There’s No Cardboard in Sight

It usually hits around the halfway point at a duty station — that itch to change things up. With plenty of time left before my next PCS, I look for ways to scratch the itch without actually packing up and moving.

While the nomadic military lifestyle is an excellent scapegoat for why I am the way I am, the truth is that I’ve always been like this. It was not unusual for little 8-, 9- or 10-year-old me to have a free Saturday and have the urge to rearrange my bedroom. It might start by moving my poster to another wall, and it would escalate to moving my CD tower. In no time at all, I would summon Herculean strength and scoot my full-size bed across the room and fill its former spot with my dresser using the tried-and-true method of pressing my back against the side of the dresser and backward squat-walking until I reached the other side. I would often work late into the night to the soundtrack of whatever reruns cable television was playing at that hour.

So, is it any wonder that with every household goods delivery I work solo through the night (the only time a parent can work without interruption), arranging furniture and thoughtfully placing dishes in kitchen cabinets? I love seeing blank rooms become comfortable, familiar, functional spaces — it’s my ultimate hobby. I look forward to the change and the challenge, so military life — with its naturally temporary style — has suited me well.

Then along came the full stop. There’s no PCS on the calendar, and no “next house” in sight (at least not one outside of Hypothetical Land, USA). We find ourselves now in an interesting limbo, where we know this is our final duty station, recognize it’s the right move to stay put after retirement to allow the kids to finish high school, and agree that this home is not our “forever home.” With two years under the belt, there are six years to go in this house. That’s a lot of years for someone who is ready for a refresh after a few months.

In those two years at our current, long-term, but not forever home, I’ve already painted four rooms and upgraded light fixtures. We’ve added a deck on the back, and I’ve poured myself into the landscaping. At this pace, I am on track to escalate to adding a third story or something equally ridiculous. I am going to need to pace myself and find ways to quench that thirst for change without being able to change ZIP codes.

Who Needs Cardboard Anyway?

If you’re on team “I Hate Moving,” I probably lost you many paragraphs ago, but from the very (not at all) official research I conducted in preparing this blog, I don’t think I’m alone. Whether we came into this military life welcoming change or we’ve been conditioned through a cadence of pack-PCS-unpack-repeat, it’s anticipated, and our part in it becomes almost muscle memory. For those of us in a long PCS pause or a permanent PCS pause, I have a toolbox of tricks that have been effective substitutions for a full-blown move while making our current home even more ours:

• Home Improvements and Additions: If you own your current home, you can DIY or enlist a professional, but the result is the same. You get to create or improve something around your home while improving its value. Based on your interest and ability, there are plenty of things to tackle, from replacing light fixtures or flooring to upgrading appliances to tackling aesthetic upgrades.
• Paint or Wallpaper: Speaking of DIY, switching up the walls is a cost-effective way to make a big impact in just a weekend.
• Gardening: Talk about a change that just keeps evolving; you can channel so much creative energy into creating an outdoor space you love and kick back and watch it grow throughout the years (when you aren’t pulling weeds, of course).
• Deep Cleaning: A perk of moving every few years is the PCS purge. There’s no rule that says these deep cleanouts are reserved just for moving. Cleaning out a closet or a junk drawer is the ultimate refresh, and it will keep you from accumulating too much “stuff” while staying put.
• Refreshing and Rearranging: Taking a page out of childhood Kristi’s playbook, it is totally possible to make a room feel brand new to you while it largely stays the same. Rearrange the living room, a bedroom here and there, or even reorganize the kitchen cabinets if you need to improve functionality while simultaneously frustrating your family as they search for a plate. If your budget allows, you can go a step further by adding something new to the equation: a new rug, comforter, piece of furniture, throw blanket, etc.

Speaking to myself here and anyone else who is also now wondering if the living room needs an accent wall: There are so many ways to keep our current place from getting stale. They may not be as extreme as moving, but on the bright side, there is no pile of packing paper and boxes to deal with, and I am here for that!

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