Rachel Carpenter
Rachel has been an Air Force spouse for 17 years. Her husband's career had taken them to many assignments around the world, and she currently lives in Hawaii. She is a mother of four children; their ages range from fifteen to four years old, so her life is often exciting and challenging. She holds a BA in English and a MA in Management. When not busy with work or her family, she enjoys volunteering within the military community and has even been a Key Spouse at two stations. Rachel has always enjoyed writing and literature, and she is happy to find this community to combine these interests. She has been featured on We Are The Mighty, Her View From Home, AMSE, The Beautifull Project, Hand-in-Hand QC, and other publications - but The Military Mom Collective is her home. :)
To the New Military Spouse: I See You
To the new military spouse:
I see you.
You are standing by the wall at a squadron function. You alternate between timid and brazen, depending on your personality. Your eyes flit over every person there. You...
April Book Club: The Tattooist of Auschwitz
It is a familiar tale. Boy meets girl, boy pursues girl, boy and girl fall in love and live happily ever after. But in The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris, the familiar yet...
I Left My Heart in Europe
It was my most difficult goodbye. We spent a month leaving jobs and schools; friends and people who had became family; favorite places and foods. I ate more currywurst und pommes and drank more...
March Book Club: At Home in the World
Imagine this: you are offered the chance to travel the world for 9 months. You can work remotely, thus providing an income during your travel. You can visit anywhere and in any order. You...
February Book Club: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
I’m fine. Everything is fine. We are fine. How often do we repeat these sentences? More importantly, how often are they accurate and honest?
In our February book club pick, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine,...
Military Retirement Terrifies Me
Most people hear the word “retirement” and think of something that happens later in life. Generally, it is a time where one stops working and lives off of a company pension, retirement plan, or...
Raising Teenagers: A Balancing Act
It usually starts the same way. The lipstick is too dark. That crop top is not appropriate for school (sometimes not even the living room). Those earbuds have to be removed before it becomes...
January Book Club: Raven of the Sea and an Interview with Author Stacey Reynolds
Romance novels often get a bad rap. Book snobs (like myself, I will admit) tend to label them poorly and eschew the genre entirely. But Stacey Reynolds, author of Raven of the Sea and...
December Book Club: The Perfect Mother
The perfect mother: a title bestowed upon the best moms and coveted by many. This woman can balance everything. Her children are carefully dressed and well-behaved. She can manage a career and be present...
Away From Home for the Holidays … and Still Celebrating!
My family and I enjoy holidays, but we love the Christmas season. The lights and decorations; the cheer and spirit; the food and family. Something about this time of year and season is just a...
Keto for 8 Weeks: the Good, the Bad, and the Results
Unless you do not follow social media or live under a rock, you have heard of the ketogenic diet. I have family and friends that have followed it. It seems to appear in magazines,...
November Book Club: The Favorite Sister
As we enter the holiday months - with all the parties, commitments, and celebrations - I wanted to give our book club a lighter read. The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll was our choice....