5 Tips to Create a Duty Station Bucket List
If you’re due for a PCS this spring, in just a few weeks, you’re going to say goodbye to your home and pack up for a new duty station. You may realize you spent all your time saying “I’ll do it later” and forgot to actually live locally at your current duty station. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there! Maybe now is the time to make your bucket list!
Whether we secluded ourselves because we didn’t like where the military sent us or we felt too busy to take part in the local culture, it usually isn’t until it’s time to move again that we reflect on our time and think about all the things we should have done.
Instead of asking, “Should I have done more?” as you’re driving to your next duty station, take a few minutes right now to pause your house hunt and make a list of things to do that you might regret not doing later.
Here’s how to get started:
1. Know how much time you have.
Sure, you may have three weeks before you PCS, but how much time in those three weeks can you devote to crossing things off your list?
Decide what chores you can push pause on and how much you can budget for fun adventures. This can help narrow your bucket list to more realistic goals. For example, if the Sequoia National Forest is five hours away but you don’t have a weekend to devote to travel, then you should probably save this idea for another time.
2. Think about what tourists come to explore.
Why do families venture out to your area? Is it the theme parks, the ocean, beautiful landscapes, museums, or sports teams? Add “live like a tourist” to your bucket list and spend a day or two exploring your current duty station with a fresh perspective.
Need some help getting started? Search your local area on Pinterest and see what comes up! For instance, if you’re stationed in the San Diego area, trek up to Potato Chip Rock, take a free living history tour in Old Town, or join the Coronado Art Association in their year-round Art in the Park event.
3. Find out what the locals live for.
Did you ever take the unsolicited advice of locals and go to their favorite restaurant or attraction?
Skip the corporate stuff like chain restaurants and big tourist attractions and budget time to eat at a little hole in the wall, go on a less populated hike, or shop at charming boutiques instead.
Need more ideas? Check out “7 Ways to Live Like a Local At Your Duty Station.”
4. Compare notes with your partner.
Between the normal day-to-day work, training, and deployments, your spouse likely had even less time to get involved locally.
If they’re taking some time off before the move, see what things they’d like to do with the family before you leave the area. Even though they might want to venture out to an area that you’ve explored with the kids, it’ll be a good opportunity for the whole family to enjoy something together before the moving chaos begins.
5. Get the kids involved.
It’s no secret that kids are busy creating their own opinions and ideas. Ask them to create a list of the things they want to do before you move. Explain that, while you probably won’t get to do everything on their list, you might get to do one or two before you go.
There’s a good chance your kids will ask for extravagant outings like Disney, but you might be surprised to find more attainable goals on their list like a trip to the batting cages, a day at the water park, a picnic, or learning how to fish.
Take time to live in the moment and have fun before you head out to your next duty station. Get the whole family involved in creating a bucket list and enjoy crossing off items before you say goodbye to this home and hello to the next.
Have some bucket list ideas? Share them with us!
By Danielle Keech for MilitaryByOwner, featured image by Joshua Ness on Unsplash.
