When someone asks junior Morgan Schuler where she’s from, she doesn’t really have an answer.

For Morgan, being the daughter of retired Col. Mark Schuler in the Air Force meant growing up and learning to live in more than one place.

“You don’t have a permanent home,” Morgan said. “[Being in the military] definitely affects how you go about your life so you have to keep it in the back of your mind that you’re going to leave in a year or two.”

Morgan has lived in a plethora of different places that include Virginia, England, Germany, Alabama, Wyoming, Montana and currently, Kansas. With each move, she has had to leave behind an entire world and enter a new one. Sometimes, that meant leaving her temporary home on short notice.

“When I moved from Montana to here I had two days notice,” Morgan said. “I found out on a Wednesday and … on Friday I said all my goodbyes and we left that weekend.”

However, packing up your life in a matter of days is only one of the worries military kids have. Although senior Jordan Rider didn’t move around growing up she had to worry about whether or not she would see her father 1st Sgt. Tony Rider in the Marines, again.

“Most kids are worried about going home and what’s going to be for dinner while I was worrying if my dad was ever going to come home [from his deployment],” Jordan said. “Those were some of my main concerns that most kids did not have to deal with.”

Fortunately for Jordan, she hasn’t had to worry about this since her father’s last deployment in 2005. However, her life still constantly revolves around the military.

“He is always on the phone with the Marines. A lot of times I wish I could talk to him but he’ll be on the phone,” Jordan said. “There are some downfalls but it’s all worth it. Having a dad in the Marines has shaped who I am today.”

Growing up, Morgan’s life was also constantly revolving around the military which made it hard for her to make friends.

“You’re kind of like a ticking time bomb,” Morgan said. “I’ve actually lost friends because I have had to explain that I’m moving in a year.”

Despite this, Morgan has learned to cope and deal with being a military kid.

“I know there’s a lot of hard things that come with [being a military kid] like learning how to emotionally deal with [moving] and never having long lasting friends,” Morgan said. “One of my favorite quotes is … ‘God never shuts a door without opening another,’ so I just kind of live my life with that philosophy.”

Although being brought up in a military family meant overcoming unique obstacles, both Morgan and Jordan said there are multiple perks to having a parent in the armed forces.

Advantages for Morgan were lessons she learned while living in the military.

“The advantages for me personally, are that you learn to be more independent,” Morgan said. “You have to figure things out for yourself. It’s an interesting life.”

For Jordan, having a father in the military meant not having him at events in her life but she still appreciates being a part of a military family.

“He’s missed a lot because of the Marine Corps. He’s missed sports things and anniversaries,” Jordan said. “I definitely think all of the sacrifices are worth it [though]. I am grateful for all the things the military has offered my family.”

Although all Morgan knew in her childhood was the military life, she doesn’t plan on pursuing a career with the military.

“I decided that I did not like the military lifestyle. I like to travel and go see different places and cultures, but I want to be able to travel and have a central home that I can come back to,” Morgan said. “So I guess no to joining the military. It’s just a very uniform lifestyle. You’re always being watched, it’s a lot of pressure. You have to completely surrender yourself to your job.”