Welcome to the #stylemecommunity Jasmine. Thank you for sharing your story with us.

Name: Jasmin | Michigan | Connect: @armedmomstyle

I am a wife and mom of two boys, currently living in Michigan. My husband and I are both from Germany and my mindset about firearms has changed a lot since we moved to the States 5 years ago.

While growing up in a country where it’s not the norm to own guns and watching all action movies I was convinced that all cops are corrupt and that only bad guys carry guns. My thoughts about the American lifestyle before moving here, don’t judge: fast food, bad cops and guns. Not opinionated at all, I know. But the only time I’d see guns was in the news, used by criminals. So actually my associations with firearms were rather bad than good. However, it was never a big topic for me.

What I’ve learned after a few months of living in the US was that most of the people I knew never shot before. However, some of their dads or other family members are hunters which means, they have a bunch of guns at home. In general “Shooting” is considered a socializing sport activity.

My first time shooting a gun and an AR-15 was actually two days after coming to the US. My husband was super excited to go to the shooting range with me. He has gone a few times while he was on business trips and had a lot of fun. And even though I was not into guns I wasn’t opposed to go shooting and give it a try. I’ve always been a very open minded person who loves trying new things. And to be honest, It was something completely different than anything I’ve ever done in my life. I was sweating so much and my adrenaline level was over the top, but also were my endorphins (haha). I had a really great first shooting experience!

6 months later we bought a hand gun (HK VP9) and while my husband was going shooting every other week I was joining him maybe once every couple months. But it was very important to me that I know how to use a gun properly, especially living in a country where guns are easily accessible. I wanted to be prepared.

But never had I thought about concealed carry before. Not until a month ago. Even though my husband carries concealed since over 2 years. I was just all consumed by being a mom of two little boys. That literally took all my attention and energy.

I love shooting. I just don’t get to do it often enough, with life, kids, etc.

Last November I decided to start going to the shooting range at least once a month. I wanted to feel more comfortable with the firearms we own, now that my husband has a small collection. That got the ball rolling. I started to show more interest, asking my husband a lot of questions and he pointed me in the right direction. The first account that took my attention was @armed_and_styled. Her instagram looked super appealing to me and I started reading through all of her posts like the biggest stalker. I obviously came across @stylemetactical and was obsessed with her concealed lifestyle. My husband introduced me to @warriorpoetsociety and I started watching a lot of YouTube videos whenever I had some time. Especially the ones with @mrspoet_actual caught my attention. Not just because they are super cute and funny together but mainly because they were addressing the topic “guns and kids” which obviously is a big one to me since I have two little boys. That brought me to where I am now. I want to be prepared and not just in a “I-once-shot-a-gun” prepared way. No. I wanted to carry one. Because I am responsible for my own safety and I choose to carry a gun because it is my right and because I refuse to be a victim. I want to be prepared in case I need to defend and protect myself and my family.

When I decided that I wanted to jump onto that train I was still unsure if I should wait until the kids are a little older, but the timing is never right. So I decided to start now. Going from simply shooting once every couple months to carrying concealed is a big step and I am definitely stepping out of my comfort zone.

I never picture myself as a “gun-girl“. But after thinking it through, there isn’t such a thing.

Everyone should be able to carry a gun without being judged. Wearing a seat belt and having a spare emergency tire in your car is considered normal, why isn’t carrying a firearm in case you need to protect yourself. If you don’t feel comfortable carrying a gun there are tons of other non lethal options. It’s up to you. But don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t go shooting or carry a gun just because you’re a girl or you’re not the „typical gun girl“. I’m the perfect example: I have a masters degree in chemistry, I’m a former dancer and model, certified yoga teacher, now a full time stay at home mom, who loves to read romances, take barre classes and sing karaoke in her free time. Also I am a petite woman (5‘3) - So what?! I can still fit carrying concealed to MY lifestyle and to my personality.

Take responsibility! We can’t control everything but one thing we can control is to choose to be self reliant and safe!

All I can say is, it’s just the beginning of my journey and I am overwhelmed by all the support I’ve gotten already. Little did I know that there’s a whole community of badass women who carry without sacrificing their style and personality!

I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me. Follow me on Instagram @armedmomstyle to see me grow and follow my journey to self-reliance.

DO YOU WANT TO INSPIRE WOMEN? TAKE THE FIRST STEP AND SHARE YOUR STORY.