Articles
Moving
How To Plan A CONUS PCS Pt. 3
Over the last two weeks, I explained the basics of a CONUS PCS from acronyms to the types of moves available. Today I’ll walk you through how to pick your actual moving dates. But first let me share a tip. Remain extremely flexible during this whole PCS planning process. Often we’ve burned through Plan A, B & C only to end up back on Plan A. The more flexible you remain, the less frustrated you’ll be.
How To Plan A CONUS PCS Pt. 2
In Part 1, I explained what a PCS means and how the service member’s orders spell out the basic (but very important) information on executing the move. Let’s discuss the types of moves available and how to make a decision on what works best for you. The military offers three options for moving: government contracted movers, a Personally Procured Move (PPM—also formerly known as a Do-It-Yourself/DITY) or a combination of a government contracted move and a PPM. Here’s a breakdown of each option.
How To Plan A CONUS PCS Pt. 1
P.C.S. Those three little letters possess the power to upend our lives. The destination attached to a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) often brought joy and sometimes disappointment to my husband and I. But no matter how I felt about our next move, I learned a little bit more about the PCS process each time. I quickly found that understanding the process brought a bit of peace that carried me to the next duty destination.
Installations
USCG Station Fairport, Ohio
Fairport Harbor, Ohio exudes Hallmark movie vibes. Nestled on a bluff above the shores of Lake Erie, this town of about 3,000 people includes charming shops downtown, overflowing flower pots along the sidewalks and light poles with banners that honor home town heroes. To add to the charm, Fairport Harbor has not one but two lighthouses and an outstanding ice cream shop. The Grand River also winds its way along side the town to empty into Lake Erie.
USCG Station Ashtabula, Ohio
It looked like a normal bridge. Then all at once lights began flashing, a gate lowered and we heard bells. Slowly the entire road lifted straight into the sky right before our eyes. The Ashtabula Lift Bridge kinda blew our minds. In fact, you need to see to believe it. It wasn’t a normal draw bridge.
3 Mini Road Trips from Ft. Hood, Texas
Texas overflows with all kinds of adventures that range from visiting stunning waterfalls, soaking up small Texas towns ambiance and jumping back in time to the Lone Star State’s Wild West history.
During our two times stationed at Ft. Hood, my husband and I explored as much as we could. Going on adventures makes a huge difference in how you feel about a duty station. So I present three small towns packed with fun activities. Bonus, they’re all 40 minutes or less from Ft. Hood.
Adventure Snapshots
Adventures in Michigan
My favorite region is the shore of Lake Michigan. The towns are old and full of interesting things. The food is good. My wife loves the shopping. There are tons of things to do and see. And Lake Michigan is so cool. I mean that literally, the water is always cold. The lake is so deep that it just seems to stay that way, but it’s very refreshing in the summer heat. The beaches are amazing and the water is clear, blue, and beautiful.
Indiana
I moved to Indiana in August 2000. I moved into my graduate school apartment in Bloomington, Indiana, on a hot summer day. My apartment had only window units for air conditioning on the third floor of a 60s-era building. The building was made of cinderblocks painted white and was outdated well before the 1980’s. (I would later learn that the building was to be demolished in two years.) As a new student, I attended Indiana University (IU) new-student orientation and learned the IU fight song. It was rather catchy.
A Christmas Story House, OH
Much like Ralphie who only wanted an official Red Ryder carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time, my husband made one request for our road trip last year. He wanted to tour the House from A Christmas Story in Cleveland, Ohio.
Gardening
Portable Gardens
Gardening when you move every couple of years can be challenging. Prior to marrying my husband, I always grew flowers and vegetables in the ground. So when we moved in to our first house, I quickly dug up a spot in the backyard for my garden.
Backyard Adventure
According to Merriam Webster an adventure is defined as “1. a: An undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks; b: the encountering of risks; 2: an exciting or remarkable experience; 3: an enterprise involving financial risk.”
Humor
Where There’s Smoke…
Have you ever been on an adventure that just didn’t go as planned? Your picnic was rained out? Traffic prevented you from getting to the theme park when it opened, so you had fewer hours to enjoy your sizable investment?
I’m Cheap
It’s in my blood. I blame my parents. I heard my grandparents all talk about it whenever we were together. They emphasized growing up during the great depression, after all. Perhaps it is a dominant gene handed down for generations.
PCS Misadventures
What does the “0” mean in “0 dark thirty”? As Robin Williams said in Good Morning Vietnam it’s a variation of “Oh my goodness – it’s early!”
Why yes, yes, it is!