Meet Angelina S

11/16/21 • 47 min

Angelina is a Lieutenant Colonel graduated Commander, a mom of two, and a spouse. Her husband is an F-15E pilot and weapons officer. They have been in the Air Force for 18 years.

Be sure to tune in to this episode as Angelina shares with us her experience with postpartum depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideations. A heavy episode, but one that is so valuable. Angelina discusses parts of what she walked through that she didn't necessarily know how to put a name to until she heard someone else talk about it. Maybe you will relate to her story or know someone going through any of these experiences.

In today's episode, Angelina and I discuss

How she and her husband met (1:59)
Where military life has taken them (2:25)
Trying to have kids, going to school, and living on a boat (3:39)
Writing about her severe postpartum depression (7:47)
The difficulty in saying it out loud (14:45)
Normalizing sharing the challenging and scary (19:01)
Be persistent and be patient (21:33)
What led Angelina to write about her experience (27:23)
The response when she shared (35:15)
What Angelina wants you to know if you are struggling or know someone who is (38:49)
Changing what strength looks like (43:30)
Rapid Fire (44:51)

I hope you found today's episode with Angelina and hearing her story and experience with postpartum depression and anxiety helpful. Maybe you will relate to her story or know someone going through any of these experiences.

Resource mentioned

Run toward the fire: My journey through mental illness

Thanks for joining me on today's episode of, The American MILSpouse! If you enjoyed today's episode, please head over to iTunes or wherever you listen, give me a 5 star, and leave a review to help me reach even more military spouses. Also, don't forget to check out my website or hang out with me on Instagram to stay connected with others in the community.

Angelina is a Lieutenant Colonel graduated Commander, a mom of two, and a spouse. Her husband is an F-15E pilot and weapons officer. They have been in the Air Force for 18 years.

In today's episode, Angelina and I discuss

How she and her husband met (1:59)
Where military life has taken them (2:25)
Trying to have kids, going to school, and living on a boat (3:39)
Writing about her severe postpartum depression (7:47)
The difficulty in saying it out loud (14:45)
Normalizing sharing the challenging and scary (19:01)
Be persistent and be patient (21:33)
What led Angelina to write about her experience (27:23)
The response when she shared (35:15)
What Angelina wants you to know if you are struggling or know someone who is (38:49)
Changing what strength looks like (43:30)
Rapid Fire (44:51)

Resource mentioned

Run toward the fire: My journey through mental illness

Previous Episode

Meet Tristin W

Tristin is an Air Force spouse, a mom of two, and is from the Midwest. She comes from a family of nine kids, where she is the second oldest. Tristin married her high school sweetheart, and they've been together for 20 years. She's a dear friend currently stationed in Florida, and we were able to do this interview in person!

Be sure to tune in to this episode as Tristin shares with us what it was like to return to the workforce after eight years of being a stay-at-home mom. We'll also dive into some critical issues our education system faces, and the challenges teachers face.

In today's episode, Tristin shares

Tristin's military life adventure (2:08)
Teaching English to high school students (3:06)
From feeling obligated to work to follow her passion (7:21)
Teaching life at an inner-city school (9:05)
Education vs. cultural expectation (10:58)
Education as a ticket to somewhere else or a finish line (12:21)
Learning and not teaching the way Tristin was taught (14:20)
Trials of having a baby and military life (17:53)
Baby blues (22:37)
The guilt of not playing with your children (26:49)
Medical issues and going back to school (28:29)
Every classroom and generation is different (31:53)
Going back to work after being at home (33:00)
Being emotionally invested in the students you teach (35:38)
Having a strong leader in your child's education (37:56)
Stay at home mom to work transition (39:36)
Learning and teaching herself dramatically changed from pre to post kids (40:49)
Measurable progress (44:23)
How different life is now vs. her upbringing (47:28)
Learning to parent all over again (51:04)
Advice for military spouses (52:32)
You might be the person someone else needs (55:58)
Rapid-fire section (57:06)

I hope you enjoyed today's episode with Tristin learning what it was like to return to the workforce after eight years of being a stay-at-home mom and about some critical issues our education system faces and the challenges teachers face.

Next Episode

Meet Monica M

Monica McCool is an Air Force spouse, nurse, and mother. Monica and I met when our husbands were both in grad school in Boston, and fun fact, she and I had probably one of the lowest water bills for our unit. From investment baking on Wall Street to nursing - she's not just any nurse; she is a pediatric cardiac ICU nurse and helps the littlest patients. Monica's one of my best friends in the world, and I'm excited to jump into the conversation with her today.

Be sure to tune in to this episode as Monica shares how she balances everything, what sometimes doesn't make the cut, and why that happens.

Highlights from today with Monica include:

A story about Monica (:04)
Where military life has taken her and her family (2:42)
Biggest surprises for Monica about military life (4:34)
Career pivots and moves (12:10)
How she balances it all (23:39)
The effects of the pandemic on being social (31:45)
How has this impacted her feeling of community and her support system (33:41)
Rapid Fire (39:42)

Isn't Monica fun? I loved catching up with her and hearing about her transition from Wall Street to nurse. Do you relate to Monica and Chris? Do you love hosting game nights, and your spouse doesn't? I would love to know! Join me on social and chat about it over the next four weeks.