PCSing: Creating a to-do list

When my husband said we were finally PCSing out of San Diego, I was thrilled! I'm pretty sure I said that before but honestly, I was thrilled. Especially since we'd be moving to a place that was surrounded by Civil War battlefields and only an hour's drive from the museums of the Smithsonian! We are big nerds and we'd finally be in a place where we could nerd out to our hearts content! Another perk was that I'd finally be able to write about experiencing a PCS. Much like my husband enjoys deploying to see different countries and likes saying he did all this stuff around the world, I like experiencing new things in the military life so I can say I did it, too. I'm by no means an expert on anything but I try to get as much from an experience as possible to be able to help others.

Almost as soon as I started planning our PCS, I also started planning this series of articles. I wanted to chronicle our entire trip from beginning to end, the good and the bad, add things we learned along the way, share the resources we had to work with, everything. My hope, as it is with everything I post, is that I can help someone from my own experiences. I am a military spouse like many of my readers, I have been through everything with my husband. From boot camp to deployments, I have been through it all and I like to think that I am in a position to help others who are just starting out on the sometimes crazy bumpy road that is military life. So even if you take nothing more from this series than some new resources you didn't know about before, then I've done my job. I don't get paid for doing this, I'm simply a military spouse trying to guide others through the many aspects of military life and still be able to come out with a positive attitude about the military and other military spouses.

So let's begin! Here's your first PCS tip:

For some, creating a list comes naturally. For others, like me sometimes, making a to-do list can be daunting. You don't want to miss anything yet how in the world are you supposed to know everything you need to do when you've never done it before??? {Insert praise for the almighty internet here} This website should be on the top of your list, it's the portal for military moves and it will tell you anything you need to know about having the military move you:

http://www.move.mil/home.htm

If you need help creating a to-do list, be sure to check out the following link from www.military.com:

http://www.military.com/money/pcs-dity-move/pcs-checklists.html?comp=1198882862544&rank=3

That link has 8 complete to-do lists, starting from 3 months before your PCS. While not everything on the list will have to do with your particular situation, just print it out and keep it with the important papers you will be bringing with you during your move. Refer to it frequently to make sure you are thinking of everything you need to get done. 

Once you start making your list, you might start feeling overwhelmed. Duh, who wouldn't be overwhelmed? Some people like moving, I like moving but I don't like doing everything that comes with moving. Packing, unpacking...yeah that's pretty much it but it's enough to make me want to stay in one place forever. While your list might be large, half of it might be small things like "don't forget to bring the jewelry with us" and "bring doggie downers for the puppies." Yeah they make doggie downers, or calming treats. You can find them at PetSmart and they do work, great if your dogs tend to be a little crazy in the car. 

So, my long-winded advice? Start your PCS off the right way with a to-do list. Stay tuned for my next post: PCSing-TMO or DITY move.

Thanks for reading :)