On This Day

A decade sounds like a long time, and it kind of is. Yet, for some reason, it seems like a decade was just a few years ago. Time flies! It was 10 years ago, on this day, that I swore an oath at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) in Columbia, SC so that I could be a part of the world’s greatest organization; the United States Marine Corps.

I can remember making my decision to join the Marine Corps while I was attending college in Greenville, SC. It was the best of times and it was the worst of times, but it was a new beginning. In the spring of 2011, the Lord was really working in my heart to be a part of something bigger than myself. Some friends and family were surprised by my decision to join, but they were always supportive. Thank you!

The day I walked into the recruiting office I knew I wanted to take part in the brotherhood, but I needed someone to assist me with getting on the path toward that goal. Enter Staff Sergeant Abosi. Actually, enter me (into the recruiting office) where I met SSgt Abosi. The process was a bit daunting at first, but later that week I found myself on a van headed to Columbia, SC. A 12-hour day ensued and at the end of it (April 9, 2011) I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. I was on my way to becoming a United States Marine. What an experience!

It is a little known fact that I actually went to MEPS twice in the same year to swear in on different contracts. April 9, 2011 I swore in to join Active Duty, and then later in August I made a big decision and switched to a Reserve contract. More detailed information about my thought process in switching to the Marine Corps Reserves can be found here. That link is my post from summer 2011, and not everything has come to fruition. However, I do not regret switching to the Marine Corps Reserves. I can talk more on that another time.

Because of what I call my “Marine Corps Adventure” or “Wild Ride”, this blog came to be. Back in 2011 I bought my first iPhone (iPhone 4), posted my first Instagram photo, and joined the Marine Corps. What a time to be alive! There were a lot of questions from friends and family so I resorted to writing my life updates and experiences in a common space (here). This space allowed for anyone to check up on me and see what I’ve been up to. This medium allowed many questions to be answered without me having to repeat myself many time over. Of course I still did and I did not mind. This has been a cool medium to write updates, thoughts, and experiences. Fun fact: my very first post was written on that iPhone 4.

This blog has generally remained constant over the last decade. My posting has been a bit irregular, but some of my favorite updates have been in the new(ish) section I created called Financial Adventure. Being in the Marine Corps Reserves I have a civilian job and I work for the Marines Corps, which both play into some of my unique financial situations over the past decade. Just recently I became debt free and talked about my entire debt free journey on this blog. Even when I was mobilized with the Marines I was able to pay off more than $15,000 in debt! This is all a part of my decade-long venture on this wild ride.

What’s the point of me saying all this? Here’s the point: I want to keep this blog thing going. It is a way of keeping the people updated and a way to write about real things that maybe someone can find hope, peace, or inspiration from. A while back I reorganized the blog to be more than just an update about me going to boot camp. This is about life before the Marine Corps, during the Marine Corps, and eventually after the Marine Corps.

I continue to be grateful to God for His working in my life and leading me where I have been over the last decade. You never really know what’s next but God always has a plan. Here’s to another 10 years of service to this nation and a lifetime of service to the Creator. Semper Fidelis. Until next time: Be strong. Love God. Love others.

rejoice.always