The In Between

Military families get pretty good at living in the in between.

The in between assignments.
The in between homes.
The in between goodbyes and hellos.
The in between where you’re not quite where you were, but not yet where you’re going.

This week has been exactly that.

While the Alaska Davies settled into a routine, the kids began exploring Anchorage with Zed. Between unpacking boxes and figuring out where everyone was sleeping, they started the important work of finding our new family favorites. Every restaurant has been judged on the highly scientific Davies scale of fries, burgers, pizza, sushi, and whether we’d willingly drive back for it.

The room situation remains unresolved.

The kids enthusiastically claimed bedrooms the moment they arrived. Since then, there have been negotiations, reconsiderations, strategic arguments, and periodic declarations that someone is moving to a different room. At this point, no one is entirely certain where everyone will ultimately end up sleeping, but confidence remains high that a decision will eventually be made.

Meanwhile, the Disney Davies were busy making memories with Sam’s parents and sister. Food, fireworks, rides, and plenty of mouse-themed adventures provided a temporary break from moving trucks, hotels, and cardboard boxes.

And then there was Sam.

After spending time at the Fiddler Inn on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Sam headed back to Washington, D.C., moving into yet another hotel and beginning turnover with her replacement. There is something strange about walking someone else through a job that has consumed so much of your life. Every meeting, every process, every challenge, every victory eventually becomes someone else’s story to continue.

It’s a reminder that most chapters don’t end all at once.

They fade out gradually.

A few more meetings.
A few more handshakes.
A few more boxes.
A few more miles.

Soon enough, the herd will be back together again. New jobs will start. New routines will form. New favorite restaurants will be identified and fiercely defended. Bedroom assignments may even become permanent.

But for now, we’re living in the in between.

And that’s okay.

Some of life’s most meaningful moments happen there.