Milspouse Matters Episode 86 with Julie Tully
Life as a military spouse overseas can be quite an adjustment. I’m so glad to be able to bring spouses and experiences to you, to help you if you’re facing your own PCS move overseas!
Just a reminder! I’ll be taking a short summer hiatus and plan to come back with new episodes in August. Watch my social media for announcements and also the launch of my NEW short-form podcast for Christian military spouses!
JEN’S “FAVORITE THINGS” THIS WEEK:
- PCS Move Resources: whether you’re staying put, about to move, in the midst of a PCS move, or the one left behind watching all your friends move, there’s something for you here!
- Thank you so much for your support of the updated edition of my book, You Are Not Alone: Encouragement for the Heart of a Military Spouse. Be looking for book club and study leader guides this fall! Get the book here. It’s a great study for a group or book club or the perfect gift to tuck into a military spouse welcome basket or spouse care package! If you’re looking to purchase a bulk order of You Are Not Alone (10 books or more), I offer a 20% discount. Contact me at jen@jenmcdonald.net for more information!
ON THIS EPISODE, I’M TALKING TO JULIE TULLY, THE AUTHOR OF THE UPCOMING BOOK, DISPATCHES FROM THE COWGIRL: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS WITH A NAVY DIPLOMAT’S WIFE.
Julie is the spouse of a Foreign Area Officer and has spent the last 18 years living as a military spouse overseas in different countries in Africa and Europe. In fact, Julie recorded this episode from Italy, right smack in the middle of a PCS move!
She’s a cowgirl-turned-nomadic Navy spouse and she writes about life, culture, and the places where they intersect. Julie’s writing has appeared in Legacy Magazine, InDependent, and Your Teen for Parents. Her quirky lifestyle has taken her around the world, from rural Northern California to Europe and Africa. Now, after spending the past eighteen years overseas, Julie and her family prepare for an even greater adventure—returning to the United States. Her memoir, DISPATCHES FROM THE COWGIRL: Through the Looking Glass With a Navy Diplomat’s Wife, will be published by W. Brand Publishing in September 2022.
Julie and I cover a lot of this topics in this episode, including her family’s multiple tours overseas, how it’s felt being “America” to the people they’ve lived among, her life as the spouse of a Foreign Area Officer, tips for moving overseas, the story behind her upcoming book, their soon return to the U.S., and how her son—who’s never lived in the U.S.— feels about it all!
Julie shares some great advice for anyone moving overseas:
“My number one piece of advice is to do your homework. Do your research. Find out everything you can!
Her advice for new foreign area spouses about to move overseas also applies to all military spouses:
Be respectful, honor the traditions, the customs of the military, but don’t lose yourself. Because what makes military spouses amazing and unique is that we’re all different, and that is such a powerful thing. Don’t get lost; don’t lose your identity. Remember who you are and embrace the military lifestyle.
Connect with Julie at her site: Julie Tully
Find Julie on social media:
