Hello, Goodbye
We’re still in the middle of our PCS. For the last several weeks we’ve been visiting our families before we head to the next duty station.
In some ways, I find this PCS mentally jarring. Part of me expects to jump on a plane and fly back to Washington even though I know that isn’t what’s next on the agenda. I find myself both excited and feeling some trepidation to see what our next place will look like and get a feel for the area where we’ll be living.
In my experience, it isn’t just being in a new place that can be overwhelming. For some people it can be culture shock; personally, I think it’s also having some anxiety about meeting new people and figuring out whether or not they’ll become integral to the experience you have at each duty station.
After all, these are the people who can make a duty station a good experience or a bad one.
I’ve learned over the years that it isn’t always easy to make friends who share the same interests or have the same values.
The unfortunate result of moving so much is having friendships that can be forced, and you might find yourself spending time with a person you would not normally. I’m not a Negative Nancy about this aspect, as I’ve found some genuine friendships throughout our travels, but there are always those few that seem to be purely out of convenience.
Life is certainly all about experiences and those you surround yourself with. I know that finding quality friends and people who are at the same place in life that you are can be both difficult and frustrating at times.
But, if you’re lucky enough to find just one person with whom you can relate and feel comfortable, then moving can be worth the hassle and the various frustrations and inconveniences.
I know that this time will not be any different than any other time we’ve moved. Being part of a military family takes a lot of courage and strength—the courage to go places and be part of things you wouldn’t have ever imagined, and the strength to get through the difficulty that can come along with those places and things.
Somehow we find a way to muster up that courage and strength even when it doesn’t feel like we can.
Soon I’ll be put in this place, and so will my husband. I hope that the next however many years we’re living at Scott Air Force Base (surprise! this is my husband’s next assignment) will be happy no matter the challenges we might meet. And I sincerely hope that whoever we meet there will not be another check in the forced or convenient friendship box. Fingers crossed.
How do you handle making friends and meeting new people when you PCS? Sound off in the comments below!
