Weekly Photo Challenge: Escape (My Master’s Graduation)

Yesterday I graduated with my Master of Social Work degree from San Diego State University!

Two weeks ago I posted that my husband was not going to be able to attend my graduation because he was away at training. However, he talked to his higher ups and got permission to come back to base on a supply run just for a few days! He came home on Thursday morning, my graduation was Friday, and he just left today (Saturday). I could not have been happier to have him there to witness my official graduation!

Although he was only here for just a few days, it was amazing to have him home. Every time he comes home from being away it’s like a mini-honeymoon. He is my escape.

Weekly Photo Challenge: From Above

Yesterday I saw on a military wives page on FB that a girl had sewn in a patch on the back of her graduation sash to represent her husband who could no be there because of deployment.

My husband missed my college graduation 2 years ago because of a deployment as well, so I know she feels. I thought her idea was really sweet, and it had never occurred to me do something like that.

I remember missing my husband a lot at my graduation. Not just because it was 5 days away from his homecoming, but because he was a huge support for me during college.

Now, as I look forward to my Master’s graduation without my husband by my side, I again think about how big of a support he has been. Not only financially supporting me through college, but by always encouraging me and pushing me to accomplish my goals. He is always bragging about me to his friends and at work, and is so proud of all that I have accomplished with my schooling.

I remember feeling like there was an empty space the day that I graduated with my bachelors. Even though my parents and siblings where there, my husband wasn’t, and I anticipate feeling that way again in 2 weeks when I graduate. By incorporating something to represent him into my graduation garb, I thought it might be a way to fill that emptiness.

So I decided to put a photo of him in my graduation cap, much like I have seen deployed soldiers do with pictures of their spouses in their covers and helmets.

Clearly I need a new portrait of my husband, it’s been 6 years since he graduated boot camp lol

:(

My husband and I have been together for 5 years and he has been in the military for that entire time. So you would think that I would be used to the military messing up our plans.

We made it safely through our engagement and wedding without any major inconveniences thrown in the by Marine Corps, although in all fairness it was only 9 months lol.

It wasn’t until after we got married that I got to experience the whole “you can’t plan anything” aspect of military life.

We had our vow renewal planned for the year after our wedding, but Jeremy was told he was deploying so we pushed it back a year. Then, after we had told all our vendors to move the date…they changed their mind and said he wasn’t deploying, so we moved the date back up. And then they decide he was deploying so we had to push it back again. Thankfully they stuck with those orders and he did actually deploy and make it back in time for our vow renewal.

He did not however, make it back in time for my college graduation. He missed it by 5 days. 5 days!

Jeremy got back from his most recent deployment in December, which meant he was actually going to be home for my graduate school graduation. Except not. Today he came home and told me he is being sent to training for 6 weeks, leaving 2 weeks before my graduation.

You would think I would be used to it, that I could just go with the flow.

For the most part I can, I expect him to be gone a lot, to deploy and to miss important events.

But I am not sure if I will ever get used to the unknown, out of the blue, here one day gone the next, aspect of military life.

But one thing I have learned over the last 5 years of schoolings, deployments and trainings, is to always look at the positives.

I am graduating with my MASTERS degree! My parents and brother are coming down to see me graduate and support me. After 6 years of college I am finally going to be done!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Forward

This weeks Weekly Photo Challenge is Forward.

There are many ways you could interpret this, I’ve chosen to blog about the next major event in my life that I am looking forward to: Graduation

My undergraduate graduation, May 2011. San Diego State University

In 83 days I will be walking across the same stage that I walked across two years ago when I got my BA in Psychology.

On May 17th, I will finally have my Masters of Social Work, a goal I have been working towards for 6 years.

I love college and I love learning, but I will be a very happy woman when I have that degree in my hand and I can start my career.

I have been so lucky that Jeremy has supported me though college. I’m not sure I would have had the opportunity to go to graduate school without him. He supported me when I quit my job to pursue graduate school full time. He has always encouraged me and been my cheer leader when I’ve been swamped with papers and exams.

He missed my undergrad ceremony by 5 days when he was deployed to Afghanistan, but this year he will be up in the audience when I receive my diploma!