By Philip Hoff
Patch Elementary School, 4th Grade
Being a military connected kid is a hard but fun experience. You must deal with lots of things a normal kid probably wouldn’t have to deal with, but you get to do lots of things that are amazing that a normal kid probably wouldn’t get to do.
Our parents go to places without us sometimes. They miss important parts of our lives like birthdays, Christmases, a first loose tooth and much more. Even though travel is fun, it still has it’s downsides like long endless hours of sitting on a seat in a plane. Afterword’s you might get jet-lag which is almost always annoying. Also, if your moving, you might not see friends and family for long periods of time.
We also get to go to loads of countries; I, myself, have been to 36. We also get to do amazing things there. I’ve gotten to play with baby tigers in Thailand, drink hot chocolate with giraffes in South Africa, and my favorite – ride on an elephant in India. That’s just a few of the many things I’ve done.
Another interesting thing is the cultures I’ve lived in. While living in the Middle East, my Mom sometimes had to where a hijab when at mosques. We also rarely ate any pork because they thought it was bad to eat. They also had different music, leaders, food, and of course languages.
Overall being a military connected kid has its ups and downs. Sometimes it feels great, and sometimes not, but,in the end, we try to be the best we can be. Whether we’re living in a desert, to a rain forest, we go through challenges.
As Colin Powell said, “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” That is how military kids are; we prepare, work hard, and learn from our mistakes.
Editor’s note: Essays from students across the Stuttgart military community are submitted to the School Liaison Office each March and published throughout the month of April on The Citizen, at the Panzer Main Exchange and read aloud on AFN Stuttgart radio to celebrate our military children in Stuttgart.
