Beyond the Gate

No. 2 has a date.

Thursday, November 19. 6 to 8 pm. The Alice, Destin.

Free to attend. Water and charcuterie are on us, made by two Marine Corps spouses. No bar, on purpose.

No. 1 was the introduction. No. 2 is The Rounds.

First time? Come anyway. Half the room will be new too.

Save your seat.

Nothing to bring, nothing to present.

Optional. Only used for the registration link and a day-of reminder.

Which are you? *
Were you at No. 1? *
Are you bringing someone? *

What to expect

  1. Nothing to bring, nothing to present.

    No vendor tables. No name tags. No icebreakers. No sitting in a circle. You walk in, you pick your post, you talk to people.

  2. The Rounds.

    Short rounds at small tables. When the bell goes, you move. By the end of the night you will know which two people you want to text on Monday.

No. 1: The Introduction

The room filled. Spouses who had been here twelve years and spouses who had been here twelve days. Men and women both. Pathfinders from the local community who came without a pitch.

Everyone wrote a card. The cards are anonymous by design and they stay that way. What we can share is what kept coming up.

What the cards said

  • Childcare. It came up more than everything else combined.
  • Roots. Stop moving, stay somewhere, let the kids keep their friends.
  • Friends I can rely on.
  • Respite.
  • “I'd show up every single time if someone hosted... consistently.”
  • Ask for help. Talk to each other. You are not alone.

What people said

I'm so grateful I came. Thank you for this.
Spouse, first time attending
I'm glad other men came. I was nervous walking in. My wife is still serving, I'm the veteran, and I'm looking for my people too.
Air Force veteran, spouse of an active duty member
Everybody surveys us. Almost nobody puts us in a room together with no agenda. I did not expect this many people to show up for that.
Seasoned military spouse

Everything a spouse needs on the Emerald Coast, in one place.

See the map

One room. Every other month. Bring somebody with you.

facebook.com/groups/beyondthegateec