I have been broke and broken before. Regrettably, it has happened twice in my life. The first time was for love. The second time was for financial arrogance. I am a bit of a romantic, so let’s focus on the first time I was broke and broken.
During my first tour in the Air Force, I was stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. I was single for over a year and ripe for falling in love with the first woman I met, her name was Akemi. We dated for three wonderful years. At the end of my four-year tour, it was time for me to make a decision. Do I stay in the Air Force or do I follow through with my pre-military goal of one term in the Air Force? The later would include, moving back to Indiana and finishing college.
With my GI Bill, I had …show more content…
In an attempt to make it work, making a volatile situation toxic, we got engaged. The plan was for me to move to Japan and try to get a job on base as a civilian. I could also continue going to school through the University of Maryland. After I finished the semester at USI, I moved to Japan where we devoured my savings. No job. No money. I wasn’t going to school I was at an all-time low, and I knew it couldn't get worse. Life quickly smacked me back to reality. Not only did she meet someone else, but she was also pregnant with his baby. Broke and broken, I returned home.
Three things helped me overcome my setbacks: Arizona, Glendale Community College (GCC), and my wife. I am not a religious person, but the way this happened was more than luck and happenstance. The Air Force changed a policy allowing former military members to reenlist. I moved to Luke Air Force Base (AFB) and fell in love with Arizona. Luke AFB was close to GCC, where I eventually graduated and most importantly, where I met my wife. True love, hard work, and passion all paved the way for me to bounce back from being broke and
During my first tour in the Air Force, I was stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. I was single for over a year and ripe for falling in love with the first woman I met, her name was Akemi. We dated for three wonderful years. At the end of my four-year tour, it was time for me to make a decision. Do I stay in the Air Force or do I follow through with my pre-military goal of one term in the Air Force? The later would include, moving back to Indiana and finishing college.
With my GI Bill, I had …show more content…
In an attempt to make it work, making a volatile situation toxic, we got engaged. The plan was for me to move to Japan and try to get a job on base as a civilian. I could also continue going to school through the University of Maryland. After I finished the semester at USI, I moved to Japan where we devoured my savings. No job. No money. I wasn’t going to school I was at an all-time low, and I knew it couldn't get worse. Life quickly smacked me back to reality. Not only did she meet someone else, but she was also pregnant with his baby. Broke and broken, I returned home.
Three things helped me overcome my setbacks: Arizona, Glendale Community College (GCC), and my wife. I am not a religious person, but the way this happened was more than luck and happenstance. The Air Force changed a policy allowing former military members to reenlist. I moved to Luke Air Force Base (AFB) and fell in love with Arizona. Luke AFB was close to GCC, where I eventually graduated and most importantly, where I met my wife. True love, hard work, and passion all paved the way for me to bounce back from being broke and