Warrior Profile: Arianna Showalter

Arianna Showalter,

AKA Ari, age 19, from Durand, MI has a passion for music and arts. She has been painting and drawing ever since she can remember. She has been drawing and painting tattoos and pictures for friends and family since she was a little girl. Arianna’s father and mother influenced her most with the arts. What inspires her would have to be this world we live in, the falling and rising of many different things around us every day. Her inner passion inspired her to paint her master pieces.

Arianna wants to add, “I started painting when I was about 12 years old and right off the bat I was already quite good at what I did. The years past I only got better at painting and drawing but I began to lose interest and started getting more interested in music till just recently. I started by painting Christmas bulbs for friends and family. Living on a small income that pays the bills, you kind of have to, improvise for Christmas presents. Every bulb I paint is original and one of a kind. I love to paint landscapes because they’re so beautiful.

She is married to a wonderful man. She has been a military spouse for a year, May 25th. Her husband is in the army as an infantryman. He spends long hours doing whatever he’s told. What is the best thing about being a military spouse for you and the most gratifying experience you would say this isn’t bad and I am glad he is serving our country? She implies, “The best thing about being a military spouse would have to be when I don’t want to speak to my husband I don’t have to. When I see him in his uniform that is always nice, but to be honest the most gratifying experience I would have to say was when he stepped off the plane on May 17th 2011, my husband was so handsome and I was so proud to call him my husband.”

How do you balance the Army, being a wife?

She replies, “It is a very difficult life style and it’s hard to even process some days, but when he comes home it is all worth it. We do fight when he’s gone but it’s really hard to deal with some days, the stress alone can be absolutely unbearable because he can’t help me from where he is. My advice about being a military spouse would be to be able to play this role you have to be strong, independent, understanding, and very patient.”

Do you like your job and the people you work with?

At the moment she is a stay at home wife while her husband is overseas. She has been trying to find herself a job that interests her, but it is difficult to do when having many disabilities. She implies, “I do like my job, I am a wife and hopefully one day a mother, and that is the best job I could ask for. I love the people I work with; unfortunately sometimes with being a military spouse I am faced with having to deal with the military men. Not exactly what I like to deal with, but it’s what I signed up for when I married my husband, because yes, when you marry military you pretty much sign up for the military yourself.”

She implies, “Now to tell you about my husband. I met my husband in middle school. He had always talked about joining the army, I never thought he would, but he did and I couldn’t be more proud of him. We had lost contact for a long time then found each other on MySpace. We talked for a while then again we lost contact. Around the end of March 2011 I found him on Facebook, it had been about a year since I talked to him. I remember I had asked him if he wanted to hang out because it had been so long, and he answered with,” I can’t I’m in Afghanistan.” I will never forget the thought that went through my mind of “he actually did it”.

“It was April of 2011 when we decided we were meant to be together. When he came home on May 17th he asked me to marry him, I couldn’t say, no it just felt too real and too right. The next week we got married in a small court house. It was perfect I couldn’t have asked for more. My life has always been hard and seemed like there was nothing to live for, but at that very moment I felt like it couldn’t get any better. I married the man I had loved since I was 12. He was my first kiss and my first real friend.”

After being deployed what is the best thing when your husband comes home?

She implies, “I think that the best part about him coming home is there’s no more fighting he’s home and we are finally together again.” “How many deployments have you been through and to where was he deployed? She implies, “I have had to tell my husband goodbye twice as of right now, but he still has 4 more years in the military, so I know I have a few more to go. He has been in Afghanistan the whole time we have been married, till just recently when he was shipped back to Germany. I was fortunate enough to have him home for this past Christmas, I could not have asked for anything else.”

“The nights are long and

lonely when he is deployed. The days never seem to end and time seems like it could never pass. But when the days grow closer for him to come home, it all gets better. The love and the romance of him being gone so long comes back to you, the heart ache and tears come almost to an end. The moment you wait for months and sometimes even years”.

“I would say that for deployments for me, they are rough and I feel like sometimes I can’t take it anymore. I just want it all to go away, the problems, the money, the bills, just life, it can be that hard. People tell me I wine and I have a fit, but I’m aloud to. They don’t understand my situation, my medical problems, and my overall wellbeing. Sometimes you just need to wine and vent your problems, but furthermore I would say it is hard so that’s my story I hope you enjoyed it and maybe even learned something from it.”

Arianna’s favorite colors are baby pink and baby blue, soft colors are soothing and peaceful. Her favorite TV show is “Switched at Birth”, on ABC family. She implies, “It is a very touching, inspired me in many different ways. I actually started teaching myself sign language because of this show.” She loves to dance and preform. Her favorite alcoholic beverage on occasion, is usually buttershots. Do you work out or go to the gym? She replies, “I do, but not as often as I should. I will get the urge to work out every once in a while and I will go on Terry’s site and try to keep up with him.

What are your measurements?

She replies, “I’m 5’2” a thicker girl. But carry myself very well. I have 3 tattoos. I have a treble clef behind my right ear for my love of music. I have a set of angel wings on my back to represent that I always have a guardian angel, even though I cannot see them. I also have a fairy on my right arm; she represents my bubbly personality and my free spirit.”
What would you say your best attribute is? She implies, “I have always gotten comments on my green eyes.” How is your support chain (family)? She replies, “My family is very supportive of my decisions and myself. They have always told me to follow my dream, even my pesky little sister who happens to be one of my best friends.”

If you visit, Durand mi, she recommends champs pub they have amazing burgers but the park down town is a beautiful place to visit around sunset. “Orange Mode readers food for thought, besides make sure you get your Nine Livez on. Whatever you are in life, be a good one.” If you need to find Arianna she is usually at home, if she is not home she is out with friends or family. If you need to get in contact with Arianna:[email protected] or message her on Facebook