I'm From Everywhere and Nowhere

🌴 MacDill AFB, Florida — Where It All Began

I was born at MacDill Air Force Base in sunny Florida, the daughter of a U.S. military family. Even before I knew what it meant to serve, I was immersed in the rhythm of military life—orders, structure, and change were the undercurrent of my earliest years.

Florida wasn’t just my birthplace—it became a recurring chapter in my life, one that would circle back decades later in a full-circle kind of way. I was born there. Born again there. Retired there.

But before that return, the world had much more in store for me.

🏯 Okinawa, Japan — First Glimpses of the World

As a young child, we moved to Okinawa, Japan. Though I was still forming memories, I was already experiencing what few kids get to: a life rich in cross-cultural interaction. The beauty of Okinawa, the language, and the respect-centered culture left an early imprint. I didn’t realize it then, but seeds were being planted—seeds of adaptability, empathy, and curiosity.

🌵 Arizona — American Grounding

After Japan, our family relocated to Arizona. The landscape was starkly different, yet equally formative. I was adjusting to American schooling and routines after my overseas start. This was a season of grounding and transition—learning to reconnect with U.S. culture while still carrying that quiet worldliness inside me.

🗽 New York — A Culture Shock and Awakening

From the wide-open spaces of Arizona, we landed in New York. The shift was dramatic. New York was bold, loud, and energetic—a far cry from Okinawa's serenity or Arizona’s calm. As a military child, I had learned how to be a chameleon, and New York tested those skills.

Here, I sharpened my independence. I learned how to navigate difference and intensity with grace and humor. These were adolescent years, with all the identity searching that comes with them—but layered with the realities of being constantly “new” in unfamiliar places.

Izmir, Turkey — Childhood’s Cultural Home

Our next chapter brought us to Izmir, Turkey, where I spent some of the most vivid and beloved years of my childhood. There’s something about Turkey that still lives inside me—its people, food, rhythm, and warmth.

Izmir was where I felt most at home as a child. I roamed markets, learned phrases in Turkish, and understood that the world was wide and wonderful. Even decades later, I look back on this time with nostalgia. It wasn’t just a place I lived—it was a piece of me.

🏞️ Tennessee — Brief Stops and Seeds of Return

Tennessee came next—a stop that felt quieter and more grounded. I didn’t know then that this state would one day become home again, in a completely different season of life.

Back then, it was simply another location, another adjustment. But the slow pace and natural beauty of Tennessee stayed with me.

Incirlik, Turkey — Coming Full Circle as an Airman

Years later, I returned to Turkey, this time as an adult in uniform, stationed at Incirlik Air Base. I had come full circle—no longer the child watching military life unfold, but a woman living it firsthand.

While stationed in Incirlik, I entered my first marriage. This season was both grounding and challenging. I was carving out a life, balancing duty with identity, and standing on my own two feet.

Eventually, I was reassigned to Izmir again—but this time, the city of my childhood became the backdrop to the end of that marriage. A bittersweet return. One chapter closed, but another was waiting.

Shaw AFB, South Carolina — Motherhood and Milestones

Next came Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. Here, I entered my second marriage and gave birth to my son. Becoming a mother shifted everything. While the marriage did not last, the experience deepened me. I was growing not just professionally but personally—becoming a protector, provider, and nurturer.

South Carolina was a season of inner strength. I learned how to rebuild and keep moving, carrying both pain and purpose with me.

Little Rock AFB, Arkansas — Love, Family, and Expansion

During a deployment to Qatar, I met the man who would become my third husband. After returning, we got married, and soon the military stationed us together at Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas.

This was a healing and joyful season. Our daughter was born here, and our family grew stronger. We spent four years rooted in the rhythms of family life, service, and hope. It was one of those rare seasons where things felt settled—even within the unpredictability of military life.

Ohio — Cadre Life and an Interrupted Farewell

We moved to Ohio, where I became an Air Force ROTC cadre member. I had planned for this to be the end of my military journey. I submitted my retirement package, ready to close that chapter.

But life had one more twist.

Just three hours after submitting my paperwork, I received new orders—not a retirement ceremony, but a reassignment. And not just anywhere.

Back to MacDill AFB, Florida — The Full Circle

The Air Force sent me to MacDill AFB—back to where I was born.

It was poetic. The place where I had taken my first breath was where I would take my final steps in uniform. I spent four years working at SOCOM, pouring decades of experience into my final mission. And when I finally retired—truly this time—it was from the same base where everything began.

🏡 Kingston, Tennessee — Peace, Purpose, and Presence

Today, I live in Kingston, Tennessee, in a home by the lake that feels like the exhale after a lifetime of motion.

My son attends the University of Tennessee, and my daughter is finishing high school. I now work in government contracting, supporting Veterans Affairs—continuing to serve in a different capacity.

Tennessee, once a temporary stop, has become home. It’s where ministry, mentorship, and purpose are flourishing. I’ve reconnected with my faith, stepped into Bible study leadership, and continue to guide others as a coach, mentor, and encourager.

This season is not the end of the journey—it’s the beginning of something even deeper.