Brean's Story


Brean's Story April 2011 PROCESS I met my husband in the fall of 2006 at Texas A&M University - Kingsville. He was on the football team and I was a trainer. We became good friends and remained such for quite a while. My husband was a prime example of “college isn’t for everyone,” and applied for the Border Patrol at the suggestion of a friend’s dad. He applied and didn’t think much of it; he really didn’t think he stood much of a chance. He took the test and passed with a high 80 and that’s when it hit him that he may just be good at this. He went through the medical and physical portion with ease as he was 20 years old when he went through that. The background check went by quickly and smoothly for him, as most of his “references” for addresses and schools were fraternity brothers and all in the same town; our college town. The Border Patrol call came at a perfect time for him, he was done trying with college, his girlfriend at the time and him were done and he was about to move back in with his mom. The moment he was walking out the door to leave Kingsville, his phone rang. Talk about amazing luck and timing. He realized how perfect when they (Twin Cities) told him the station he got, Falfurrias, TX. It was a mere 40 miles away from the college town where we met. ACADEMY Off he went to the academy. Single, broke and filled with hope that this plan of his would work. We got together within the first month of his academy and the distance was hard since it was so early in our relationship, but we were determined to make it work. He drove from Artesia, NM to San Antonio, TX almost every weekend with another Trainee and I drove to meet him there. It was a 7 hr drive for him, and a 4 ½ hr drive for me, but it was well worth it. The academy went by quick for us, he lost 50 lbs with the intense workouts and learned more about law than he ever imagined. On the weekends that he didn’t see me, he stayed in and studied. We agreed to move in together after the academy, although it was soon, we knew it was right. He graduated on April 9, 2009 (his 21st Bday) and I was there to see him, along with his mom, stepdad and grandma. Spanish was the hardest part for him, he still barely knows any. He speaks enough to get by and he can say the commands and or questions really well, but that’s about it. I moved into our apt. about a month before he was set to arrive, it worked out well that way so that I could have everything set up and ready to go when he got home. FIRST YEAR The first year as a BP Significant other is hard. It was hard for me to balance my life (school, sorority and preg appts) with his days off/sleep schedule. Oh yeah, did I mention? I got pregnant within the first 2 weeks of us living together. It was a lot of repetitious work, on both of our parts. For me, it was: cook, clean, iron, class, meetings and dr appts. For him it was: work, eat and sleep. I remember getting dirty looks at the OB appts because I was always alone, little did they know what my bf at the time did for a living. The first year consists of a lot of “unfair” things such as: split days off, NO weekends off and 14 hr days. There was a period where my husband did 3 - 16 hr days in a row. When that happened, all I could do was be understanding that all he wanted was a meal, a shower and a bed. I think the key to making it through the first year and every year after that is being understanding of the schedule. As a spouse you either were with him when he applied and encouraged him or were with him once he was an agent and you knew his situation. :D I will never forget having to adjust to sleeping alone for the first time when he first went on midnights. It was rough for the both of us, his body couldn’t adjust to being awake all night and I had a hard time sleeping. We are both 23 now, with a 1 year old daughter and have some how managed to make it through til this point and will continue on in this BP adventure we call life. [TOP]	SPONSORS

April 2011

PROCESS

I met my husband in the fall of 2006 at Texas A&M University - Kingsville. He was on the football team and I was a trainer. We became good friends and remained such for quite a while. My husband was a prime example of “college isn’t for everyone,” and applied for the Border Patrol at the suggestion of a friend’s dad. He applied and didn’t think much of it; he really didn’t think he stood much of a chance. He took the test and passed with a high 80 and that’s when it hit him that he may just be good at this.

He went through the medical and physical portion with ease as he was 20 years old when he went through that. The background check went by quickly and smoothly for him, as most of his “references” for addresses and schools were fraternity brothers and all in the same town; our college town. The Border Patrol call came at a perfect time for him, he was done trying with college, his girlfriend at the time and him were done and he was about to move back in with his mom.

The moment he was walking out the door to leave Kingsville, his phone rang. Talk about amazing luck and timing. He realized how perfect when they (Twin Cities) told him the station he got, Falfurrias, TX. It was a mere 40 miles away from the college town where we met.

ACADEMY

Off he went to the academy. Single, broke and filled with hope that this plan of his would work. We got together within the first month of his academy and the distance was hard since it was so early in our relationship, but we were determined to make it work. He drove from Artesia, NM to San Antonio, TX almost every weekend with another Trainee and I drove to meet him there. It was a 7 hr drive for him, and a 4 ½ hr drive for me, but it was well worth it.

The academy went by quick for us, he lost 50 lbs with the intense workouts and learned more about law than he ever imagined. On the weekends that he didn’t see me, he stayed in and studied. We agreed to move in together after the academy, although it was soon, we knew it was right.

He graduated on April 9, 2009 (his 21st Bday) and I was there to see him, along with his mom, stepdad and grandma. Spanish was the hardest part for him, he still barely knows any. He speaks enough to get by and he can say the commands and or questions really well, but that’s about it. I moved into our apt. about a month before he was set to arrive, it worked out well that way so that I could have everything set up and ready to go when he got home.

FIRST YEAR

The first year as a BP Significant other is hard. It was hard for me to balance my life (school, sorority and preg appts) with his days off/sleep schedule. Oh yeah, did I mention? I got pregnant within the first 2 weeks of us living together. It was a lot of repetitious work, on both of our parts. For me, it was: cook, clean, iron, class, meetings and dr appts. For him it was: work, eat and sleep. I remember getting dirty looks at the OB appts because I was always alone, little did they know what my bf at the time did for a living.

The first year consists of a lot of “unfair” things such as: split days off, NO weekends off and 14 hr days. There was a period where my husband did 3 - 16 hr days in a row. When that happened, all I could do was be understanding that all he wanted was a meal, a shower and a bed. I think the key to making it through the first year and every year after that is being understanding of the schedule. As a spouse you either were with him when he applied and encouraged him or were with him once he was an agent and you knew his situation. :D

I will never forget having to adjust to sleeping alone for the first time when he first went on midnights. It was rough for the both of us, his body couldn’t adjust to being awake all night and I had a hard time sleeping. We are both 23 now, with a 1 year old daughter and have some how managed to make it through til this point and will continue on in this BP adventure we call life.

[TOP]

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