By Michelle Hagge, American Red Cross

Move over, Showgirl! This winter, it’s all about Life of a Mobile Girl. While Taylor Swift might be selling out stadiums on her Eras Tour, I’ll be racking up miles of my own. Bases instead of arenas, camouflage instead of sequins, and a Red Cross patch instead of a backstage pass.

Starting in January, I’ll be Out of the Woods and into deployment, serving as a Mobile Sr. Program Specialist with the American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces (SAF). My “set list” includes delivering Emergency Communication Messages, providing comfort and morale support to deployed service members, and maintaining a consistent Red Cross presence with command leadership. The venues may be less sold-out tours and more temporary duty stations, but the purpose remains the same.

This tour won’t come with confetti cannons or stadium lights, but just the quiet glow of early mornings, the steady hum of engines, and the rhythm of a mission that never stops. Each day brings a new story, a soldier hearing from home after a family emergency, a service member finding comfort in a Red Cross morale event, or perhaps a quick stop at the canteen for a snack.

Like any true Swiftie knows, every new era comes with its own rhythm. Mine sounds like rolling suitcases, trainings, and the crinkle of a bag from a comfort kit. Between the long flights and longer nights, I’ll be channeling my inner Fearless, serving those who serve, one message, one smile, and one moment of compassion at a time.

There’s no glitter mic in my gear bag, but I’ll still be telling stories—real ones. Stories of resilience, of laughter amid hardship, and of quiet moments that remind us that kindness travels farther than any convoy. In the life of a mobile girl, there’s no encore, just the next mission and the next chance to make a difference.

By the time I return in September, I hope to have a few new chapters in my own Folklore—and maybe a few more stamps in my passport. Until then, I’ll keep Shaking It Off, staying Enchanted by the mission, and writing my own lyrics in this most meaningful of tours—the life of a mobile girl.