In the early summer of A.S. XLVI my Federal Lord decided that I was to leave the Kingdom of Calontir for the Kingdom of Ansteorra.

In other words, the U.S. Army decided I was was being transferred from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas to Fort Hood, Texas to be assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division. While I was a bit sad to be leaving Calontir, I had heard great things about the fighting in Ansteorra. Naturally, upon arriving to the Stronghold of Hellsgate I was able to attend exactly one fighter practice before being promptly deployed (again) to the Middle East.

Once I finished up my second deployment, I was able to jump into the SCA in Ansteorra with both feet. I made sure to go to the weekly social/fighter practice, and the monthly business meetings. As often happens in a volunteer organization, when you show up consistently, you get asked to do things. In my case, I got to be on the group’s financial committee, had the privilege of serving as the Deputy Seneschal, and filled in otherwise for our local events. For everyone who worries about whether a job in the SCA will take away from the fun, I can confidently say… maybe. While going over financial policy at a friend’s house from 7-9pm on a weeknight isn’t the most exciting thing in the world, it makes the wheels of the Society turn so I think it’s worth it. Plus, there are normally cookies and socializing involved which I consider to be perks. In other words, show up to make things happen, stay for the cookies.

Of course, my time in Ansteorra wasn’t all cookies and business meetings, I also joined a Household and made some amazing friends along the way.

Among those people who deserve a special shout out are the members of Clan MacMuiredaig (no, I can’t spell it without looking it up). They were my family away from my family the whole time I lived in Ansteorra, and I owe a lot of what I believe about the SCA to them.

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I could probably write about a million words about how much this silly group of green-clad SCAdians mean to me, but I have the sanity of you, dear reader, to consider. Suffice to say that I would not be where I am without them.

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I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention Lord Eric Bentbow and his wife, the late Lady Alexandra Bentbow for their amazing hospitality over the years, from welcoming me as a new member to letting me use their anvils when I first tried blacksmithing. They were, and are, people who truly make the SCA feel like home, no matter where the world takes you.

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Unfortunately, due to me being blown up while in the Army, I had to retire from active duty, which eventually meant my time in Ansteorra came to a close. Luckily for me, I left the Kingdom with a wonderful group of lifelong friends who continue to support me from afar to this day.