The upside of deployment

I’ll be honest. Deployments suck. Spending extended periods of time away from your loved ones while they’re in active war zones is not something I recommend. But, like most situations, you can find a few silver linings. Some days during deployment are worse than the three root canals I had on one tooth (because meds, duh), so I try to dwell on the good stuff.

1. Being separated from Mac is good for our relationship. Why? It helps me focus on what I love about him and what I want out of our relationship. We don’t really fight too much, and we definitely don’t want to spend our infrequent Skype conversations arguing.

2. Time to focus on me. I personally think that a lot of military spouses get wrapped up in their husbands’ lives and lose focus on themselves. Honestly, it’s bound to happen. His job kind of determines everything you get to do with your life. During deployment #1, I got really involved with the DAR and joined Junior League. I love volunteering, and this was the perfect way to help out while filling my time. It also gave me lots of time to work out.

3. Finances. This is the most obvious perk of deployment to lots of people. We have been very blessed during Mac’s deployments. His first saved up more than enough money to cover our wedding costs and to start a healthy savings account. His second has allowed us to pay off more than $10,000 of my student loans while adding a hefty chunk to savings. Our plan is to try and pay off about $10,000 more of my loans (which would result in paying off four of my seven loans).

What would you add to this list?