Time to Travel

I didn’t write last week because we were on the road to Florida. I’ll try to cover some of the interesting things that happened and how, even during a transition, military spouses continue to wear multiple hats.

The last week in Arizona was hot, 109 degrees on our final full day in the state. I went for as many early morning walks as I could and captured some beautiful sunrises. On the evening of March 18th, we went with the family to see Jeff Dunham perform. Thursday and Friday were spent cleaning and packing in between client meetings. Friday, I noticed a slight cough and a constant need to clear my throat. I assumed it was allergies. That evening, we had a farewell dinner with family, and I turned in fairly early. I was having trouble staying awake. Friday night, I didn’t sleep as well as I wanted because of whatever I was fighting.

Saturday, we were on the road early. We drove through Arizona and New Mexico, making it to El Paso, Texas, for our evening stop. We grabbed something to eat and called it a night. Sunday’s adventure kept us in the Lone Star State. We made it to the San Antonio Riverwalk. It had been 20 years since the last time we were there. We got out for a short walk, ate whatever we had in the cooler for dinner, and went to bed. On Monday, we hit traffic and an accident at 7 a.m., which caused a one-hour delay. We still managed to push through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, stopping in Pensacola, Florida. We had ham sandwiches for dinner at one of our charging stops because we pulled into our hotel after 9 p.m. We checked in and went straight to bed. Tuesday, we had a slightly later start since we didn’t have as many miles to drive. We were happy to finally reach our new home.

Getting Adjusted to the New Home

Tuesday afternoon, I was still not feeling well. We unpacked the vehicle and walked around the property. We were a little disappointed with what we saw. We knew a 50-year-old home would need some work. On Wednesday, we went out for groceries and stocked up on cleaning supplies. Unfortunately, our household goods won’t arrive this week. We brought the groceries home and started cleaning. As we worked through the house, we realized there was more to do than we had imagined. Late afternoon, we sat down and decided we would do what was needed to make the house feel like a home for the next couple of months—and that was all. Wednesday evening was the first meeting for the Society of Military Spouses in STEM leadership team. It was a very productive meeting that helped us establish plans and strategies for the next year. Next month, we will finalize those strategies.

Thursday, I had a full day of meetings and didn’t get any housework done. Friday morning, I put in a couple of hours of work and had two early afternoon meetings. Later that afternoon, we went to renew the tags for the vehicle and get our Florida driver’s licenses, which are Real ID compliant. The whole process took an hour and a half, but we were impressed with the team at the office. They took their time and truly cared about each client—real customer service. We made a quick stop for a few more groceries before heading home.

Saturday, I cleaned in the morning, ate lunch, showered, and then took a nap. I got up just as my husband got home from his woodworking class. The class was offered to veterans in the area. He made a beautiful cutting board and learned how to properly care for it. On Sunday, the plan is to clean another room in the house. I am actually grateful that our household goods won’t arrive for a little while. This gives us the time we need to clean each room from top to bottom and get a clearer picture of the issues as we go.

Originally published on LinkedIn on March 31, 2026. [Read it here]