"Where do you Call Home?" Reflections from a Military Kid

by: Campbell Wright, class of 2025

April is a month dedicated to celebrating military children. Being a military kid myself, I understand the sacrifice and dedication of all military families. Whether it is worrying about a loved one or getting used to living in a new place, all military families must sacrifice. That sacrifice includes leaving behind extended family, losing loved ones, and missing parents as they take on missions far away. My journey as a military kid has taught me so many things, but the most important is how to make the best out of difficult situations. These difficult situations include moving to foreign countries, trying to fit in at new schools, and even adapting to new environments around me.

After England, we were sent to what we now know as our final destination in Montgomery, Alabama. Our whole family was a little hesitant when we got the orders because it was such a new place for us. Due to the amount of recommendations we received for Saint James, we decided to apply. Once we were accepted, it was time for the first day of school. We were all so nervous to come to a new school and try to make friends, but as soon as we showed up for the first day, Saint James became our new home. From the moment we walked into the doors, we were welcomed with open arms. I never felt the anxiety of being the “new kid” like at every other school we attended. For what was only supposed to be a year, we are now in the place we call “home.”

In September 2022, my dad retired from the United States Air Force. I am so thankful to stay in Montgomery and graduate from Saint James. All throughout my life I have been asked questions like “where are you from?” or “what place do you call home?” and now I can confidently answer that my home is here in Montgomery, Alabama at Saint James School.

I have faced all of these challenges through my journey of leaving every three to four years to find a new place called “home”. I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and moved a couple years later at the age of two. After Albuquerque, the military brought me to my next “home,” Woodbridge, Virginia. Here, I made some of my first real friendships. Leaving these friends behind was incredibly difficult, but even today, my family and I are still close with them.

After Virginia, my family faced one of the most difficult transitions and we were sent to Mildenhall, England. Not only was it challenging to leave our new family in Virginia, but moving all the way across the world was tough. In England, our family had to get used to the time change, the cultural differences, and the lack of Chick-Fil-A. Even in this difficult transition, we made the best of the situation and ended up with friends we now consider family. Not only did we make friends in this new place, we were able to travel to countries all over Europe that I had never heard of before. Traveling allowed me to experience the world and opened my eyes to new cultures as we went from country to country.

#wearesaintjamesschool