I lived in Memphis, Tenn for four and a half years, Texas for three and a half years before that, and Arkansas for all the years of my life before that! {the exact number won't be disclosed because that will reveal precisely how many trips around the sun I've taken...} :)
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Key terms to know in the Army:
PCS - an acronym that stands for a "Permanent Change of Station." A PCS is the official order that precipitates the relocation of an active duty military service member—along with any family members living with her or him—to a different duty location, such as a military base. A permanent change of station remains in effect until another PCS order is issued, the completion of active duty service, or other discharge.
TCS - an acronym for "Temporary Change of Station." A TCS assignment is generally for 6 - 12 months and is an "unaccompanied tour" meaning that the soldier only is relocated (usually, but not always, this is for mobilization/deployment purposes) and the family members remain behind at "home."
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Here's what I am learning: Living somewhere as a civilian is much different than living somewhere as a spouse of a Service Member.
When you move someplace as a civilian, you intend to plant roots. You may choose to buy a home, but even if you decide to rent, you'll meticulously decorate and even plant flowers. You may have the notion that you'll move again...someday, but you are content to feather your new nest and enjoy what is. You get plugged in to a local church, make new friends and you may participate in civic or volunteer organizations.
When you move someplace with your Service Member spouse, you do so with the keen awareness that the clock is ticking. You may live in on-post housing or you may choose to rent or buy in a local community off-post. You know that your next move is right around the corner and is measured in months. Usually an assignment is 24 months, but it could also be as few as 12 months. And you start to look at things a little bit differently.
"Do I really want to unpack this formal china?"
"Do I want to unpack those boxes and hang those pictures on the wall?"
"Will I even be able to find a true 'church home' in 12 short months?"
It's an unusual lifestyle, with families rotating in and out of the Unit every 6-8 months. If you're not careful, you could start going of the deep-end and thinking: "Do I really even want to make friends since she/I will only have about 8 months together at most?"
But I'm happy to report that our off-post townhome has pictures on the walls! It's not perfect, by any means...and there's still a long way to go as we try to merge two households into one. But we are making progress and I am happy to be planting roots. I am diligently looking for ways to make our house a home for the short time we are here and I'm doing my best to purposely not think about how long (in our case, short) that time may be. It would be complete foolishness for me to draw inward and avoid meeting new people or making new friends - in fact, I've met some of the most interesting and unique people with some of the most amazing stories and experiences! It is very fulfilling. Some spouses may choose to draw inward for a variety of reasons...but my personal experiences have been enriching and worthwhile. I would not give up the things I've learned or the people I've met - I am grateful for them all. Besides, if I did not make efforts to reach out, life would be completely lonely...and I'd probably feel a bit like a "carny" (sp?) in a traveling circus...!
My assumption is that the Army will move us again in about 12 months...
If you have an upcoming PCS move...or even an upcoming civilian move...and you love checklists, there are wonderful resources created by the Military. You may access directly by clicking HERE or by going directly to Military.com and searching for "PCS checklists for your move."
TGIF!
April
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