As I stared across the kitchen counter at my neighbor, her puffy eyes and pink nose gave away the secret…the orders she didn’t want.
Regularly, my friend and I could be found sharing coffee, swapping stories about motherhood (and some of our epic fails), and fighting off good ol’ Murphy’s faithful high fives to the face. Christina lived about five houses down from me, our girls were similar in age, and we truly enjoyed each other’s company.
Last year, I watched as she began the process of packing, purging, and preparing for an overseas PCS. Emotions swirled in a full fury. Swinging wildly between rushed anxiety and something like grief, she uttered a sentence that made me shudder for her. “We only have 88 days until we move.” With a swift and methodical strategy, she began making checklist after checklist in the hopes of getting ahead. To say the process seemed frantic would be the understatement of the century.
But watching her transition in country, she is flourishing and settled in well.
I thought sitting down with her for a virtual coffee chat and an interview might offer some much needed insight (and some encouragement) for all of the military spouses finding themselves in the uncertainty of an overseas PCS.
Q. How did you feel getting the orders to Misawa?
A. Really, I felt a myriad of emotions – sadness around leaving my community, worry about my kids fitting in at a new school, and excitement around how fun the station would be once we were settled. All the feelings seemed to be running through my mind at the same time.
Q. What advice would you give a milspouse preparing for a move?
A. First, I would say to get your affairs in order. Your spouse can view the Foreign Country Clearance Guide with their CAC card. This will help you find all the requirements for military members and dependents. With COVID, it seemed like these were rapidly changing, so check often. One thing I can’t stress enough is, if you are on EFMP, start the process of getting approval as early as you can. It takes forever.
Q. Is there something you wish you would have done that didn’t quite make the cut beforehand?
A. Yes! I wish I would have set up our phone services more efficiently. We should have seen if our American numbers were eligible to be an ESIM. Instead, we are carrying two phones because we disconnected our American lines when we left the country. And get a Nord VPN for your American streaming services. We didn’t and, when we got in, livestreaming didn’t work.
Q. What was the most helpful support when you arrived?
A. Our sponsor was incredibly helpful. Our sponsor set up our P.O. Box before we arrived, walked us through a few available houses, and had household essentials waiting on us. Also, the “Welcome” classes and Facebook groups gave me a ton of insight into the base and surrounding cities. I would recommend getting a translator if you can. They help with grocery shopping, purchasing a car, or exploring local schools.
Q. What is a piece of encouragement you would share with spouses new to Misawa, or on the way?
A. Get off base and experience Japan! The food is mouth watering and there are vending machines everywhere. After we arrived, we visited the 10 Cities Festival. There were handmade floats, drums, and tons of fun things to do. Japan has tons of hot springs, shopping and dining experiences, and beautiful places to explore.
Christina left a parting word.
“Be open! Learn from the community, engage with the language, and experience the Japanese culture. Try new things and push yourself out of your comfort zone. This assignment really can be amazing.”
