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Rookie Navy Wife Seeking Advice
I just got married last summer and my husband and I were transferred from DC to Monterey, California. My job in DC was nothing short of demanding and stressful, so I welcomed the thought of moving west and slowing down a little bit. Now we've been here for three weeks and I'm going stir crazy. I've been anxiously applying for jobs and nothing has come through yet. We don't have any children or a pet, so I spend most of the day alone in our apartment. What's funny is I figured that my husband's deployments would be the hardest part of the military lifestyle. Now I'm thinking that being jobless and friendless is possibly worse, or at least a really close second.
Any suggestions from more veteran military wives as to how I can fill my abundant free time? There are only so many meals I can cook for myself in the middle of the day.
Re: Rookie Navy Wife Seeking Advice
Volunteer! On base, out in the community, wherever. If you have some sort of skill (accounting, legal, teaching, etc) see if there are services that help low income people receive assistance at low or no cost to them from volunteers. I volunteered a ton when I couldn't find a job (I totally feel your pain, I spent months unemployed when we were stationed in England) and it helped a ton that I didn't have a huge gap in my resume. Yes, it wasn't a salaried/paying job, but it was me going out a few days a week and being with the human race.
Good luck, we've just moved ourselves and it's super hard to find a job and make friends. Also, I talked to a counselor to sort through my feelings. I started resenting DH a little because he was able to go right into his shop and meet loads of people who shared his interests and had similar experiences while I was stuck at home with the dog, hugely pregnant, and no household goods. It wasn't pretty.
Know that you are not alone!
Other than work, what other things did you do in DC that you miss? Before moving here I played in all different sports leagues, and really missed that. I started looking on Craigslist and found a soccer team to join, and it made me a feel so much better having something to do every week that I looked forward to.
Also you could try looking on meetup.com for people with similar interests to you that you could meet. I know people on different boards have found book clubs, supper clubs, and kitting groups on there to join, among other things.
Like PPs said, I would really just try and get out and explore the area. You'll be surprised at where and when you can meet people. I met my first really close friend here when we were both out walking our dogs and bumped into each other.