Waiting Through Bootcamp - My Experience

Being a military girlfriend is tough, beyond tough, it is a stressful and emotional experience. You can try to prepare yourself for it but there is only so much you can do, I would know.

My now fiancé, Dylan, left for bootcamp in October of 2020 and I remember constantly crying my eyes out, wishing for a phone call. I kept myself busy with school and work, it was a good distraction for me. Yet, I still made time to check the mailbox every single day.

My first letter from Dylan arrived about a month and a half after he left for bootcamp and it was an exhilarating feeling. I rushed to open the letter, seeing his words and feeling the paper that he touched made me feel closer to him. I remember thinking that this moment was worth the wait.

I kept every single letter he sent me after that, and I reread them over and over again. We shared how we were doing, funny stories that happened to us, and that we love each other, we tried to keep it lighthearted. Every letter I received would give me a high that lasted a week. Later on he told me that the letters I sent to him were the only thing keeping him motivated.

We got to share a few phone calls here and there, they did not usually last more than a couple of minutes. Mainly Dylan telling me how much he missed home and can't wait to leave. It was hard to hear him upset when he called but it was good for us both, he knew I was still there for him and I knew that even though he is having a hard time, he was okay.

Finally, the end of December rolled around, at this point I was really struggling being away from him, but once he graduated it was like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. This meant he was one step closer to achieving his dream of being a Navy Nuclear ET. It also meant that we could see each other soon.

Although, it was a painful time for us both, I do not regret it one bit; we have a much stronger relationship now. I am thankful for the love and support of both my family and his, they helped bring me through this hard time and we are all closer because of i