Dreams -> Possibilities -> Reality

I grew up in a place where dreams were just that – dreams. We all subconsciously knew that what we saw around us was probably where we’d end up – in a blue-collar job, never having much, and working until we physically couldn’t anymore.

For me, the Army was a chance to try to break that cycle. I could get college paid for, learn about computers (everyone said “you have to get a tech job” if you want to be successful), and I could travel to new places. And that I did.

My first ever plane ride was to Columbia, South Carolina where I attended basic training at Fort Jackson. I didn’t know it, but only about a year after graduating basic training, I’d be on my first trip overseas – to Iraq.

Dreams Change Over Time

The Army quickly plunged me into a whole host of experiences and possibilities I’d never even considered. It made me grow up fast – maybe too fast. People always guessed me to be much older than I was. I used to joke that I was the “oldest 22-year-old you’ll ever meet.” It was true.

I’d developed an “old soul” somehow. I think that’s faded some and I’ve grown into my demeanor. But then again, I’m not terribly good at comparing myself to others…

First Permanent Assignment Overseas

About a year into my assignment at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, I got orders to Germany. Long story short, I didn’t want to go at first because I wanted to get out. However, my wife and I decided we’d do “one more” enlistment and go.

I’d always wanted to be stationed overseas, but it just wasn’t on the list when I’d worked with branch before. Now we’d get our chance.

Germany Was Awesome, the Army in Germany Was Not

Living overseas really opened our eyes to travel and living abroad. It’s funny how big some of your dreams can become once you expand your world beyond a little small town or a single state.

Busy Times and Deployments

We didn’t get to do quite as much travel as we’d wanted to, but we still got to see several countries and experience a lot within Germany. I ended up deploying to Afghanistan shortly after we arrived in Germany. This cut into our travel time significantly.

To make things even more interesting, we had to move to a different base exactly halfway through my tour in Germany too. I was unfortunate enough to be one of the few people there to stand up a unit at a new base – it sucked. And to top that all off, I left Germany with a downgraded award and no send off from the unit.

If I could go back in time, I definitely would have done less for that unit. They treated me like garbage even after I gave them my heart and soul. That was the assignment where I solidified that I can’t do things for any type of appreciation or award. I came up with my saying, “If I give everything 100%, nobody can ever take that away.”

A Taste of Travel Goes a Long Way

Regardless, we still managed to get some weekend trips and a cruise one year for our anniversary. Our last summer in Germany we spent a week in Palma De Mallorca which was awesome! We really enjoyed our small bit of time in Spain too!

Once we got a taste of living overseas, we’ve always had travel to different countries on our list. We really appreciated the different lifestyles, foods, and interesting things to see. We’ve now greatly expanded our dreams to include regular traveling overseas.

Turning Dreams into Possibilities

While we were in Germany, we also did something else pretty awesome – we started our debt free journey. This had more to do with turning dreams into reality than anything else. We started to look at the real cost of traveling overseas which doesn’t have to be super expensive.

We used the extra money we were getting paid from our cost of living adjustment (COLA) and limited time off work (thanks, Army!) to read through The Total Money Makeover and start becoming debt free. We started seeing things totally differently.

You Won’t be Broke Forever

The newfound love of travel coupled with the possibilities of financial independence really got us motivated. We didn’t have to accept we would just have to work forever and never have anything to show for it. We could take control of our finances and live a life we wanted – not just what we were handed.

It was difficult at that time because we took fewer trips than many other folks. There were some people we knew who went to a different country (or countries) every single month. We didn’t have that kind of cash or time.

Slow but Steady Progress

We slowly knocked out debts we had and by the time we left Germany, we only had the truck payment left. We couldn’t really get rid of the truck without losing a bunch on it. The rumors that Germans would pay big money for American trucks was definitely not true for us.

Regardless, we kept chipping away at saving and started getting more serious about investing too. Could we have done it faster, yep. Would we ever be childless, 20-somethings in Germany again, nope. Looking back, I think we made the right decision to be “Dave-ish” and not be quite so gazelle intense.

Making Those Possibilities a Reality

Now we’re still slowly plugging away on our FI journey. We’d like to make faster progress (who doesn’t), but we’ve had a few setbacks and we’ve been on one income most of the time. With PCSing almost every two years like clockwork, it’s been difficult for my wife to remain employed steadily – not for lack of trying.

Regardless, we’ve just had to accept we’re on our own path and just need to make steady progress. We’ve started getting critical mass in our retirement savings and are on track there. We’ve maintained our debt-free lifestyle throughout.

The Next Chapter

We’re most looking forward to my retirement from the Army and really ramping up our careers. I’ve already started my own paraplanning and content writing business which I’ll move into full-time and my wife will be able to get her career started back up again.

With two incomes and getting rid of the drain (physically, mentally, emotionally, and on time) of the Army, we’ll be able to start turning more and more of our Dreams into a reality. Don’t get me wrong, I’m incredibly thankful for the experience I’ve gained and financial stability the Army is helping us create. However, I’m not staying any longer than I have to.

The Army turned dreams into possibilities, now it’s our job to turn those possibilities into reality. Only time will tell what the future holds, but we’re able to dream bigger than we ever have!