My husband Matt - I prefer to call him Matty - received his orders for Guam last week Monday. We have known about it for a little longer than that, but now it's official...well, sort of. When relocating overseas, there are a few hoops you have to jump through before everything is official.
I would first like to explain how picking orders works for those that have no clue about these sort of things. Not everyone is born and raised Navy, like myself, or married to Mr. Navy. About 10 months before Matty's shore duty was up, he went online and printed out a "billet" to bring home. A billet is a list of possible job openings for my husband - places that would have a position open around the end of his current tour (his 3 years of shore duty in San Diego). At the top of the billet, the Navy suggests "Hot Spots". These are places that they suggest the sailor to pick, places where his experience/rank/rate meets the demands of the new command. At the top of this particular billet were places like Japan and Washington and Chavez Island - two places I was not crazy about going and Chavez Island doesn't allow families to accompany their sailor. Originally, we were trying to get back home to Virginia (home for me...since Matty is going back to a ship, we thought it'd be nice to be around my sister and mother so I could have family to help me out with our kids). Matty made five choices and that time around they were all declined. A month passes before he gets to pick again. In this month, plans changed. I really had it in my head that I wanted to go to Hawaii! Who wouldn't right? I figure there are a lot of beautiful places that I've never been and that most people never get to see, and I want those experiences. Plus, it could be a great experience for our family to come visit us....I have to admit here that I am a bit of a daddy's girl, and my father had made a comment to me about no going back to my previous life/lifestyle that really influenced my decision not to go back to VA. That place can be a black hole that will suck all of the life out of you.... My husband, loving me as dearly as he does, agrees that we will go to an island and experience life together if an opening comes up.
So the month passed and my husband and I made 5 more choices. Hawaii wasn't an option. :( Our first pick was Naples, Italy - not an island, but a place we both would love to live! This was for shore duty though and typically the Navy does not let a sailor do two shore duties in a row. We were later told that Naples really wanted Matty but shot him down because he wasn't eligible for another shore duty tour...so maybe next time! Our second and third picks were for Guam and our fourth and fifth were for Norfolk, VA (home). We were picked up for Guam!
Some people have compared Guam to the Tiajuana of islands. I have received a lot of negative comments from friends saying we're going to hate it there, we can experience the whole island in a month, we'll be bored. I say fuck them and their negativity. I am totally excited about Guam! I have a girlfriend that's living there already and she loves it! I am a beach loving girl! My daughter is a beach bunny! My dogs love the beach. My husband and son aren't so crazy about the sand, but my husband loves to snorkel and I am excited to learn. I can't wait to go hiking on the island, to sip margaritas on the beach, to experience the culture and a slower paced life, and to just be there already!
I mentioned earlier that there are some hoops to jump through to get to the island. I'll be sharing these over my next posts. There's a lot to do before a big move like this.
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