When you grow up as a child in the military, you quickly become aware that your lifestyle is not “normal.” You realize that you aren’t the same as many of the other kids in your class, and a lot of the time it makes you feel strange or out of place. Now, looking back on it, I am so thankful for the valuable lessons being a military brat has taught me.

Growing up in the military, I learned...

The value of family.

Having a parent in the military, you get used to them not being around. You also learn that when they are around, you enjoy every second you have with them. When other children complained about having to hang out with their parents for the weekend I was always confused. Why wouldn’t you want to spend time with your family? I longed for that. My childhood revolved around waiting for my dad to finally come home. Now that I’m in college, a lot of my friends enjoy their newfound “freedom” from their parents. I feel that I have an advantage over them because I appreciate the time with my family that they are going to miss with theirs.

Time management skills.

Growing up in the military, my parents ran a tight ship. I heard the words, “If you’re not 15 minutes early, you’re late,” every time my family had somewhere to be. My parents drilled the importance of being on time. Now even as an adult, I adhere to these same values. I’m always notably early to everything -- school, parties and doctor’s appointments.

The importance of adaptability.

A big part of the military is moving… a lot. I was lucky if I got to stay in one place for more than three or four years. While most people had their hometowns and three or four friends they have had since first grade, I had myself. I didn’t have the comfort of familiarity like most of the kids my age. Everything was new to me. I had new houses, new schools and new friends. Moving around a lot taught me the importance of being able to make the best of every situation. No matter what the situation is, you put your best foot forward and say, “Bring it on.” This taught me that I am stronger than the average. I can endure anything that life throws at me because, chances are, I’ve already endured it once or twice!

Growing up, I did not think that being a part of this lifestyle would have such a huge impact on my life. At the time, I just looked at it as a burden for me. It was something that made me different from the other kids, and I didn’t like it. I was jealous of the other kids and how they always had their parents around, how they had a hometown they could claim and how they lived the “normal” life. Now that I’m in college, I see the enormous privileges that came from my not-so-normal lifestyle, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.