26 OCONUS Experiences You Might Miss
Living at an OCONUS duty station is probably one of the most exciting parts of being a military family. Not everyone gets the chance, but if you ever do, seize that opportunity with both hands, even if it scares you. There are so many wonderful OCONUS experiences to be had, from the extensive history, to food, to traditions, and more. If you’ve ever lived at an OCONUS location, then you may know how easy it is to leave a part of yourself there.
My husband and I have been living with our family at a very small installation in southern Germany for the past two years. We’re in our final year here, which made me start thinking about all the things I’ll miss when we leave. While there are plenty of things we’ll be happy to return home to in America (you can read that here), we’ll miss plenty about our time in Germany. This isn’t an exhaustive list and it may not be true for every OCONUS location, but it’s at least true for my experience.
Hopefully it helps you look forward to your own OCONUS move.
Here’s all I’ll miss from my time here:
1. The focus on waste reduction.
The only thing that should go in the trash here is trash. Unlike the U.S. where there isn’t a market everywhere for all recyclables, there’s a huge focus on recycling here. It’s a little tough to figure out at first, but once you do, it’s amazing how much waste you save. We can recycle all plastics, metals, cardboard, paper, electronics, yard waste, and more. You can even choose to compost and have it picked up just like trash. Your trash bin only goes out twice per month. Just imagine trying to do that in the states!
2. No plastic bags.
I had this listed on my previous list, but as mentioned then, it’s always good to reduce dependency on plastic bags. If stores here even have plastic bags, you have to pay to get one. Most stores offer reusable vinyl or canvas bags instead, so they’re sturdy and you can keep reusing them. Some stores even offer bags you can roll into a tiny ball and keep in your purse, pocket, or glove compartment of your car so you always have them with you.
3. The variety of currency.
While it can be cumbersome to dig through a combination of currencies, it’s fun to open my wallet to get what I need. I have to dig through Czech Koruna, American Dollars, Euros, Polish Złoty, Danish Krones, British Pounds, and more. It’s a brief reminder of all the fun places we’ve been.
4. Cheap beer and wine.
By cheap, I mean that it’s very inexpensive. You can buy delicious wines for as little as 2 euros per bottle, and buying a bottle of beer is cheaper than a bottle of water. There are so many great beers and wines to sample in Europe.
5. Driving in a car for only a few hours and reaching another country.
If we’re itching to experience a new culture and all that comes with it, we only have to hop in the car for a few hours. Poland is four hours away. Czech Republic is two hours away. Austria is about three hours away. Italy is about five hours away. France is about five hours away… So many fun places with very little drive time.
6. Flights can be cheap.
If it’s too far to drive, you can sometimes catch really inexpensive flights through certain airlines.
7. Constantly learning new languages.
Bonjour! Servus! Ciao! Cześć! Ahoy! Hej! We’ve always tried to be respectful when we travel, so we try to learn “please,” “thank you,” “hello,” “goodbye,” and “I would like…” in the language of the country we’re visiting. The locals often appreciate the effort, even if they switch to English fairly quickly. It’s fun to learn just a few things and get to test them out for real!
8. Visiting sites that are too old to comprehend.
The United States is a very young country compared to many other parts of the world. Most of our culture comes from these older cultures, and many buildings and historic sites are from the past 200-300 years. It’s been incredible to stand outside Porta Nigra in Trier, Germany (dating back to 170. Yes, 170. That isn’t a typo.); Mont Saint Michel in Normandy, France (dating back to the 800s); or the Prague Astronominal Clock (first installed in 1410); and there are many, many others. It’s hard to comprehend that something is actually that old and looks the way it does.
9. Not only reading about famous landmarks, but actually going to them.
One of the most amazing experiences for me was walking across where the Berlin Wall once stood. My father lived in divided Germany, and it was a walk he could never make while he lived there. A few months ago, he was finally able to pass through Brandenburg Gate. Other experiences that left me awestruck were seeing the Eiffel Tower up close in Paris, crossing the bridge to Mont Saint Michel in France, stepping across the sand on Omaha Beach while my children played, walking across the Charles Bridge in Prague, strolling through the gardens at Versailles, and going to the top of Zugspitze.
10. Opportunities to buy local.
My town has its own butcher and bakery, and their products are top notch.
11. Knowing your foods are minimally processed and meet high standards.
It doesn’t matter if it’s meats, dairy, vegetables, breads, olive oil, etc., you’ll find minimally processed, healthy food at affordable prices. And it’s the real deal.
12. Wide open spaces.
Rather than filling all the green spaces with buildings, the towns are often more crowded but separated with wide open fields. While I may not have a large yard and houses surround mine, it’s a short walk to two parks.
13. The autobahn.
While many Americans think it’s a highway with no speed limit (which is partially true, though there are frequently speed limits), it’s at least a smooth driving surface. It’s also toll-free in Germany, making for (mostly) easy travel.
14. The drivers.
This may only be true for Germany, but the drivers here are fantastic. There are a lot of rules on the road here, but the Germans almost always follow them exactly. On the highway, we only pass on the left and then return to the right lane. Unless in an area without a speed limit, Germans don’t often drive unacceptably fast.
15. The lack of traffic.
Unless you’re traveling in a major city like Berlin, Paris, or others, or stuck in a stau (traffic jam) on the autobahn, you won’t often encounter much traffic.
16. The variety of food.
From the light and savory to the heavy and hearty, overseas locations offer access to a wide variety of foods. While you may only find the same variety in a major city in the U.S., you’ll find it almost everywhere you travel while overseas.
17. The frequent travel to exciting locations.
With plenty of four-days built into the schedules at our duty station, there is plenty of time to travel. And with all those countries so close, there are plenty of chances to get there! The USA has a lot of cool locales, but overseas locations have a certain level of novelty.
18. The friendliness.
In my location in Germany in particular, it’s unusual to enter a store and not receive a greeting. Germans will walk past you and almost always offer a simple greeting. A clerk in a shop will almost always say goodbye or thank you for shopping with them. The local butcher and baker will give free treats to my children almost every time we visit.
19. The beauty.
Even after two years, I feel like my head is on a swivel while driving from my off-post home onto the installation. The vibrant colors of the leaves in fall, the snow clinging to the trees in winter, the brilliant yellow of the rapeseed plants in the spring, and the intense green of the leaves and grass in the summer. The fields are constantly changing with the seasons, so it’s hard to get bored with the scenery. Sometimes we’ll pass the local shepherd, moving his sheep and goats both on post and off!
20. The skyline.
At least in Germany, it’s not unusual to have a castle or castle ruins right in your town. Yes, a castle. I can see my town’s castle from my window.
21. The closeness of fellow milspouses and the installation community.
It may be because we’re overseas, or it may be because we’re at a teeny tiny installation, but the community I’m currently a part of is wonderful. I’m closer with my milspouse neighbors than I ever was in the U.S. I’ve made some great friends in a very short amount of time.
22. Growing with my family.
My immediate family did not plan to return to the states until our time overseas ended. So far, that’s been the case. With only needing to focus on my immediate family and not fitting in visits to extended family, it’s allowed my own family to grow more tight-knit. Since we aren’t pulled to balancing family events, my husband and I are also even closer.
23. Offering the trip of a lifetime to family and friends.
My parents and some close friends had the chance to come to Germany (and even visit some border countries) at a much more affordable rate. We made some great memories together on those trips. We may not have the same level of excitement to offer at CONUS locations.
24. The celebrations.
More than anything, Germany knows how to celebrate the Christmas season. The Christmas markets alone make the holiday season that much more exciting. But then you have other celebrations, like Fasching (a personal favorite), that are more specific to Germany—it’s fun to dress in layers, top it all with a silly costume, line up on the streets to watch a parade, and spend time with your neighbors and friends. Germany also knows how to throw a festival, and I won’t turn down a chance to wear my dirndl! There’s also other more well-known celebrations, like Oktoberfest, that you just can’t experience the same in the U.S.
25. Relaxing in a Biergarten.
This is another one that’s specific to Germany, though I don’t know why biergartens can’t exist everywhere. These are basically outdoor dining rooms. It’s the perfect place to kick back, enjoy some food and drinks, let the children play (many have small play areas for kids), and enjoy a beautiful day with friends or family or both!
26. Getting to travel the world for cheap.
This is probably the number one reason people get excited for OCONUS locations. While planning a trip from the States to Germany, for example, you may shell out upwards of $800 per ticket. Then you also have to factor in your meals while you travel, your lodging, transportation, and entrance to different points of interest. But with living OCONUS, you eliminate one of the most expensive parts of traveling, and you often already have a vehicle with you. It doesn’t get much easier than that.
Have you been stationed overseas? What do you miss most about your time overseas or, if still there, what will you miss most once you leave? Tell us in the comments.
