Boyfriend(s) in Bootcamp: Our Stories
Today’s post is a little bit different. It’s 12:04 AM on January 19, 2018 as I write and Delta Company is only 2 weeks away from graduating! These last few weeks have been absolutely crazy. The words most people would use to describe this experience – whirlwind, rollercoaster, emotional, love, pride, anxiety. There are so many adjectives (both positive and negative) to explain these feelings.
Throughout my own journey, I’ve learned to be more appreciative of my recruit because he won’t always be around. I’ve fallen deeper in love, become more self-aware, and even throughout the heartache, there were moments to smile and find positivity. I tell myself that this journey isn’t forever and hey, it’s almost over!
The truth is, going through your boyfriend (or husband/fiancée) leaving for boot camp is hard. I won’t liken it to deployment because the experiences are different, but our feelings are also valid. For most of us, it’s our first experience with the U.S. Military. For most of us, we were lucky enough to talk and communicate with our loves every single day. For most of us, we didn’t realize how much we could love until our significant others left.
I’ve made so many new connections throughout this journey and I asked these supportive women to help me. Below are the experiences of others in the Delta Family who were kind enough to share what’s gone through their minds since their loves left.
I hope you love this project as much as I do, and find it helpful if you’re just now going through this experience. Always feel free to reach out to me (coffeecreamcollege@gmail.com). And to all of us Delta ladies, we’re almost done! As of right now, we are 13 days away from giving our soon-to-be Marines hugs and kisses!
Maddie
The day my fiancé shipped out for boot camp was most definitely the hardest day of my life. My heart physically hurt because a piece of me was now missing. As the days went on people kept telling me, “stay busy,” “the days fly by,” “stay strong for him,” etc. To be completely honest, I did not want to do any of those things. I wanted to lay in my bed and cry until it was time for him to come home. I can remember hysterically crying to my mom and saying “I can’t do this; I actually don’t think I am going to make it.” Then I happened to meet this girl through a Facebook page, and she invited me to join this group message with her and some other girls who also had significant others in boot camp. Those girls ended up helping me tremendously through all the advice and support they were giving me. I honestly have no idea what I would’ve done without them. The most encouraging thing in the world is the support and friendship of girls going through the same thing. I can truly say that now as I look back time has flown by!
Brooke
These past 3 months have been an absolute rollercoaster, but I know that it will all be worth it when I see my man standing there in uniform. All of the pain, the tears, the sleepless nights – they’ll all be justified. While this experience has not been easy, I have made some wonderful friends because of it. Connect with other girls as much as you can because they know exactly what you are going through, and I know that I will call some of them my lifelong friends because of the connection we share (shoutout to Joy and Kristin). And always remember, this is tough, but YOU are tougher.
Kristin
3 months is a long time… a really long time. Sure, time flies by when you’re having fun but that’s not necessarily easy to do when your S.O. is at Marine Corps Boot Camp (San Diego). My personal experience has been a rollercoaster of emotions. I have never been so excited to check the mail every day, and have never more disappointed when there isn’t a little EGA stamp on an envelope for me. Although this experience has been everything but easy, there has been some good that comes out of it. I have made lifelong friends that get me through the hard times and help me celebrate the good. I have become stronger, not only as a girlfriend, but as a person. My recruit had been planning to go to USMC boot camp since he was 8 years old so when we met, I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. There is really no way to prepare yourself for 13 weeks of being apart. It’s been months of many different emotions, but it’s not going to last forever. There’s nothing like counting down till the day you see him again. Each day is another day closer. It’s sort of like you’re meeting for the first time again – a fresh start. It’s not easy, but seeing him again will make it all worth it.
Shelby
I have learned the most valuable phrase during the time my boyfriend has been away at boot camp: everything is temporary. The continuous missing him and the dreaded wait for him to return home is all temporary! The past 3 months have been killing me, but they went by surprisingly fast. I’ve become friends with girls going through the same thing, and they’ve been my motivation as well as my shoulders to cry on. There will most certainly be good and bad days, but nothing will beat the feeling of being together again and remember – the suffering is temporary.
Allie
When I think about this experience, I think about how I have never felt so many emotions at one time. The memory that stands out the most to me is when I watched his bus drive away the day he left for boot camp. As I stood on the sidewalk watching the bus, I felt overwhelmed with several different emotions. I was so sad to see him go, especially knowing that I wouldn’t see him for next three months, but I was also overwhelmed with how incredibly proud I was of him. Overall, it has been an experience filled with several emotions, but also one in which I learned a lot about myself.
Thank you, Delta Ladies, for sharing your stories. Thank you for all the love and support and the friendships! Support, understanding, and empathy is so important as you go through this journey so if your S.O. just left, find the outlets!
The stories we've shared today are our personal experiences, so remember that yours won't be the same as ours. Hopefully you read this and feel a bit more prepared for what's to come, though to put it bluntly, nothing really prepares you for the day they leave. The upside? Nothing can prepare you for the joy that comes with receiving a letter, a surprise phone call, or seeing the love of your life for the first time again.
What's your story? Leave a comment!
Throughout my own journey, I’ve learned to be more appreciative of my recruit because he won’t always be around. I’ve fallen deeper in love, become more self-aware, and even throughout the heartache, there were moments to smile and find positivity. I tell myself that this journey isn’t forever and hey, it’s almost over!
The truth is, going through your boyfriend (or husband/fiancée) leaving for boot camp is hard. I won’t liken it to deployment because the experiences are different, but our feelings are also valid. For most of us, it’s our first experience with the U.S. Military. For most of us, we were lucky enough to talk and communicate with our loves every single day. For most of us, we didn’t realize how much we could love until our significant others left.
I’ve made so many new connections throughout this journey and I asked these supportive women to help me. Below are the experiences of others in the Delta Family who were kind enough to share what’s gone through their minds since their loves left.
I hope you love this project as much as I do, and find it helpful if you’re just now going through this experience. Always feel free to reach out to me (coffeecreamcollege@gmail.com). And to all of us Delta ladies, we’re almost done! As of right now, we are 13 days away from giving our soon-to-be Marines hugs and kisses!
 |
| My Recruit. |
Maddie
The day my fiancé shipped out for boot camp was most definitely the hardest day of my life. My heart physically hurt because a piece of me was now missing. As the days went on people kept telling me, “stay busy,” “the days fly by,” “stay strong for him,” etc. To be completely honest, I did not want to do any of those things. I wanted to lay in my bed and cry until it was time for him to come home. I can remember hysterically crying to my mom and saying “I can’t do this; I actually don’t think I am going to make it.” Then I happened to meet this girl through a Facebook page, and she invited me to join this group message with her and some other girls who also had significant others in boot camp. Those girls ended up helping me tremendously through all the advice and support they were giving me. I honestly have no idea what I would’ve done without them. The most encouraging thing in the world is the support and friendship of girls going through the same thing. I can truly say that now as I look back time has flown by!
These past 3 months have been an absolute rollercoaster, but I know that it will all be worth it when I see my man standing there in uniform. All of the pain, the tears, the sleepless nights – they’ll all be justified. While this experience has not been easy, I have made some wonderful friends because of it. Connect with other girls as much as you can because they know exactly what you are going through, and I know that I will call some of them my lifelong friends because of the connection we share (shoutout to Joy and Kristin). And always remember, this is tough, but YOU are tougher.
3 months is a long time… a really long time. Sure, time flies by when you’re having fun but that’s not necessarily easy to do when your S.O. is at Marine Corps Boot Camp (San Diego). My personal experience has been a rollercoaster of emotions. I have never been so excited to check the mail every day, and have never more disappointed when there isn’t a little EGA stamp on an envelope for me. Although this experience has been everything but easy, there has been some good that comes out of it. I have made lifelong friends that get me through the hard times and help me celebrate the good. I have become stronger, not only as a girlfriend, but as a person. My recruit had been planning to go to USMC boot camp since he was 8 years old so when we met, I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. There is really no way to prepare yourself for 13 weeks of being apart. It’s been months of many different emotions, but it’s not going to last forever. There’s nothing like counting down till the day you see him again. Each day is another day closer. It’s sort of like you’re meeting for the first time again – a fresh start. It’s not easy, but seeing him again will make it all worth it.
I have learned the most valuable phrase during the time my boyfriend has been away at boot camp: everything is temporary. The continuous missing him and the dreaded wait for him to return home is all temporary! The past 3 months have been killing me, but they went by surprisingly fast. I’ve become friends with girls going through the same thing, and they’ve been my motivation as well as my shoulders to cry on. There will most certainly be good and bad days, but nothing will beat the feeling of being together again and remember – the suffering is temporary.
When I think about this experience, I think about how I have never felt so many emotions at one time. The memory that stands out the most to me is when I watched his bus drive away the day he left for boot camp. As I stood on the sidewalk watching the bus, I felt overwhelmed with several different emotions. I was so sad to see him go, especially knowing that I wouldn’t see him for next three months, but I was also overwhelmed with how incredibly proud I was of him. Overall, it has been an experience filled with several emotions, but also one in which I learned a lot about myself.
The stories we've shared today are our personal experiences, so remember that yours won't be the same as ours. Hopefully you read this and feel a bit more prepared for what's to come, though to put it bluntly, nothing really prepares you for the day they leave. The upside? Nothing can prepare you for the joy that comes with receiving a letter, a surprise phone call, or seeing the love of your life for the first time again.
What's your story? Leave a comment!
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