So i have finally taken the plunge and garnered the courage to write a blog online. I had made a promise to myself that someday when i feel that i have stuff to write about i would. My friends encouraged me to write or rather pushed me to write. The common sentiment was-you write well, you should at least start a blog. My major dilemma-what on earth do i write about? Finally realized-why not the army life and travel. And maybe my story interspersed with it.
I was born in an Army life-suffice to say-travelling is synonymous with the olive greens. For those of you familiar with the Army way of living, you are aware that fathers, husbands, fiances, brothers, sisters and extended family, even if one of them belong to the Army, they move-sometimes in a gap of two years and sometimes more or less, depending on the requirement and the vacancy. We are a family of four, my dad, mum, my younger brother and I.
My father was in the Army and yes we moved. Sometimes sooner than expected. Picture this, you are a 3 year old and you have just started going to school and making friends-suddenly, you are asked to leave and move on. My parents would tell me its going to be an exciting journey, you will make new friends, stay in a new neighborhood and basically move to a new life. We were young, we loved and enjoyed the constant travelling. The excitement of making new friends, a new school, a new life held untold promises until one day, my brother and I grew up. Then we started asking questions-why do we need to move? why cant we keep our old friends? why do we not stay in one place for longer than 2 years. It was confusing, it was frustrating and it was annoying.
I never understood why my father wasn't home at a normal time like other parents. Why he went for something called Exercises when there was no impending War on sight. Why when I came home from school, I couldn't see him around and was told that Dad will be back once you guys are off to bed because he's working late. Yes, children who grow up in an Army life, learn to make adjustments earlier than their peers. Not saying that others don't, however for us its instilled in us to not expect our fathers or mothers to be around all the time especially from the time you are old enough to understand.
But more than the confusions and frustrations and anger, we also realized, how cool we sounded in a new location or a new city in a new school. It was a matter of pride to be the kid at 12 years whose been to places like Lucknow, Jammu and Kashmir and Bhutan, not for a holiday but for enough time to actually tell our peers fascinating stories about kids like us in far off foreign lands.
Thinking of it now brings a smile to my face. Will continue the next part of the story soon! Heading out now, but will be back with a different tale tomorrow.
I was born in an Army life-suffice to say-travelling is synonymous with the olive greens. For those of you familiar with the Army way of living, you are aware that fathers, husbands, fiances, brothers, sisters and extended family, even if one of them belong to the Army, they move-sometimes in a gap of two years and sometimes more or less, depending on the requirement and the vacancy. We are a family of four, my dad, mum, my younger brother and I.
My father was in the Army and yes we moved. Sometimes sooner than expected. Picture this, you are a 3 year old and you have just started going to school and making friends-suddenly, you are asked to leave and move on. My parents would tell me its going to be an exciting journey, you will make new friends, stay in a new neighborhood and basically move to a new life. We were young, we loved and enjoyed the constant travelling. The excitement of making new friends, a new school, a new life held untold promises until one day, my brother and I grew up. Then we started asking questions-why do we need to move? why cant we keep our old friends? why do we not stay in one place for longer than 2 years. It was confusing, it was frustrating and it was annoying.
I never understood why my father wasn't home at a normal time like other parents. Why he went for something called Exercises when there was no impending War on sight. Why when I came home from school, I couldn't see him around and was told that Dad will be back once you guys are off to bed because he's working late. Yes, children who grow up in an Army life, learn to make adjustments earlier than their peers. Not saying that others don't, however for us its instilled in us to not expect our fathers or mothers to be around all the time especially from the time you are old enough to understand.
But more than the confusions and frustrations and anger, we also realized, how cool we sounded in a new location or a new city in a new school. It was a matter of pride to be the kid at 12 years whose been to places like Lucknow, Jammu and Kashmir and Bhutan, not for a holiday but for enough time to actually tell our peers fascinating stories about kids like us in far off foreign lands.
Thinking of it now brings a smile to my face. Will continue the next part of the story soon! Heading out now, but will be back with a different tale tomorrow.
