PCS: Positive Change of Scenery, VIII — Port Call

Join the Howe Family as they prepare to PCS to Okinawa.  If you’ve missed any of their journey, you can find more here:  PCS I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII

CONTRIBUTED BY RJ HOWE

We’re under the 90 day window until we PCS to Kadena and everyone is getting anxious about the move.  Red has been sorting and organizing everything in our house.  Last weekend we all tackled the garage to try and cut down on what is to be shipped to Okinawa.  We donated over ten boxes of clothes and goodies to the Airman and Family Readiness Center.  This week we’ve been focused on our unaccompanied baggage shipment and having PCS’d a time or two we have it pretty down pat; however, I found a great pamphlet online about packing out and it had a nice list of recommended items.  It can be found HERE.  We cleared out one of our closets downstairs and have turned it into our “I think this should go in the unaccompanied baggage” collection point.  I’m fairly certain it will be sorted and resorted at least a dozen times before we go.

While I was lugging a box from one end of the garage to the other Red said something which caught me off guard.  She said it felt like we were starting everything too early…almost like we were getting ahead of ourselves.  I told her we’d much rather have everything done ahead of time, rather than scrambling to play catch up.

The girls have been getting into the act as well.  Alexis and Makayla spent the better part of last weekend sorting their stuff as well and I discovered something about my kids:  besides pictures and a few sentimental items, everything they have has the potential to end up in the donation box.  They’re determined to cut down on the clutter in their rooms because all they’ve heard is how small their rooms will be.  Red is happy…less stuff means it is less likely their rooms will get messy.  (Please note I wrote “less likely”…)

As for me I’ve been all over the place finishing up the last few things I needed for my orders.  I had to take my fitness test and get my weapons qualification card updated.  But of all the stops I had to make one in particular provided a much needed boost to our family morale:  our port call.   Words cannot describe the sense of satisfaction knowing when we’ll be arriving in Japan.  I know it’s just a date, but it is an important date nonetheless.  For the first time since I was notified it feels like we’re moving forward, instead of just spinning our wheels.

For all posts from the Howe Family:  PCS I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX