How to do the military move...

As our departure date nears, we have begun to plan how to get ourselves, our baby, our two dogs, and our vehicles exactly 2,865 miles across the country.  If you've done a military move before, then you know that there are a number of ways to do it, and many strategize based on ease and affordability.

A really good thing about moving with the military is that they will move EVERYTHING for you.  That means, they will send a moving crew and an 18-wheeler to your house and they will box it all up and move it, then unpack it at your new home.  This is by far the easiest way to move your stuff from place to place.

Another option is to move yourself, which a lot of people do because the military will pay you by the pound and by the mile and you can often make out with anywhere between $10,000 - $18,000 in your pocket afterwards.  However, this is the most difficult way to move.

When we moved from Montana to New Jersey, we did a partial DITY move and made a few thousand dollars with less headache.  I personally like this option, and especially now that we have a baby it seems like the most logical.

However, we have a couple road blocks.  For one, the military will not ship vehicles, so we have to figure out how to get our cars to California.  I would rather not put the miles on my car, and I don't foresee having our 1.5 year old in the car for 4 days, so I plan to fly with her.  My husband could probably drive his pickup truck and if he puts a cap on it, he could take the dogs as well. Add a UHaul trailer with some of our stuff in it, and we can make little money on that.  So... what to so with my car?  Sell it?  Ship it?

...to be continued...

A New Year Brings New Changes

As soon as the first of the year arrived, I realized that it was about time to think about our move to Fairfield, California. Of course it's nice that we have about 5 months, but the wisdom I have tells me that the time will fly and we will be out of here before I can blink twice. There is so much planning involved, such as whether or not we fly or drive, how we get the dogs out there, and what about our vehicles? Then there's the packing, cleaning, and then it's off to the West coast. Time to make a change... Again. Thank God I crave change. However, it's still a little nerve racking and I find myself a little anxious. I think I will go buy some plastic bins today...

The Journey So Far

How old were you when you first imagined what your life would be like when you were all grown up?  Did you imagine yourself married?  Kids?  House?  Dog?  Did you want to have a certain job or make a certain income?  Did you envision the spouse you would have or the area where you would live?

When I ask my self these questions, mostly the answer is no.  I never really had a clear picture of where I would be when I grew up or what my life would look like exactly.  I suppose I assumed I'd be married with a family, but I didn't have any concrete expectations of my life other than I knew I wanted to move.  Funny how things happen exactly as you wish, sometimes.

I am 27 years old, and my husband is 31.  We have a 10 month old daughter and two dogs.  Right now, we live outside Trenton, NJ in base housing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.  My husband is a pharmacist and Captain for the U.S. Air Force 87th Medical Support Squadron.

This is our first duty station.  After living in Great Falls, Montana for almost 5 years, my husband joined the Air Force and we were stationed here.  We are both originally from Pennsylvania, and it has been nice being closer to our East Coast friends and family.  The support of both was greatly appreciated after the birth of our daughter.

However, our time here is being cut short by a special assignment to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California.  My husband was accepted into a Pharmacy AFIT program, and we will be moving in the spring.  While I have always wanted to live in California, it will be difficult to say goodbye to everyone here that we love so dearly.

And with this second Air Force move, I begin thinking about how to keep my family joyful, secure, and whole through this and the many moves to come.  I know that as a woman I am made to be able to make a home out of anything, and this is what I am setting out to do.  My child(ren) may not get to grow up in one house, in one part of the country, with the same people around year after year, but with God's guidance they will get to grow up in a warm, loving family that they will always call HOME.