... follow him wherever he may go!"
So the Army gave us quite the surprise: We are PCSing! So you get to follow me through the madness of an Army Permanent Change of Station! (Lucky you!) Mind you- this means several new posts over the next few weeks!
Step One: find out you are moving! Shock sets in and the first thing you do is run right to the computer, fire up Google, and search the web for any and all information you can find. I always look at a PCS as the start of a new adventure. Yeah, there are always things that I look around and know I will miss terribly.
Like the Fluffernutter's Dance Studio. There will never, ever be a studio that can compare to Rhonda's Footeworks. Miss Teri and Miss Rhonda have helped Aiden grow and develop in ways that have made her shine. They have been there for her and helped her grow into a beautiful butterfly and show her how to use her wings. No one will ever match that. They have seen me cry my hardest in joy watching her on stage. Losing that studio is probably one of the hardest sacrifices of this move. *tear*
BUT- we will survive. I have done research daily. Whether it be about the schools, the housing, whether there is a Mexican food joint (yes, I ALWAYS have food on the brain), etc. I can't help but look for as much information as possible. It helps me not be shell shocked.
After you find out you are moving then you have to do the hardest part of a move: informing everyone that, yes AGAIN, we are moving. I don't know why I continue to have return address labels made. I have never, ever run out of an address label. I have to chuck them after we move. 3 sets of labels down and you would think I would learn my lesson. Probably not, I am too lazy to write out a whole return address portion on an envelope.
But I digress, I cheated this time. We called parents and a few friends (and my boss) After they all knew I just blasted it on Facebook. It was like ripping a band-aid off- fast and furious.
Step three: Purge. This is the time where you go through the entire house and chuck anything and everything you can. The Army has this fun trick where they move you, but you have to make sure you don't have too much stuff or you have to pay. Fun huh? So you go through the house and toss/sell anything you can. Mostly I go "hmm have I used this since I unpacked it from the last move" Granted there are also those things that you couldn't use, but are saving just in case you can use them in the next house. Like curtains. We bought these curtains 2 houses ago. We haven't used them since that house because the houses have had those blinds that stick out from the window. BUT I don't want to get rid of the curtains, because I don't want to buy new ones later down the line. Thus is the battle between purging the clutter and my cheapness. :P
So, while I continue sorting the house and doing research, we now wait until Zack goes to his briefing next week where he finds out exactly when he is to be at the new post. So until then... I bid you farewell kind sir!