While in California, I popped in to see my “bonus cousin,” Jenny (she’s my cousin’s sister in law) and her family. Her husband, Pat, is an officer in the Navy, and right now he’s stationed on Coronado Island. The whole family—including Mickey, 7, and Elliot, 5—paused what they were doing to take me on a tour, and after we spent a little bit looking at the antique jets on display, Pat asked me if I wanted to see the real jets. (Spoiler: I did.)

Pat has always been interested in flying and joined the Navy at the end of his university career as a way to stay in the air. He has been on multiple tours flying these F/A-18 Super Hornets. Neither Jenny or Pat grew up with the military in their immediate families, and Jenny has always worked in philanthropy for nonprofits, but they've taken to a life of moving around every few years, base to base. That seems like a whole different type of nomadic life to me—picking up and resettling with a family in tow.