Embracing the Journey: My Experience Moving to Moray with My Military Husband

Moray Chamber CE, Sarah Medcraf discusses navigating change and moving from Yorkshire to Moray.

Can you describe your experience with being posted to different locations?

I met my husband when I was young, so we only had the one posting (from Yorkshire to Moray) before he got medically discharged, however I absolutely had age on my side with this move. Being 18 I had some unknown nativity – a classic case of you don’t know what you don’t know – so I embraced the opportunity with the positive attitude of ‘well if it doesn’t work out, I’ll move back!’ We were in a much easier position than most being so young, we didn’t have a house to sell, or children to think about or even moving pets or belongings, this was our first house together, so we moved in to a private rental which was furnished in Hopeman and saw it as an adventure.

What are some of the biggest challenges you faced when adjusting to a new location?

I didn’t feel settled until we had been here for for around 18 months, although I did find a job quickly and we didn’t struggle finding a rental (at that time), it was very lonely. It was at a time when all my friends were at university and the city student life seemed very far away from living in a bungalow in Hopeman trying to navigate a new job with no support network. My husband was recovering from surgery (for crohns disease, ultimately what he got medically discharged for three years later) so we couldn’t really go out and meet people. We also didn’t have a huge amount of disposable income as we navigated managing the finances of our new home. I also think getting used to your new normal takes some getting used to and accepting that ‘popping back home’, depending on your location is very tricky. We moved up 15 years ago so took over 8 hours to drive. Thankfully with some of the road improvement this is down to 6.5 hours – but there’s still opportunities to shave this time down!

Community and Support
How do you find and build a support network when you move to a new area?

Through your workplace. I’ve never been one to have hobbies as such except for attending a gym or walking, so my work was the place I made acquaintances, then friends. You learn that people are in your life for periods of time, I call them chapters. My husband made friends through his new squadron in the RAF too but as we weren’t married and didn’t live in quarters and because we were that bit younger, we found it hard to gel and we found it hard generally to meet people our own age.

What resources or organisations have been most helpful to you in each new location?

We leaned on the RAF a lot in the early days, and my husband’s colleagues within it – from shopping to gym to leisure - we asked people for recommendations all the time. If all else fails, Google!

Business and Employment Opportunities
Did/Have you found it difficult to maintain a career or start a business with frequent relocations? If so, how have you managed?

After my husband got medically discharged, we made the decision to stay in Moray for a couple of years, if we liked it – we’d stay. If we didn’t, we’d spin the globe and see where we’d end up. 15 years on and we’re still in Moray and this is very much our home. I’ve worked for three companies in that time, and have had the stability, however we’ve friends who have moved numerous times with the military and do struggle to maintain their career.

What types of business opportunities or employment have you pursued in different locations?

When I first moved here, I was a residential letting agent and then went to work in operations for a telecoms company before starting at the Chamber nearly 10 years ago, the rest as they say, is history.

Are there any particular industries or job types that you find more accommodating for military spouses?

Doing my job, I am fortunate enough to work with a range of businesses across a range of sectors. Overall the business community here understands the importance of the military to our community and also embraces the inward migration of talent. Of course, there has been the occasional comment about them not being around for more than a couple of years, but as the labour market has changed many employers are delighted if they can get 2 years from an employee now. There are many engineering companies who benefit from having military on our doorstop as we know many service personnel like to settle in Moray after their military career.

What strategies do you use to integrate into a new community, both socially and professionally?

LinkedIn! I think LinkedIn is a great tool to be able to get yourself ‘our there’ in your community. Joining different, relevant groups on Facebook is also a good way of learning what’s going on, on the ground. Putting yourself out there to volunteer, or taking a part time job are also great ways if integrating yourself into a community. We volunteered at the bonfire night with the rotary and I also took a part time job waitressing to meet new/different groups of people.

Have you found any specific regions or communities particularly welcoming or challenging? Why?

Moray is a warm community, we witnessed this during COVID, it is a community that rallies together when needed, which is brilliant.

How have your experiences contributed to your personal growth and development?

Naturally , as with all life experiences, it enables you to grow. So going through moving across the country, building and personal and professional network, applying for roles etc you become more empathetic. You can relate more to people and show support when they need it, the kind of support you wish you’d had for yourself.

Advice and Insights
What advice would you give to new military spouses about handling the challenges and opportunities of being posted to different areas?

Get stuck in. Attend events, embed yourself into your community through hobbies or volunteering. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and have your eyes and mind wide open!