe it was...) than Oklahoma. This being said I'll just choose five things to highlight.  My list is like 100 things long though, to be honest.

1. The Scenery
   Oh my gosh, Colorado looks gorgeous! Those mountains! 😍 I have never been to Colorado, or spent a lot of time in mountainous terrain. It's going to be so different than Florida, and I can't wait to take it all in! I'm a little uneasy about adjusting to the altitude change, can't lie there. I guess I'll just need to ease into that. There are a few parks I already have my eye on: Memorial Park, Bear Creek Park, Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods. Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods have all of these trails I cannot wait to explore! I also saw something about rock climbing?? Um, yes. Sign me up! Hopefully my Floridan lungs can adjust quickly, because I am so ready to check all of this out! 
2. Hockey!
   Back in high school, I fell in love with hockey.  The Tampa Bay Lightning have always been, and always will be, my favorite NHL team.  However, Colorado has plenty of hockey at all different levels.  I am so excited to be in a state where there's probably quite a few more hockey fans than we have in Florida. The Colorado College Tigers have a huge hockey rivalry with the University of Denver Pioneers, so you can guarantee I will need to check out some of these hockey games. Especially the Battle for Pikes Peak, which is a rivalry series between Colorado College and the Air Force Academy. From what I could find, there are 5 active hockey teams at the college, minor league, and major league levels.  This sounds like heaven, and I can't wait to watch some hockey games!  
3. Outdoor Activities
   As soon as we tell people we're moving to Colorado, everyone says we'll have to learn how to ski.  Thankfully, I've been skiing before.  Sadly, I'm awful at it. From what I remember, I do like to snowboard though. Tubing is always fun too. I'm kind of excited to try out skiing and snowboarding again. Maybe I'll get good at it? Who knows.  I'm also really excited for all of the new trails and parks to explore.  Like I mentioned above, there's rock climbing! I have never rock climbed (indoor or outdoor) so I definitely want to try this out! Connor and I love our hammock, so finding new spots to hammock in will probably be something we do a lot of once it gets warm enough to spend a few hours outside. We might even buy bikes! There are endless outdoor activities to take advantage of in Colorado!
4. Trying New Cuisine
   SO. MUCH. NEW. FOOD. Which is going to make sticking to Goal #1 pretty hard. Colorado Springs loves their fondue, and apparently it comes down to the Mona Lisa or the Melting Pot.  Guess this means I just have to try both?? Oh darn. When looking for a fancy dinner, elk and bison are on the menu.  Not sure how I feel about this, but I'll try it at least once. There is a Chinese restaurant that comes highly recommended called China Town. Apparently, locals love it! Colorado is really big on craft beer too! I don't have a list of breweries I want to see yet, but I think I know where I'll start. Bristol Brewing Company is in Colorado Springs and comes recommended.  The state has a ton of breweries, and even more festivals.  I definitely want to check out the Colorado Springs Beer Festival when I get the chance. This is only a start, but I know there will be a lot of food and fun to explore once we get settled in! 
5. STARTING A LIFE WITH CONNOR!!!
   No changes here, still excited for this.  I can't wait to head out to Colorado with him and see the place he's picked out for us to live in! The excitement is so real!

It's going to take a lot of adjusting, but overall I think Colorado will be really fun! Have you ever been to Colorado? Any advice for us on our cross country move? Drop them in the comments below!

Until next time,

Brandt