I have met a number of military brats while my family has been stationed in different areas. While I lived on base in Athens, Georgia for three years, the friends I made became like a second family to me. All of the kids on the base were constantly with each other, and we would popcorn from one house to another down our block because all of our families were so close. Even though we all moved away after a few years, many of our families continued to meet up every few years for a mini vacation. We continued doing this until most of the kids had grown up, going off their separate ways to college and careers. Thankfully, we all are still able to say connected through social media and it's so awesome to be able to keep up with everyone's lives even though we don't live right next door anymore. In addition to these friendships, I have also been able to better connect with other military brats that I have met both throughout high school and especially now in college. One of my closes friends here at George Mason grew up a Navy Brat as well, and we've bonded over similarities and stories from our childhood in the military community. While I am still of course able to make friends with other non-military peers, I have a much stronger connection with those that do share the experience of growing up as a military brat.
