Being a military spouse can be a tough ride, but it changes you in ways not many other relationships will. There’s a whole lot of things that your spouse can teach you, and a good number of skills you will pick up along the way yourself, too!

You experience rich cultures

Moving overseas can be part and parcel of being married to someone in the forces. Being in a different country can give you a unique kind of exposure, teaching you things you didn’t know, and helping you taste cultures like never before. Living somewhere is not the same as being there as a tourist. You get to experience a completely alien place like a local and eventually grow to love it like your home. You’ll also always find yourself with the most interesting stories at family get-togethers.

The smaller things in life

Breakfast with your partner is probably something most couples take for granted but being a military spouse, you know exactly what such small things mean and how much they add to one’s life. You’ll be able to appreciate your partner in ways other couples can’t comprehend.

Staying away from one another for such long periods of time makes you understand the true meaning of love and you’ll feel great knowing that you’ve actually found true love in the shape of your spouse.

You tend to become a good problem solver

Your life shapes who you are. A military spouse becomes more in tune with making decisions on their feet! You’ll also find yourself in situations where you’ll need to find solutions to problems without your spouse’s help. Of course, ideally, you wouldn’t want this but in the long run you’ll realise that you can solve problems better than most other people. Logical thinking is something you become great at (and you’ve probably learnt it the hard way) and problem solving becomes one of your strongest traits.

You’re resilient, strong and courageous like never before

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and that definitely stands true for military spouses. You find yourself change so much and at times, you’ll think about how much you’ve evolved and laugh. Where others may panic, the kind of life a military spouse is used to ensures that they stay calm and level headed. There’s no storm they can’t conquer.

You become strong like never before, prepared to deal with whatever comes your way. And in a way, the hardships help bring out a version of you so amazing that you never thought it existed!