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The sun rises at Kualoa Beach on Oahu.

Get Out and Explore

Island fever held me in a vice grip. I’d just moved to one of the most beautiful places on earth. But I was miserable. Shortly after arriving in Hawaii, I found out that I needed a another sinus surgery.

The recovery period came with a lot of restrictions: no heavy exercise, no swimming, no bending, no driving or lifting more than 10 pounds.

Unfortunately my recent arrival meant I hadn’t found friends or explored Oahu yet. I sat in my apartment all day, every day while my husband was at work. The boxes were unpacked and I was bored out of my mind.

Even weekends turned in to movie marathons due to my limitations. My husband and I fell in to a rut. I suddenly and shockingly realized I didn’t really like life in Hawaii. I loved Hawaii when we honeymooned there six years ago. Something had really changed.

Turns out, both of us suffered from island fever. Symptoms: restlessness, feeling isolated, depression, boredom and a longing to return to the Mainland. The cure: get out an explore!

Denise Sloan/PCS Adventures

My husband explores a ridge above Halona Beach during our “Circle Tour” around Oahu.

Eventually I received the all clear from my doctor. One weekend I decided to change our trajectory. We commenced the “Circle Tour” around Oahu to see all the things we’d missed six years before. The more we explored, the lighter both of our spirits felt.

The timing of my surgery so soon after a PCS was out of my control. But the whole experience reminded of something I learned early in my husband’s career. I am the biggest factor in how I feel about a duty station.

Did I make an effort to get out and explore the local area, learn about the culture, find new friends and plug in with activities? If I answered yes, then I generally had good feelings about a place. If I answered no, then I needed to put in the effort.

Finding New Adventures

So where do you start in rebuilding your life after a PCS? It’s pretty simple—in your own head. You can choose to focus on the negative or the positive. I made myself view each move as a new adventure, an opportunity to see new places, try new things. I knew we’d be PCSing again, so it wasn’t permanent. That helped me to be open to new possibilities at each new duty station.

As Lisa, one of our PCS Adventures team members, said, “We get such a unique experience to explore and live our lives in different areas. Why not see what each area has to offer?”

Lisa’s right. Each time we got orders, I tried to find at least five things to look forward to before the move. I’d do research on adventures in the area, the culture, shopping and the cuisine. From there I created a bucket list of fun things we could do once the boxes were unpacked.

Jonathan Sloan/PCS Adventures

My adventures at Haleakala National Park included a very cold sunrise at the summit.

My bucket list included new stores I wanted to visit, museums, events, hiking trails, sporting events, restaurants and activities such as hobbies I wanted to continue or start.

I used travel books, the internet and social media to help me compile my list. Then once I was at the new location, I’d visit the library to look for local travel books or stop by state visitor centers for ideas. I’d often find hidden gems that weren’t available on the internet.

I also used the installation and local newspapers for clues. I talked to locals who knew the “off-the-beaten path” gems. Plus I took advantage of Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) and Information, Tickets and Travel (ITT) events or trips.

That’s a lot of research! Luckily you don’t need to do that. That’s what PCS Adventures aims to do. We do the research and you have the fun.

Finally Feeling at Home

We moved 11 times over 24 years. Getting out to explore directly impacted how quickly I felt “at home”. Usually within six months to a year, I felt comfortable. Quite often, I was “at home” sooner than that.

A large portion of feeling “at home” for me means knowing where to find things I need, like grocery stores or doctors. But beyond the practical it’s meeting local people, building friendships, learning about the unique parts of their history and culture at museums and events. Soaking up the beauty in the area on hikes or tours also played a part.

Faith, another PCS Adventures team member, aptly stated, “It’s about bravely immersing yourself in the local culture and daily rhythms of life, so that the new state or country begins to feel a bit more like “home.”

Denise Sloan/PCS Adventures

My husband and I sport a windswept look after a stunning helicopter tour of the island.

About six months after arriving in Hawaii, my husband and I did just what Faith described. We became tourists. We dug deeper and found even more places to explore.

We got a birds eye view of our new home by taking a helicopter tour given by a retired military pilot. We gained a deeper understanding of our new home from his narration and the amazing aerial views. He even gave us a glimpse of Sacred Falls, an 80 foot waterfall that is closed to the public.

Back on the ground, we popped in to the Sea Life Park, the Polynesian Cultural Center and watched surfing contests on the North Shore. We toured the USS Missouri, visited the USS Utah, the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, Punchbowl, the Hawaii Plantation Village and Queen Emma’s Summer Palace. At the end of our multi-day adventure, we couldn’t wait to find more places to visit because it was so much fun.

Denise Sloan/PCS Adventures

Honolulu and Diamond Head looked amazing from the air.

Team member Ande experienced something similar while exploring with her family.

“Going on adventures is fun!” she said. “We started hiking when the boys were small. Sometimes they would come home from the one outing to ask, ‘When is the next adventure?’ Our family has become stronger and more reliant on one another because we’ve had adventures together.”

I think one of the key things to feeling at home is exploring your new home as a team. Equally as important is not allowing yourself to get stuck in the past. Dwelling on how great the last duty station was doesn’t help. Acknowledging that you miss your friends, shops and routines is important. Getting stuck in the past, though, prevents you from enjoying the present.

Finding Friends

Finding friends after a PCS can dovetail with adventures. I’ve found many friends by inviting someone to join me on an adventure. A great example, my next door neighbor in Hawaii became my adventure buddy.

Rebecca and I spent many hours exploring Oahu together. From tea at the Moana Surfrider to gliding through the waters of Kaneohe Bay in a glass-bottom boat, we built a solid friendship.

Denise Sloan/PCS Adventures

Rebecca and I enjoy tea on the patio of the Moana Surfrider hotel in Waikiki.

I would enjoy her company again when we moved to Maryland. Together we explored the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia) and Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware. With our common love of adventures, I eventually talked Rebecca in to joining our PCS Adventures team.

Adventures with potential friends go beyond visiting tourist spots. They can include hobbies. I love gardening and dug up the dirt everywhere we’ve been stationed. So my husband wasn’t too surprised when I started cleaning up our apartment courtyard one New Year’s day. The flowerbed overflowed with dead plants and trash.

Denise Sloan/PCS Adventures

My neighbor helped me create a tropical garden in our apartment courtyard.

Inspired, Olga, one of my neighbors, came out to help. She ended up teaching me a great deal about gardening in Hawaii since she grew up in a similar climate on Guam. Together we designed a tropical garden that transformed the previously neglected courtyard. Neighbors started hanging out more and sharing meals together. It was amazing to see how sharing a hobby opened the door to more friendships.

As I think back on places we’ve been stationed, I can see the faces of many women who started off as strangers but became my friend as we explored all that the local area offered.

So after the boxes are unpacked, make sure you get out and explore your new home! It’s worth the time and effort. Not only will you make lasting memories with your family, you might just find a forever friendship and kill that nasty island fever.