There's a certain confidence and positivity that Kimberly Benoit oozes, the same way the white foamy product comes out of the can onto her client's hair.  She deftly multitasks, telling the story of her life as a military spouse and giving insights to life lessons she has learned while her hands fly through the task of cutting and styling the long, curly hair before her.

A whirlwind, exciting romance with a marine begins her story; a long-distance love affair between Texas (her) and California (him) led to a surprise pregnancy. "I made the decision: I'm gonna move," she recalls.  And the two married.  But Benoit discovered that her cosmetology license didn't transfer, "I couldn't hairdress without going back to school," she explains.  Before the pregnancy, her career was on an upward progression: "I had a substantial client base, I was traveling and doing platform work and teaching; I was in an awesome place in my career."

After the move, she made some requests of her husband: she wanted him out of the Marine Corps.  She wanted to return to Texas, but not to Dallas. When he was recruited by an oil company to East Texas, she never felt as though they belonged.  Her husband enlisted in the Army and went to Georgia to learn a new MOS while Kimberly and their toddler remained in Texas and doing hair.

Benoit recalls the phone call vividly: "Guess what, I got Korea." After six months apart, Benoit decided to move to Korea unsponsored, six pieces of luggage containing pots and pans and toddler in tow.  The trip brought blessings:  Benoit had the opportunity to meet family in Korea and at a neighbor's urging she returned to school. Also in Korea, the decision to move to Tacoma was made, and while she was busy with unpacking and settling in to her new home, Benoit recalls, "depression hit."  She reconsiders her words as she snips a lock, "no, not depression, reality."  There was a recession and the cost of raising their young daughter to think of.

Before Benoit's happily-ever-after ending, things get bleak again.  She faced a surgery at the same time her husband became gravely ill with periocarditis; an infection had shut down his lungs and was blocking a valve to his heart. The medicine that was supposed to heal him made him sicker.  Benoit cuts to the chase as she snips the last lock.  "He survived," she says.

When his active-duty contract expired, he joined the Army Reserves and is now attending the University of Washington, Tacoma.  She has completed her Bachelors degree and is building her hairdressing clientele while moving toward her goal of helping disadvantaged youth with an internship at Remann Hall.  She reflects on the lessons she's learned through their trials of military life: Explore more, branch out of garrison a bit, pack lighter from move-to-move (especially overseas.)  But the things that helped her most: Keeping busy ... crafting, working out, developing her hairdressing clientele through social media, keeping in contact with families and friends, and giving back to her community through volunteerism.  

Ultimately, she says, whenever she feels overwhelmed, she reminds herself, "home really is where the heart is.  As long as you're together, and healthy ... that's home."