Albert Carrasco had a lot to look forward to after packing up all of his worldly belongings and sending them to Hawaii – the tropical paradise that he would soon call home and the place he would welcome the newest extension to his growing family.

With wife Branny and two-year-old son Aris accompanying him on the trip to place he hoped his federal job would also provide him for a chance to enjoy world-class surfing conditions and picturesque views that many would kill to get to enjoy on a daily basis.

But with a new member of the family arriving not long after getting settled – welcoming Orion Carrasco into the world while on the island – Carrasco began to realize that had both another mouth to feed and somebody else he was responsible for taking care of.

So he took a government job in Hawaii that offered the job-security and the benefits that all new fathers are searching for.

The move, unfortunately, meant he’d be away from the extended family he had grown up to lean on for support and to be available to assist at anytime. It is something that wasn’t possible when working two jobs to cover the $1,700 monthly rent and the outrageous cost of living in what equivalent to a foreign land.

Even though housing prices were plummeting, the cost of living in one of most popular tour destinations in the world definitely began to take its toll on the young couple. It was compounded by never being able to have time to explore because all free time was reserved for either work or familial obligations.

But when it came to getting the most out of his experience in the military, Carrasco definitely played his cards right. When his wife Branny reenlisted for another four years, Carrasco started attending classes at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – recently graduating with a Bachelors of Science of Aeronautics that he hopes to apply to his career someday.

Once a door opened for him to transfer back to Northern California, Carrasco jumped at the chance – packing up his wife and children and sending them back to live with his parents while tying up the loose ends in Hawaii.

Carrasco returned home on a Sunday afternoon flight and has since hit the ground running to make sure he makes it to work at Travis Air Force Base on time Tuesday morning where he’ll take a position in the Defense Logistics Agency as a federal civilian employee.

“It was good experience, but with all of my obligations I didn’t really have the chance to learn about the island and everything it has,” Carrasco said. “It’s nice to be back with my family and my friends, and I’m hoping to be able to settle down somewhere here in the area and begin to raise my family.”