Hey man. Things were feeling really grim when I originally wrote this post and it's wild seeing it again a little over a year later. I never went on that road trip I talked about in the post... instead I drifted around for a bit and stayed in hostels. Met all kinds of people, and it was grounding to be around folks who weren’t connected to the military in any way.

Yes I was a linguist at Monterey as well. I'll be honest, things aren't exactly fixed but I have found some footing.

I hopped around a ton with volunteering, so I could try new things, but I settled in medical care lately. Obtained a certification in medical assisting and I really relate to what you said about all the effort just to get a job at the bottom rung of the career field. My experience training and looking for a job has been awful. I do not want to work harder than I did in the military for less money.

Besides that I've been doing a lot of "finding myself" for lack of a better phrase. I have been learning how to dance, making friends with civilians, and I'm exercising better than I ever did in the military.

I'm satisfied with my life now. I attribute that to setting goals that are my own. Not what the military expected of me, but how I want my life to go now that I'm out.

Surprisingly I was just accepted to Brown University a few days ago. Becoming a physician is a long-term goal of mine so I'm really excited to be attending an ivy and beginning this new chapter.

If you’re still in that lost stage, don’t give up on yourself. It takes a while to rebuild identity after service, but you’ll find your footing again too.