Blue Heart Journey: Marine Corps Birthday Ball in Algiers

The Marine Corps Birthday Ball is the most anticipated annual event for every Marine and spouse. I have had the honor of attending two birthday balls prior to this one. Douglas and I are still in the newly married phase. If you speak with a seasoned Marine Corps spouse, he or she will tell you they have attended so many birthday balls they have lost count. I do look forward to saying that one day.

Since Douglas is in the Marine Corps band, he works at different birthday balls every year. Band members often miss their own birthday ball because they have to play at others. The birthday ball is usually put together by a specific person assigned to the event. He or she works with various people to put it all together. Douglas would now become that person in charge of coordinating his own birthday ball with the help of the Marines at post. Douglas got to have his hand on every single detail of the event from start until finish. The weeks leading up to the ball are usually stressful for anyone involved. It was no different for Douglas and his fellow Marines. The most difficult task was probably working through the language barrier and cultural differences.

I quickly got adjusted to Douglas working very late hours, long days and many weekends all for the ball. It wasn’t just work without play though. The Marines held a couple parties and a Happy Hour to assist in raising money for the event. That was the fun part! Often times a detachment will have to hold many events and sell lots of their products to raise enough money to pay for the expenses of their ball. Fortunately, this detachment did not have that problem. This meant they could enjoy fundraising without much concern over their profit. And it was one less thing to stress about.

The biggest items on a woman’s to-do-list in preparing for a ball are purchasing a new dress, getting her nails done, and deciding how she will style her hair. I planned to wear a dress already in my closet I wore on a cruise last year, but this would my first time flaunting it at the ball. Many women steer away from wearing a ball gown more than once. This is mainly because a photo is typically taken of the spouse and their Marine at the ball. Not many spouses wish to see themselves in a dress they wore the year before. I say whatever works for you and your budget, go with it! You and your Marine may be able to take a nicer vacation next year simply because you saved money on purchasing another new dress this year. Something to think about!

I also saved money on my nails because I decided to do them myself. My bigger reason for not getting them done professionally is because I always worry about the cleanliness of all tools used in the process. About five years ago I caught a foot fungus from a nail salon I went to in Studio City, California. This was posh salon in an excellent neighborhood and that clearly didn’t mean a thing. I do miss the pampering experience, but I did as good a job as anyone else has previously done on my nails.

The last item on my list was my hair. Now, this is an area that I would have opted to have professionally done if a stylist were available. They do have hair salons in Algiers, but I can’t imagine they have ever put a comb or brush through anyone with my hair texture. I surely was not about to be their first. I wanted to wear my hair down. I typically do not blow dry or straighten my hair, but thought it would be a nice change for such a special occasion. I knew it would take a lot of time so I planned for that.

The Marine driver was scheduled to pick me up at 6:30 p.m. to leave for the ball. I started my hair at 2:00 p.m. that afternoon in order to give myself plenty of time. I never like to feel rushed. Douglas and the other Marines had already at the venue since 11:00 that morning. I had the house to myself with no interruptions. But sometimes plans just don’t work out like you would want. At 6:30 p.m. I was flat ironing my hair for a second time with no end in sight. My hair experience went wrong in so many ways. I washed it, conditioned it, blow dried it, and all was great. Then I flat ironed it and each section I finished looked like I never did anything to it. When I was done my hair looked like I spent the day outside in extreme humid weather. I thought by flat ironing my hair a second time it might look better. No such luck! I really wanted to laugh, but simultaneously I needed to figure out what I was going to do with my hair. There was no way I would enter the ball looking like a troll struck by lightning! By the time 7:00 p.m. rolled around I decided to go with something that might display elegance. I pulled out my brush, a large jar of soft gel, a hair tie, and began to slick my hair back like my life depended on it. I tossed the back of my hair into a quick bun and that was a wrap. I hurriedly got the rest of my accessories together, put on my shoes, and sped out the door.

All the vehicles were already at the venue. I was now over an hour late and the ball was scheduled to start in thirty minutes. One thing I hate is being late. I couldn’t believe this was happening, but I knew at the same time I would just laugh at it later, which I did! I made it to the venue with just enough time help the Marines put the finishing touches on the room and mingle with guests. The first thing Douglas said when he laid eyes on me was, “Wow, you look beautiful!” I thought to myself, “If only you knew what it took for me to put this together.”

The event was held on November 9, 2012 at a hotel in downtown Algiers. It was a gorgeous venue, fitting for such a formal event. Apparently it was also one of the best locations and balls that has been held at this post in years. That was a huge compliment to Douglas and his Marines. There were over 200 people in attendance, including several people from the many different embassies and companies in Algiers. It was one of the most diverse groups I’ve ever been around. The Marines did an excellent job executing the ceremony, with just a few hiccups regarding the DJ playing specific tunes at the appropriate time. It proved there is absolutely nothing like having your fellow Marines from the band play at your ball. They never miss a cue, at least not one that is noticeable to anyone else. I danced until my feet hurt and my dress felt like it was about to pop. If men only knew the amount of discomfort we women go through for a dress to look perfect! For Marines it must be nice to wear the same comfortable uniform every year for their birthday ball. Overall, everyone had a blast! It was a successful and quite memorable event. Douglas and the Marines could hold their heads high for a job well done.