I'm new to this Navy-wife stuff. My husband, Mike, and I got married on January 29, 2004 (12 days before my 19th birthday). It's been hard. Really hard. And we fight... A lot. We fight because I'm lonely. I'm here, in Connecticut, and my home, Chicago, is a thousand miles away... We fight because while my friends are out, having a blast at college, I'm sitting here, waiting for my husband to come home. We fight because the $600.00 he makes every two weeks is barely covering our expenses, and I can't drive (and therefore, can't get a job), so he's carrying BOTH of us. We fight because he's gone so often. I understand that the Navy needs him. But I need him, too. We fight because we've both made mistakes. And sometimes, those mistakes are hard to forget. We fight because we never have time together, which makes us bitter. And then, when we DO have time together, we're too cranky to enjoy it. We fight because we're scared. We're both new to this. Being married is hard enough. But being married AND in the military? That takes strength. Strength that we sometimes doubt we have. But, at the end of the night, when I look at him, sleeping soundly after a long day of hard work, I can't help but feel lucky. Because after all is said and done, I love my sailor with all my heart. And I am so happy that out of all the people in the world, he chose to make ME his princess. And soon, with a bit of patience and understanding, I'm sure the only thing we'll be fighting for... ... is each other.