As discussed in part one of Brynne Adams’ story, making new friends was the hardest part of moving. Having both parents in the military and moving around multiple times meant saying goodbye to a lot of people for her. Building new connections was often a struggle at the beginning of each move.

Once she would adjust she was able to connect with the people around her. Many highs and lows would come with her journey.

Relationship with Adams Military Parents and Au Pairs

While Adams’ relationship with her parents felt more distant due to the fact that they would have to leave for long periods of time, overall she had a good relationship with them. Middle school was hard for their relationship as they were gone a lot then. Once they were able to spend more time together, it helped better her relationship with them. From fourth to eighth grade her parents hired au pairs to help with transportation until her older sister was able to drive.

Adams says she had good relationships with her au pairs when she was younger because it was like having another sister to share hobbies with. She enjoyed finding new television shows and learning about fashion through them. Once Adams got to her seventh and eighth grade year her opinion changed. She was old enough to look after herself by then and felt like the au pairs would baby her.

Friends within family

Adams says her relationship with her sister was helpful to her because she would still have someone to play with during all of the moves. They have different personalities but they have been able to be there for each other throughout their childhood and still to this day.

“I always had Clare to hang out with and play with no matter what so that was really nice. We were way closer as kids,” Adams said.

Another influential person in Adams’ life is her cousin, Francis. Although growing up they didn’t see much of each other they can relate as they are both Military Brats. The two shared a lot of the same feelings when they would move around the country. When Adams moved to Minnesota they were able to see each other more frequently. Adams sees her not only as a cousin but as a friend. They stayed in contact their whole lives while they both moved around the country. Their friendship with each other grew much bigger when they both lived in Minnesota.

 I always had Clare to hang out with and play with no matter what so that was really nice. We were way closer as kids.

Brynne Adams

Sports

Sports are often a great place for people to build relationships. Adams participated in gymnastics and volleyball as she grew up and her coaches were big supporters in her life. While they often changed as she moved and improved, they helped her and were important people to her.

One coach in particular that made her feel understood was her level four gymnastic coach in Kansas. Adams spent a lot of time with this couch and it helped strengthen their relationship. She says this coach was always very nice to her and stood out from other coaches. Adams made a lot of friendships from these activities as well. Many friend groups were created through the different teams she participated in.

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