Is it better to ‘homestead’ or to PCS every few years?
Well, the results are in: we finally got word from Danielle’s detailer, and we’re headed back to Virginia—in 2010.
In my last post I wrote about the frustration of waiting to hear where the Navy will be sending us next. And now after all that excitement, we still have over a year to wait before we actually leave.
We are relieved to be going back to Norfolk and not to Everett or Mayport. Does that mean we’re becoming ‘Homesteaders’? Or at least ‘East Coast-steaders’?
The notion of homesteading—spending as much of your career in one location as possible—used to be a career-killer, but that has changed. Allowing service members to stay in one area from one tour to the next saves a lot of money in relocation costs, and it has become a lot easier (and less hazardous to your future prospects) to accomplish.
The benefits of homesteading to military families are obvious: it makes it much easier to own a home, it’s easier on school-age children, it allows spouses to have a career of their own, and it enables long-term friendships. It almost begins to resemble (gasp) a normal life.
When Danielle and I were just starting out, ‘a normal life’ was the last thing we wanted. We wanted to see as much of the country and the world as the Navy would allow.
But, over the course of 7 years, things change. You realize how hard it is to make friends, and how hard it is to leave them behind when you move. You realize that your parents will not come visit you in Japan. You realize that having a kid makes stability desirable.
Or maybe not. After all, in moving from one duty station to the next, you’re bound to encounter old friends. And maybe, just maybe, you could talk your parents into visiting a foreign country. And who says your offspring won’t also benefit from the experience of living in many different places (I like to think I did).
So what’s better? Settling in for a long stay, or setting out for the next stop? I guess it’s a matter of personal preference. For me, right now, I’ll be happy with the familiar. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be pushing for Yokosuka, next time.
2 Comments
Although we’ve considered orders to exotic locales a couple times, career or “quality of work” issues have always been in the way. After all, she’s probably going to spend more time at work than with us — as much as I’d love to live in Japan a couple years, I wouldn’t want her to do it if the billet has her away constantly, or makes her miserable on the days she does make it home.
We decided it’s better to go somewhere we’ve lived in the past, and have a chance of enjoying it as a famiy.
As a Marine spouse and an “army brat” – I have moved around my ENTIRE life. I can see the benefits of homesteading I suppose. But I just love the adventure of moving around the world – seeing the different cultures and meeting lots of different people.
Actually, I used to feel sorry for the kids at school who had been born in the same place and never had been out of country – or in some cases, even out of state! By the time I was out of high school I was much more well rounded than most people I knew.
It is all a personal preference really…but I wouldn’t have it any other way! Why be in the military and not take advantage of the opportunity of travel the world???
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