My military friends...moving on

Some call Key West a party town or a drinking town, assuming the stuff on Duval Street is what it's all about here. More accurate descriptions might be a fishing/boating town (many residents make a living on the water), a baseball town (THE major sport here), or a military town. KW is home to three military bases with a fourth just up Route 1 on Boca Chica. My girls attend a charter school housed on one of those bases. The school was started three years ago to serve military families, focusing on the needs of students who move every few years and who may need individualized attention because of it. The school also has a focus on marine science. The younger students walk the short walk from school to the ocean to learn about the island's ecosystem. With each grade advancement the opportunities get better....snorkel field trips to the reef, overnight camping in the Everglades, paddle boarding or sailing for PE. The school's demographics are diverse, with 80% military families and 20% locals. We are very happy to be part of that 20% - it's a great school. The individualized attention benefits both my girls. These last three years I have learned a lot from the military moms I have met....they are tough cookies! These women have had babies while their husband was deployed overseas and have moved across the country solo with three kids and two huge dogs while their spouse was in training elsewhere. They make GREAT friends. You need something? These women are ON it. And they have great stories about all the different places they have been stationed....Puerto Rico, Japan, Hawaii, Alaska, Germany. Most military families stay in Key West about three years. The first year my girls attended, I really didn't know anyone well who moved on. Last year was tougher. This year people I have known for three years are moving to their next assignment, along with some I have gotten quite close to this school year. I like to joke that I'm not going to befriend anymore military moms because they move and break my heart. But I will continue to get to know these ladies. I'd really be missing out if I didn't.