Every March we celebrate the Irish heritage we may or may not have. Whether you take in a parade, live in a city where the rivers are dyed green or boycott corned beef and cabbage all together, one thing we can agree on is that it’s always nice when the luck of the Irish is on your side.
Our two-part feature (this is the first installment!) on military luck highlights spouses who won big, and then those who may have bet big, but walked away empty-handed. Between PCSing, Space-A travel, weddings and more, military luck is one giant game of roulette. Read on for the stories from seven lucky spouses who hit the jackpot.
7 Times Military Luck Was on Our Side
Navy wife Trisha has a long-standing winning record. She shares, “We are one of the few military couples I know to have never spent an anniversary apart (however, our eight-year streak sadly ends this year). In a stroke of serendipitous Navy luck, we were even able to celebrate our fourth anniversary together during a deployment, when my hubby’s port call in Italy lined up with our wedding date. We had an amazing few days celebrating on the Amalfi Coast!”
There is nothing quite like a move to press your luck. Michelle from NextGen MilSpouse gambled and won. “Last year, we were PCSing during the Christmas break. Our moving company wanted to deliver our household goods (HHG) before Christmas, but we would still be in Minnesota with our extended family. I didn't want our HHG to go into storage because the last time that happened we had TONS of damaged items. I was complaining to a military spouse friend about this problem and she offered to accept our HHGs. She lived at our new duty station and after we gave her the power of attorney, she did it. No complaints. No excuses. And she even left a bottle of wine, glasses and a corkscrew on the kitchen table to greet us when we arrived at our house filled with boxes the next day.”
For every catastrophic Space-A experience, there is an equal and opposite flawless experience. Fortunately for author and Marine Corps spouse Kristine, luck was on her side. She shares, “We were able to spend 10 days in Hawaii thanks to Space-A over spring break. We didn't know if we'd be able to fly during the high demand time, but lucked out with getting the first flight we wanted out of San Diego. We made it back on the second flight we wanted back to the States. It was a trip that has been etched into our family's memory.”
Sometimes luck takes the twists and turns of a road trip. Pam tells us, “At the end of our long distance dating, I flew out to San Diego to meet his ship for a Tiger Cruise. I spent most of the ride up to San Francisco sick but in the end, it didn't matter because he proposed on the flight deck during the trip. Needless to say, that boat will forever be a part of our story.”
Kim had all the Irish stars align for her entrance into military life. She shares, “We had to plan a wedding in a week (to include me on orders), and instead of a courthouse wedding, military luck was on our side. I ended up with an amazing wedding -- at a luxury property -- all because they had a surprise opening. The venue then had us call their preferred caterer, who also had an opening, and threw in the cake for free. He knew the photographer (also available), who knew the florist, and so on and so on. I ended up borrowing a family friend's $6,000 wedding dress, gathered our friends and family and had a $25k+ wedding for under $6k, all because of the generosity of strangers.”
Who knew luck could be so instrumental in destiny? Jo from Jo My Gosh! sure does. She tells us, “When we started dating, my husband was supposed to be placed in San Diego after boot camp and A School. At the last minute, his plans were changed and he was sent to Virginia Beach -- just a few hours from where I was working in Baltimore. That change meant we were able to go on a first date which eventually led to getting married. Had he gone to San Diego, I just don't think we would have ended up together.”
Sometimes what starts as a bad situation has that silver lining for which we’re constantly searching. Janelle tells us about her change of luck: “We were unable to complete our European honeymoon after we got a call that my husband's mother wasn't going to make it. We booked a quick flight back to the USA to be with her. When he had extra leave time between his grad school classes at AFIT (Air Force Institute of Technology), we were able to Space-A back to Europe and see the countries we missed. We were able to fly on a C-17 and a C-5, and they were both amazing! We paid next to nothing to get there and back, the other families flying as well were super nice, and the entire process went smoothly, even when our flight coming home was bumped back 12 hours from Rammstein - we just got a room in the hotel on base across the street from the terminal! Without Space-A, we never would have been able to afford finishing off our honeymoon so soon (nine months later).”
Cheers to the spouses who seem to always have a rabbit’s foot in their pockets. To the ones who get the free upgrades, the magical moments, and have luck firmly in their corner: may it forever stay on your side. For the rest of us -- those with rain clouds overhead, who seem to smash mirrors and cross paths with black cats -- stay tuned for part two.
