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The Practical Military Spouse Guide to Spring Cleaning Your Life

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The Practical Military Spouse Guide to Spring Cleaning Your Life

Spring is almost here, and with so much going on in our lives, it can feel like we need a practical military spouse guide to spring cleaning in order to focus on the tasks at hand. Whether you’re gearing up for a potential PCS in the coming year or simply aiming to enhance the livability of your current space, now is the perfect time to get things in order.

Here are some fun tips to help you with your spring cleaning:

  • Remove extra PCS stickers, you know you still have some from your last move. Unless you want to make a PCS sticker ornament.
  • Do you really need to keep those curtains? You haven’t used them in the last two houses, and they certainly don’t fit in this one.
  • Go and deliver those bags that have been driving around in your trunk after you did some Marie Kondo in your home a few weeks ago. It’s time for them to go.
  • Pretend you actually are PCSing, what should you get rid of? Would you really want to move with all of your current household goods? Is now the time to replace your old couches?
  • Focus on yourself sometimes. Are you getting enough me time? What can you do to change that? Self-care is important, especially if you are in the midst of solo parenting.
  • Find space for all that military crap. The living room is not an ideal place. Clean out a closet, or buy some extra storage. And quit tripping over those boots.
  • Go through your kid’s toys, get rid of all the broken ones, the Mcdonald’s toys, and anything they don’t care about anymore. The fewer toys they have, the easier it is for them to keep their room clean. Also, this is an ongoing battle that you will have to deal with for years.
  • Delete those emails from your old FRG, you don’t need them anymore. That deployment ended in 2019. If they are still sending them to you? Shoot them an email asking to take you off the list. You have moved on.
  • Do something with all those love letters. Put them in a scrapbook, hang them on a wall, or put them in a frame. They are special and should be celebrated. Unless they are super mushy romantic…then, keep them in your underwear drawer instead.
  • Donate those old ball dresses. You never go anyway. And if you do sometime in the future, you have an excuse to buy another dress.
  • Put up those photos you have been meaning to put up since you moved in six months ago. You know you want to, you have a lot of great ones from your past duty stations. Make time for this and your house will thank you.
  • Dust. I know, dusting sucks. Make your kids do it. Pay them in cookies.
  • Go through your makeup. That stuff doesn’t last forever. And isn’t it nice to buy something new every once in a while? Don’t forget your brushes.
  • Go through your books. Keep the ones you love, and pass on the ones you don’t. Save the deployment ones, you never know when you might need them again. Sigh.
  • Go through your DVDs. Can you find these movies on Netflix? If so, get rid of them. Except for the ones you always have to watch when they are deployed. You never know when Netflix will pull them and you always want to have them on hand.

Life is busy. We all have a lot going on. I hope this military spouse guide to spring cleaning your life can get you started in the right direction.

What do YOU like to do to spring clean your home? Any tips???

The Practical Military Spouse Guide to Spring Cleaning Your Life

PCSing with a Dog or Cat: Will the Military Pay?

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PCSing with a Dog or Cat: Will the Military Pay?

Are you PCSing with a dog or a cat? Will the military pay to move them?

PCSing is a huge part of your life as a military family. Whether you move every 2-3 years, or are able to stay at a duty station a little longer, moving is going to be apart of your life.

We all know that the military will move a military family once they get orders to their new location. However, does that include pets?

You Can Receive Between $550 to $2,000 as a Reimbursement

The answer is…yes, they will reimburse you for the expense of moving your pet. If you are PCSing with a dog or cat, you can receive either $2,000 for an overseas move, or $550 for a move within the lower 48. Remember that Alaska and Hawaii both qualify as overseas locations as far as the military is concerned.

It is important to remember that this is for one dog OR cat. Not both. This is a new benefit that started January 1st of this year, so if you do have more than one pet, you will need to pay out of pocket for them.

If you are ordered to evacuate from a foreign duty station, you are then authorized for transportation and quarantine fees for up to two pets, dogs, and cats.

Why Did This Benefit Get Added?

The Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III has been in office since January of 2021. The Secretary of Defense is the principal assistant to the President in all matters relating to the Department of Defense and serves on the National Security Council.

Since Lloyd J. Austin III has taken office, he has worked to strengthen support for Defense Department personnel and their families under his, “TakingCare of Our Service Members and Families” campaign.

Jennifer McPherson-Todd, the Director of the Defense Travel Management Office commented, “DOD recognizes that pets can be a source of stability and security to service members and families who often move. Defraying the cost of PCS moves involving a pet acknowledges the role played by these emotional constants and will improve quality of life for the force.”

Getting ready for a PCS?: PCSing Anytime Soon? These Companies, Organizations, and Resources Can Help

Reimbursement When PCSing with a Dog or Cat

What travel costs are included in the reimbursement when PCSing with a dog or cat?

  • Quarantine fees
  • Mandatory microchipping
  • Boarding fees
  • Hotel service charges
  • Licensing fees at the new duty station
  • Shipping fees if the service member flies, rather than drives

What does a military family need to do to receive the reimbursement?

Make sure your orders are dated for on or after 01/01/2024. This is when this benefit started. Your service member will need to fill out form DD 1351-2. They must submit all receipts for the travel expenses and additional documentation may be required. The documation can differ by branch, for example, this is what the Air Force has put out.

You can also check out Pet Transportation Allowance FAQs and The Joint Travel Regulations.

Happy PCSing!

PCSing with a Dog or Cat: Will the Military Pay?

The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Military Duty Stations

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The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Military Duty Stations

Moving every few years is a big part of military life. Sometimes you get orders to places you want to go. Other times you get orders for places you would never want to even visit. The key is preparing yourself for your new location, and the best way to do so is to hear from others who have been there.

Here is a list of military duty stations, and what followers from the Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life Facebook page have to say about each place.

If you have just received orders to a new location, click on the link and learn the good, bad, and ugly about each place. That should help you prepare for your upcoming PCS. And if you have already been stationed at any of these places, feel free to add your own advice and thoughts to the threads.

Stationed in Alaska

Stationed in Hawaii

Fort Campbell in Kentucky/Tennessee

Fort Carson in Colorado

Fort Cavazos (Fort Hood) in Texas???

Fort Eisenhower (Fort Gordon) in Georgia

Fort Irwin in California

Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri

Fort Liberty (Fort Bragg) in North Carolina

Fort Riley in Kansas

Fort Sam Houston in Texas

Fort Sill in Oklahoma

Fort Stewart in Georgia

I will keep adding new duty stations as they are created! Here’s to an amazing PCS!

10 Places You Must Find When You First Get To Your New Military Duty Station

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Military Duty Station

10 Places You Must Find When You First Get To Your New Military Duty Station

The day after we flew into Germany my husband had to go to work. He left about 5am in the morning. I was so tired that day and the world seemed like a dream. Jet lag is no joke and I was going through it with my 18-month-old. I wanted to get out and explore but I was a bit nervous about doing so. Imagine my surprise when my husband got home that night and told me the Commissary was just a short walk from our apartment.

When you first move to a new duty station, everything is going to be new. Even if you have lived on a military base before, you don’t know your new one yet.

Here are 10 places you should find when you first get to your new military duty station.

1. The Commissary- You are going to want to know where you can buy groceries at your new duty station. If you are in the US, you will be able to get American food off-post as well. If you are stationed overseas, you probably won’t and you will want to know where to go to get it. Once you figure that out you should explore local groceries because you can find some fun regional foods there to add to your weekly shopping.

2. The PX- The PX/BX is like a Walmart but on a military post and tax-free. They have furniture, snacks, drinks, clothing, toys and more. Find out where the PX is and if there is more than one. Our first duty station had a small PX and a PXextra in a different location.

3. The Library- Finding the library is a good idea. You can get things set up so you can check out books and if you have kids you can find out about story time or any programs they might offer. Most duty stations have one and then you should also see what the local off-post community has to offer as well.

4. The Chapel- If you are religious you are going to want to find the chapel. They might offer other programs such as MOPS, PWOC, and Awanas. Some chapels also offer a VBS in the summer time. Chapels don’t just have Protestant Christian services but provide worship times for a variety of religious beliefs.

5. ACS- ACS stands for “Army Community Service.” ACS provides a lot for people getting ready for a deployment, during deployment and post-deployment. They can also offer you information on FRGs, education, financial advice, relocation information and volunteer opportunities. The ACS will also host a lot of events. ACS is a great resource for those who are brand new to the military as well as those who have been in a long time. Although this program is for the Army, there should be similar programs with different names for each branch. 

6. MWR- MWR stands for “Morale, Welfare, and Recreation.” They are a quality of life program for Soldiers and their families. They provide a lot of activities for kids, CYS which is the affordable childcare program, lodging, libraries, entertainment and other events. It would be a great idea to follow their page on Facebook if they have one so you can hear about the events that they have going on. The MWR is a great way to find things to do that can help you meet other people at your new duty station.

7. Your Spouse’s Unit- This is a must. Learn where your spouse goes to work. Learn the unit and a general idea of what they do. When you don’t know this information, it can confuse things. There are reasons you will have to go to the unit and it is best to know where that is. Your FRG meetings might be there too.

8. Parks- Parks are important. Most military installations have them. Find them and enjoy what they have to offer. This is especially true when you have kids. Find the local parks and save your sanity.

9. The Hospital or Clinic- You will need to know where to go in case of emergency as well as when you need to go to an appointment. Learn where to go, where to park and when you have to go there you will know what to do.

10. Restaurants- Some military posts have more restaurants that others. There should be some fast food near the PX. There might be a few stand-alone places. The best restaurants on post where when we lived in Germany. We had an amazing German bakery and a restaurant that served German food. These places are great to go and meet your spouse on their lunch break.

When you first pcs somewhere, there is going to be a learning curve. You will need to take the time to find out where things are. Have fun with it and enjoy your new location.

Where is the first place you like to find when you are at a new duty station?

Getting PCS Orders to a Place You Really Don’t Want to Go

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Getting PCS Orders to a Place You Really Don't Want to Go

Getting PCS Orders to a Place You Really Don’t Want to Go

This post contains affiliate links! 

You are waiting on PCS orders, hoping for Hawaii or even Germany. If you can’t go OCONUS, you are pulling for Fort Carson, your best friend lives there and you have heard so many good things. Your spouse comes home with orders for Fort Bliss.

After 5 years overseas you just want to get stationed somewhere on the East Coast so you will be just a few hours from your family. You learn you will be PCSing to JBLM in Washington.

After spending 10 years in landlocked states you are hoping for a PCS to anywhere near an ocean. He gets orders to Fort Riley.

As any military spouse can tell you, there are certain places we want to go and certain places we don’t. Sure, most of us would love to PCS to some of the more popular military installation locations but that isn’t always what goes into where you want to go. Sometimes you just want to be close to home. Sometimes you just want to see another part of the world.

But what do you do when you get those long-awaited orders and they are for a place you don’t want to go?

The orders are for a place too far away from home or too different from what you expected. What if you get orders for a place you have heard nothing but bad things about? How can you get past that? How can you get excited for your new adventure when all you feel about it is dread?

Here are some ideas for when you get pcs orders to a place you don’t want to go:

Talk to people who like the area

I don’t care where you are going, you can always find at least one person that liked that duty station. Trust me. Some people are just able to bloom where the are stationed and others are able to find that one thing to make their current location enjoyable.

See if you can find people to talk to that live or have lived in that location. Most places have Facebook groups. I have duty station guest posts you can read. Ask for real-life advice on social media.

Investigate

Once you find out where you are going, you can start your PCS planning process. If you are not excited about where you are going, spend some time looking into your new home. Find out what is nearby, what people do for fun, what your housing choices are.

The more you can learn about your new duty station the better prepared you can be once you move there and you are setting up your new life. Check out PCSgrades for more information about housing areas and neighborhoods that you might want to live in.

Make plans

Make a plan for once you get to your new home. Where will you go to make friends? What will you do for fun?

If you can figure some of this out before you go, you will be more excited to get there. If you would like to find a job in your new location, get your resume ready and seek out what is available to you. You can also look into working from home if that is something you would like to do.

Visit home before you go

If you are going to be stationed far from home, why not plan a trip back home before you go? See if you can work that in. See the people you want to see and do all the things you know you will miss while you are stationed far away.

Homesickness is real but planning a big trip to see everyone can help. And know that just because you will be stationed far away doesn’t mean you won’t ever be able to visit during the years you are there. You might be able to plan a trip or take advantage of Space-A if you are overseas.

What about you? Did you ever end up in a place you didn’t think you would like? Do you have PCS orders to somewhere you are not sure you will like? Leave a comment 🙂

21 Tips For A Better Military PCS

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I remember the day well. My mom was watching my 18-month-old son and I was waiting at my apartment for the movers to come. It was moving day for our very first PCS. We were headed to Germany and the day had finally come for the movers to start packing up all of our belongings overseas. It would be about six weeks before we would see our stuff again.

I was not a stranger to moving. By this point, I had probably moved about 12 or 13 times in my life, most of them before having kids or even being married. I would take a few weeks to pack up my stuff and then friends would come over and help me move. Then I would spend a few weeks unpacking.

This was different. We were moving to a new country and the Army was going to do it for us. I would not have to pack up all of my stuff. I would not have to look for boxes. I would have movers come over to my house and do it for me. Bliss.

21 Tips For A Better Military PCS

We have done two military moves and a move of our own since then. Moving is for the birds! I would rather not but as a military family you sometimes don’t have a choice. You will pcs and you might do so every 3 years or so.

There is a lot of stress associated with a PCS. You will have a lot to do and a lot to decide about. You will need to see if you want to do a DITY move or have the military move you. People are divided on this. Some want to do the move themselves, others don’t mind if the military does it for them. After moving myself so many times in my life I would always be happy for the military to move me. We have always had a good experience. That being said, not everyone does. There are reports of things being damaged, things being lost and things being stolen. You really have to decide what you want to do and what you can deal with.

After deciding how you actually want to move, you have to do all the rest of the things to get ready for your PCS. You need to plan, even if you are not a planner. You need to know what is going on and what dates things need to happen.

Here are 21 tips for a better military PCS:

1. Declutter. Get rid of stuff you don’t want or don’t use. Plan a day or two to go through your whole house and donate or sell as much as you can. You don’t want to go over your weight limit. We did once and had to pay about $250 for that mistake.

2. Feed the movers. If you have movers, make sure to offer them food and water. They will usually appreciate it. We did have movers once that didn’t want the pizza we got for them but they did love the Oreos so you never know.

3. Prepare to be without your stuff. When we moved 2 hours away we only had to be without our stuff for a few days but overseas moves can take six weeks or even longer. Sometimes moves within the US take time too. And there could be reasons why your stuff will need to be stored for a while. Make plans for this. Especially if you have kids. There are certain things they will need.

4. Label everything. It’s a good idea to label which room everything goes in. Some people get really into this and color code every room. I love this idea. That makes it so much easier to unpack later on. You can put notes up where you want your things so they end up in the right spot. If you want you can also have them put together your furniture such as beds and dressers. This will save you a lot of time.

5. Make a binder. You should have a binder or folder with everything you need for your move. You should keep your to-do lists in there as well as any important documents. You want to have everything with you at all times, no matter where you are moving to.

6. Put aside what you don’t want to be packed. Make sure to clear out one room and put all the things you don’t want to be packed in that room. Then lock the door. That way the movers can’t accidentally pack anything.

7. Save money. Save as much as you think you will need and double that amount. No really. Moving always costs more than you think it will, even if it is a military move. You will need to eat out more often, you will need to buy things at your new place, you will need to have that extra in your bank account.

8. Take the important stuff with you. If you are driving to your new duty station, take all your most important things with you in the car. When we moved overseas it was a bit harder to do this and I was so worried about a few things but if you can take them in a car, do so. Then you know they will be safe.

9. Take a House-Hunting trip. If you can, go out to your new duty station for a house hunting trip. It is so helpful to be able to see where you might live in person first. If you can’t do this and you know people at your next duty station, see if they wouldn’t mind going by potential places and taking photos for you. That way you can get a better sense of your choices. Sometimes you don’t get a chance to look until you actually get there.

10. Take photos before movers come. Take photos of everything important before the movers get there. That way, if there is any damage you have a record of what it looked like before the movers came.

11. Research schools. One mistake we made moving here is we did not double check on which school our house was zoned for. In some areas, the most logical school isn’t always the correct one. Even though there was a school in the neighborhood we were renting in, we were zoned for another one.

12. Rent vs Buy vs On post. You will probably have to decide if you want to rent, buy a home or live on post at your new duty station. Sometimes you have to live on post as there is no off-post housing. Other times on post is booked so you have to go off. You should think about if you should buy a house or not and base that on if you want the responsibility or if buy a house makes sense for your situation.

PCSIng

13. Empty your trash. If you don’t, the movers will pack it. Trust me, they will. And who wants to find 6-week-old trash in their new home?

14. Have someone watch your kids. If you can, have someone watch your kids when the movers come. This will make life easier for you, especially if you have toddlers. You can watch the movers and just chill and not have to worry about kids getting in the way. If you do have to have your kids home, keep them in a separate cleared out room while the movers are doing their thing.

15. Book your hotel. Once you know when you will be getting into town, book your hotel. That way you won’t have to worry about having a place to stay.

16. Use good materials. If you are moving yourselves, use the good stuff. You don’t want your boxes falling apart on you.

17. Keep all bedding together. That way when it is time to get your new bed set up, everything you need is all right there. You don’t have to go searching for it.

18. Don’t go crazy at your new duty station, especially coming back from overseas. When we first got to Ft. Campbell from Germany we wanted to go to all the places we had missed. This adds up and you simply can’t afford to do this. Remember, you will be at your new duty station for a while, you don’t have to see and do everything that first week.

19. Ship your car. If you will be shipping your car, make sure you understand what they want you to do to get the car ready to ship. The car needs to be very clean with very little gas. I have heard of people having to drive around the shipping location to get the gas amount low enough to turn in.

20. Plan for your pets. If you are taking pets with you on a PCS, make sure you plan for them too. Think about how they will get to your new location and what you will need to do. If you are going overseas shipping them can be complicated but people do PCS overseas with their pets. You can too if your location allows for you to do so.

21. Enjoy the journey. It is way too easy to get stressed out about a PCS and you will probably break down in tears a few times. Think about where you are headed and what the experience has been like for you. Think about all the memories you have made at your current location and all the fun things you can do at your new duty station. As hard as a PCS is, as difficult as the process might be, you will get to your new duty station and be able to enjoy your new home.

You can learn more about the area you are moving or find a realtor by checking out PCSGrades. They are such a great resource for anyone that is PCSing and getting ready to move to their next duty station.

Are you getting ready for a PCS? What would you add to this list?

When You Are Feeling Homesick At Your Duty Station

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When You Are Feeling Homesick At Your Duty Station

Have you ever felt homesick at your duty station? As a military spouse, you might be far from home and that isn’t always easy. Being the family member that misses everything is hard. Being the one that can’t go to the baby shower or misses birthdays on a regular basis is difficult to deal with. Being the one without family nearby can be frustrating.

As a military family you could end up in so many amazing places, Hawaii, Germany, Japan…✈️

You might end up on the East Coast when you have never been east of Utah before.

You might end up in South Korea when you never even thought about getting a passport before.

You might end up in Alaska, going through your first snowy winter after growing up in Florida.

Wherever you are stationed, wherever you are currently living, take advantage of the experience. I know that is hard to do sometimes, some places are easier to live than others but blooming where you are stationed is a must. Doing so will make the whole experience a lot easier for you and your entire family. 💐

However…whether you are happy where you are currently living or not, you can feel homesick at your duty station.

There are days when you wish you could hop on a plane, and spend some time with your mom.

When you wish you could meet up with your best friend for lunch.

Or stop by and spend an afternoon with your grandparents.

If you have just moved to a new duty station, you might still feel lost, like you will never find your way or will never make a circle of friends like you had before. You might start to think that if you can only go back home, everything will be okay again.

But as a military spouse, you usually can’t go back home. Maybe your spouse can never be stationed nearby where you grew up. Maybe they can but it just hasn’t happened yet and you are not sure it ever well. Maybe your family has moved away and you know if you did go home, things would never be the same.

As a military spouse, you know that you will be living in different places, and at your core, you know that the best thing to do is learn to love where you live, but that isn’t always easy.

Here are a few things you can do if you are feeling homesick at your duty station:

Connect to your duty station

Are you spending all of your time at home? Get out and explore and check out your new neighborhood. What are you interested in? Look for a group based on that. Find a new playgroup. Or, explore your base or post for fun events. The more time you spend getting to know your new home, the better.

Don’t dwell on the differences

Are you dwelling too much on how different your current home is from where you just came from? Make a list of positives about your current duty station look online if you need ideas. If you spend all of your time thinking about what you don’t have, that will make enjoying what you do have harder to find.

Focus on you

As military spouses, we can get stuck in the day-to-day duties of living this life. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to focus on yourself. What are your goals? Do you want to go back to school? Find a new job? Have another baby?

Spend some time thinking about how you are spending your days and how you can move forward with your goals. If you are spending time working on yourself, you won’t have as much time feeling sad about where you are living and what you are missing about home. You will be busier and find over time, that you really are loving your new experiences.

You might never get to a place where you never feel homesick again, but you can get to a place where your time at your duty station isn’t going to be the worst thing in the world. It might take time, but it is possible.

Where are you stationed? How have you been able to kick your homesickness and enjoy your current home?

The 15 Stages You Will Experience On Your Next Military PCS to a Brand New Place

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The 15 Stages You Will Experience On Your Next Military PCS to a Brand New Place

These are the stages of a Military PCS

PCS season is around the corner and life is getting quite hectic for quite a few military families. Although it has been a while since our family has gone through a military PCS, I remember the process and how stressful and crazy everything can be.

1. Bored and ready to move

After you have been at your duty station for two or three years, you probably start to feel ready to make a change. You know you are going to be moving this year, you want to know where, and you are ready to start the process.

2. Soft orders, start planning

You hear where you are going to go. If you are happy with this choice, you are worried that will change. If you are not, you are praying it will. You still need to be patient to wait for the physical orders before any of your PCS dreams (or nightmares) can come true.

3. Orders change

Your orders have changed. You assumed you would be spending the next three years in Hawaii, sorry, it’s El Paso. There is still a chance they could change again, but you aren’t holding out much hope. Try to just go with the flow and to not worry too much about the changes until things become set in stone.

4. Hard orders cut, it’s for real

Okay, you are going to this duty station. This is for real. Time to start your planning. You start asking in your local Facebook groups and Google all things about your new duty station. This is an exciting time, but then you start to feel a bit overwhelmed.

5. Stressed out with all you have to do

There is so much to do with a PCS. So many lists to make. So much to get done beyond your everyday lives. Make sure to create some system for everything you have to do and all the paperwork you need. Starting a PCS binder can be a very good idea but you can also just make sure you have a safe place for everything that is easy to take with you on the plane or in your car.

6. Get organized and plan

This is the stage where you decide if you want to live on base or not. If you want to live off, where you should find a house. Should you rent or buy? What about the schools? Take your time and try to relax about this part. There is going to be a lot of information out there and some of it, you can wait until after you are moved to figure it all out. Check out PCSGrades for reviews on different areas near where you will be moving.

7. Movers come, stuff goes

The day has come for the movers to pack up all of your earthly goods. Make sure to get your movers some lunch and offer snacks. They will appreciate it. Don’t pack your trash and make sure anything you want to take with you is safely locked in your car or a room the movers won’t go in.

8. All those last-minute things

It wouldn’t be a PCS without all the last-minute things you will need to do. From cleaning out your home to making sure you have turned in all those library books before you leave. Reward yourself with a Starbucks or a cupcake after you get everything done. And breathe.

9. Saying goodbye

Saying goodbye to friends is the worst. Try to say, “see you later.” Make sure you are connected on Facebook, that is where your friends will now live. Enjoy the last few days you have together and remember, the military is a small world and you could get stationed together again someday.

10. Physically moving

Now it’s time to either leave for the airport or get in your car to drive away from your home for the last 2-4 years. Adventure awaits, and once you reach this step, you start to feel like everything is going to work out. Remember to bring plenty of snacks and make sure you leave time for pee breaks if you are driving, especially if you have small children.

11. Hotel living

We were lucky, and the longest we had to stay in a hotel was a week. Others have to stay in them for much longer to wait for housing. Try to be creative with planning your hotel stay and remember, eventually, you will live in an actual house, with a real kitchen and no hotel keys.

12. Your stuff is here

Yay! Your stuff is here, you have moved into your new home and life is about it get much better. No more sleeping on an air mattress and your son finally gets to play Xbox again.

13. Unpacking hell

Time to unpack and unpack and then spend more time unpacking. Just get it done. All of it. You will be glad you did.

14. Make new friends

Now that you are at your new duty station, time to make new friends. This can be difficult but putting yourself out there is a must. Start with just saying hi to a neighbor or going to a playgroup with your kids. Making friends will take time but once you do you will feel more at home no matter where you are stationed.

15. Relax in your new home

Whether you are in a 3rd story two-bedroom apartment in Germany or have bought your first ranch house outside of Ft. Carson, enjoy your new home. This will be where you will live for the next few years. Bloom where you are stationed even if you are sad to be there. Adventures await!

If you are going through a PCS right now, what stage are you in?