It had been a long flight and even longer drive. After four days on the road, I was ready to finally settle into my new home. I pulled my dusty car into a parking space, wrangled two cats into their carriers and out of the car, and slowly marched myself up the stairs. My husband, who had arrived two weeks earlier, greeted me with a big smile and opened the door to our new home. At least, it would be our home for the next two weeks—we were in the Navy Lodge hotel in the La Mesa housing community.
Many military families experience a similar introduction to Monterey. The drive down Highway 1, driver and passengers excitedly absorbing the sights of the sand dunes and sparkling water of the bay, ends in a stay at one of the area’s military hotels. This stay can last for days to weeks while the family finalizes permanent lodging, whether in military housing or elsewhere on the Peninsula.
Military members are largely stationed at one of two bases in the Monterey area. Students at the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio of Monterey study languages that they will go on to use in their careers. Students at the Naval Postgraduate School earn advanced degrees in fields that will support their professional development. Staff and faculty at both locations support those students through administrative, facility, and personnel management.
My own arrival in Monterey was further highlighted by the expected arrival of my first child just four months later. I was in the comfortable, high-energy point of pregnancy and ready to become not just a military mom, but a military mom in Monterey. Unlike at other points in his military career, my husband’s class schedule allowed him to be home every night. He was able to make it to all doctor’s appointments, research baby gear, and attend a childbirth education class with me. It was the perfect time for us to become a family of three and we couldn’t be more excited.
Now that I have an eight-month-old and am expecting another addition to our family later this year, I have learned so much about what the Monterey community and the military have to offer young families like ours. There is a saying in the military: mission first, people always. Never has this been truer or more apparent than during our tour in Monterey. This is in large part due to the wonderful people and organizations that we have found here. In The Military Mom monthly column, I will highlight the services available to military families on the Peninsula and my experience as a new mom in Monterey. Base services, military discounts, family vacations—the Peninsula has it all for you military mamas and papas. I can’t wait to share it with you!
Katie Begley is a Navy veteran and military spouse.