Hello, I’m Theresa Carpenter!
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Watch or Listen to my podcast Stories of Service (S.O.S.), ordinary people who do extraordinary work!
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I’m an active-duty naval officer with 28 years of service. For ten of those years, I served as an enlisted aviation electrician. I then became a surface warfare officer, and now I’m a Navy public affairs officer. Within weeks of separating from my ex-spouse in April 2013, I moved to San Diego and went on two deployments. For 15 months, while assigned to an amphibious assault ship,
I visited more than 10 countries, immersed myself in local cultures, made great friends, and honed my career skills. This is when I began blogging as a way to share insights through storytelling to help myself and others. I have since relocated five times in the last eight years, went through another breakup after my 1st marriage, lived in Bremerton, Washington, met my now-husband, got assigned to an aircraft carrier that deployed in a combat zone, and moved back to San Diego. A couple of years later, I moved to Norfolk, Virginia, and then two years later, I found myself serving in England for the largest maritime component of NATO.
I spend my time traveling on cruise ships, occasionally doing DIY YouTube videos with my husband, podcasting for my show Stories of Service (S.O.S. for short), and engaging in activism. My writings focus on struggle, love, friendships, career, saving money, personal accountability, war, toxic bosses, and overall leadership, a "tapestry" of life reflections. Check out the blogs below, and let me know what you think!
The views expressed here are my own and not represented by any entity, including the Department of the Navy.
Moving my Boxer dog overseas while serving in the military
In October of 2021, I received the opportunity of a lifetime to get stationed overseas working for NATO. I was supposed to be so excited—the chance to serve in Europe with a job promising adventure and travel. Instead, although I was excited, I was also fraught with worry and apprehension—not about the dynamic assignment that carried such a global impact but about moving my Boxer dog.