It is a big day! Today is our Alaska-versary! We have officially been living in Alaska for 3 years and it is surely something to celebrate. We've been having a blast since day 1 and we're not about to slow down any but it did get me thinking...Once our time here in Alaska is over, it will be the longest in our 12 years of military life we've ever called a place "home". But we never forget the places we have lived and the people we have met that have made us who we are and we are so grateful to have found happiness every place we've lived. This isn't without effort though. In our first year of military life (and marriage!) we met some people where we were stationed who hated it. They couldn't wait to leave and made sure everyone they talked to knew it. You can imagine, this attitude is a little down-putting. Especially for a new military spouse who is trying to navigate this new world. We decided right then and there that we were going to make a conscious effort to just enjoy the things our location had to offer. I remember talking to my sister-in-law right before we were married. She was a seasoned military spouse and I had no idea what I was getting into so she was often a source of advice. She told me that moving around a lot can be hard, especially when moving to a place that might not exactly be "on your list" but that I should give every place a good 6 months before deciding how I felt about it. I think back to that advice a lot and think, man, 6 months is a lot of time to waste when you're only at a base for a few years. We've made a few moves now and every change of station has come with it's own set of new anxieties and stresses but we have always embraced it as our new home right off the bat and we believe that the faster you can do that, the easier it is to start loving where you live! So if you're wondering what you can do to quickly feel "at home" after a major move, this list is for you. Hang things on the Walls
After a few months, they realized that even though a year doesn't seem very long, if you're not putting in the effort to making yourself a home, a year can *feel* like a verrrry long time! Sunday DrivesThis might sound minor and silly too but an aimless drive around town can be relaxing and a welcome break, especially if a move is particularly overwhelming. Sunday drives - or any day drives for that matter - are a great way to orient yourself in your new town and take in your surroundings. Even after living here for a few years, we'll still take a little Sunday drive every now and then, as a family. We may end up at the nearby lake skipping rocks or maybe in a random wild raspberry patch like we did on our very first "Sunday drive" in Alaska...a place we have gone back to every summer now ;) Play TouristOn that note, even though you are technically considered "a local", don't be afraid to play tourist in your new hometown! Exploring town with a curious, excited, and open mind will definitely help you find the charm that only your new location can offer. We love to figure out where the locals are hanging out, what places are busy on a friday night, where scenic or historic areas are nearby, and what are the other places of interest. When we got orders to New Mexico, my normally upbeat and positive husband was feeling a little let-down since this particular base didn't have a great reputation for whatever reason. I immediately set to work to find out what was in the area that he could get excited about. I researched the area on pinterest and google - trip advisor is another great resource to see what there is to do in a particular area - and I created a list of incredible things we had to look forward to. (Pictured above is us at our favorite place in the world, White Sands National Monument; a place we were extremely excited to visit once we learned about it during our research.)This prompted us to create a bucket list of everything we wanted to do and experience while we were living there and it definitely fueled our adventures and helped us to fall in love with a base that most people thought of as boring. On that note, while Alaska is anything but boring for us, we have met a LOT of people who don't like it here and when we ask where they have been or what they have done the answer is always "nothing". I've heard it said that "only boring people get bored". If you're not actively looking for things to do and ways to enjoy your location then you will find it very hard to like where you live and feel "at home". Get involvedAnother way to quickly settle into a new home is to get involved. We are active church members and have an active congregation that we attend every place we've lived. This has helped us enjoy a community and make friends easily and quickly. I have many friends that look up the local MOPS group (Mother of Preschoolers) and have great success with that as well. There are many ways to volunteer in the community to help you form a connection with where you live and the people around you. Other ways to get involved are to attend community events. Whether it's parades, festivals, supporting small businesses - especially mom-and-pop restaurants because we all know they're the best - these are all simple ways to quickly get acquainted, form relationships, and feel at home in a new place. One thing we are frequently doing is checking the "local events" tab on facebook. This is a great place to see what's going on around town. When we first got to Alaska, before we even moved into our new house, I checked that tab and found a free paddle board event at a local lake. It was happening in a few weeks and you can bet I put it on my calendar and we took a break from unpacking to partake in this fun activity put on by the local parks and rec department.
This list may seem short and simple, but we did say "quickly settle in" *wink, wink*. These are all things that we set to work doing as soon as we set foot in our new "hometown" and I can tell you, it doesn't take 6 months to feel at home or to even decide if that's how we feel. Military life is unrelatable in a lot of ways but we sure know how it feels when starting over in a new town. It's not always easy but we can tell you that when we implement these things as soon as possible, we settle in a lot faster. We can also attest that treating somewhere like it's our hometown and not a temporary station makes us feel more connected to our community and helps us enjoy it a lot more than those who live with one foot out the door. What do you think? Do you have anything that helps you feel at home when you move to a new place? We'd love to hear your suggestions, comments or even questions! Hit us up in the comments! Make sure to pin so you can come back to this post and don't forget to follow us on Instagram for some of our day-to-day adventures. Until next time, get out and explore where you live!
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AuthorWe're just a military family enjoying where we live, one PCS at a time. Follow us as we explore our current home, South Carolina, and beyond. The world is our backyard. Archives
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