Soooo I’m back.
I don’t want to dwell on my time away too much, but I do think I owe you a bit of an explanation and a sneak peek at what the future holds for this little blog.
Image may be NSFW.
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When I last posted, I truly felt done. I’d just finished up a very stressful deployment, was in the middle of some pretty big transitions, and was just plain tired from juggling too many responsibilities for just too damn long. Can any of you relate? I’m feeling some major head-nodding happening, amiright?
I also felt that my entire life had been taken over by Navy-wife-ness. (Is that a word? It is now.) Between four years of Compass, two years of Ombudsman duties, and four years of attending every FRG meeting, social night, kids event, and potluck meet-up, as well as writing about all the Navy things here and … oh, yeah … living it for nearly 20 years, the Navy-wife-ness of it all was weighing me down.
I’ve never felt that way before, and I didn’t really know how to handle it. So I decided to quit everything all at once. I wanted to leave the FRG, resign from the Ombud job, ignore Compass, and just pretend to be a regular civilian mom in a normal “submarine? what’s a submarine?” kind of family.
And so I tried to do just that … and it worked about as well as an ostrich hiding its head in the sand … which is to say not at all. Turns out you can’t just stop doing the things when you’re an adult. (Weird, huh?)
I did get some chill out time though. I have done some serious head-clearing and re-prioritizing and getting-back-to-what’s-important-to-me-and-my-fam deep thinking. I’ve had some long talks with my handsome husband about our future and what we need to do to get there. I’ve also napped a lot, picnicked more than any summer before, and read a great deal of books I don’t usually have time to read (but that’s a lesson for another post …), and what it all boils down to is this.
I need to let some old things go.
As my sailor transitions away from this command in the coming months, I will be stepping down as Ombudsman and stepping away from a wonderful FRG. I won’t be leaving Compass completely, but I am going to have to take a few HUGE steps back from those responsibilities as well. In some ways this is a huge relief, and in some ways I feel more than a little sad. Luckily, a wonderful, supportive friend of mine recently reminded me that sometimes saying no to someone else is really saying yes to yourself. I’ll be clinging to that as I move forward.
I also need to start focusing more on my family. I need to ask myself one question everyday and with every opportunity that comes my way. Will this add value to my family, or will it just take me away from the family? If something adds value and helps us work toward our goals, it’s a keeper. If not, the answer is no.
But where does this leave my little bloggy-blog?
Well, as it says in the title … I just can’t quit you. I have poured my heart into my little space on the internet, and now is just not the right time to let it go. Blogging makes me happy. It gives me an outlet for thoughts and emotions that sometimes even help other people. Me without an outlet definitely takes away from my family so I’ve decided it is NOT the right time to leave Back on Land behind.
It is, however, the right time to make some changes. In the beginning this blog was meant to be about my life back on land, not just the Navy-wife-ness of it all, but over time it became all about the acronyms and the uniforms and the missing-him-so-bad-it-hurts moments. I miss writing about the other stuff. Sooo …
What You Will See Here (And a Few Things You Won’t)
- I’m aiming for two posts a week. Less than that feels like not-blogging and more than that seems like a recipe for burnout right now. So two it is for now.
- A mix of tops from deployment and reintegration to back-to-school prep and my current job hunt and desire to minimalize my home. You know, all the things we all go through, not just the things the Navy makes us go through.
- The newsletter … this is on the “what you won’t see” list for now. It isn’t gone, but it is on vacation until I figure out some more interesting than “Hey, did you read what you already read on my blog this week?” You’re welcome. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
- Milspouse Spotlights and I Am, I Love, I Do … I’m taking a break from those two series as well. If you were scheduled to appear here before I went on hiatus, I’m so sorry. I would still love to share your businesses and posts on Social Media so please keep sharing them with me!
- YOU! I want to hear from you. If you have a question to ask of me that you’d like to see answered here, or if you’d like to ask a question of all my reader friends on Facebook, shoot me an email at jodi@backonland.com. I really want to hear from you! <3
So there you have it. I’m so excited to get back to Back on Land and to you! I know I may have lost a few readers due to my hiatus, but I hope to win you all back with a new directions, some new plans, and a bunch of new posts about my life Back on Land.
The post State of the Blog (AKA I Just Can’t Quit You …) appeared first on Back on Land.