That’s a great question. Thank you for asking.
And if you’re wondering, yes, I do spend a lot of time on TikTok, and if you don’t get that reference I’m sorry. ‘Cause it’s funny.
Anywho you may have already pieced together that my husband is in the military and that our family has recently received orders to move to Guam. Our past moves have been “easier” in at least one way in that we simply packed up the kids and all moved together, but since our most recent move in 2010, there’ve been a few changes to our family. Most notably, two of our kiddos had the audacity to grow-up.
Who’s Moving?
Our oldest, Aubrey, is 24 and married to our bonus son, Mak. They have done what annoying kids around the world do every day which is grow up and start lives of their own completely separate from their loving parents.
The nerve.
Currently * (and yes, that asterisk is what we call foreshadowing) they live and work in Eastern Washington. They will not be moving … at least not to Guam.
Our middle kiddo, our green kangaroo, Sydney, is 22. She does still live at home, but she’s also working, learning to pay her own bills, and doing all or at least most of the adulty things you should do at 22. She also will not be moving to Guam.
Last but not least on the kiddo list is, Tiny Bestie. She is 13 (a minor), and for the foreseeable future will be known only as Tiny Bestie. She has lived in Washington since she was 6 months old, has never made a military move, and thinks this whole Guam-PCS idea is complete bullshit. She, of course, will be moving to Guam.
That’s not too complicated, right? Well, we ain’t done yet, friend …
When?
My husband’s orders have him leaving mid-Spring which is a fine time to switch jobs but a really shitty time to switch schools. Add that to the fact that he isn’t heading straight to Guam but rather making a sort of pitstop for a bit in between (in which Tiny Bestie and I are not allowed to tag along), and you guessed it, those of us who ARE moving to Guam will be moving in shifts basically. Tiny Bestie and I will hold down the fort here in Washington until school is over here, and then fly away fly away fly away to Guam.
(Side note: Finding out about “Delayed Dependent Travel” is basically the only really great thing that has happened during this crap shoot PCS.)
Whew! So half of the fam is moving moving to Guam, and half is staying right here in Washington, right? Yes, quite literally. Those of us who aren’t moving to Guam will be moving (or staying put) right here in Mom and Dad’s house in Western Washington.
Where?
One of my early logistical concerns with this move to Guam was what to do with our house? This is the first house we’ve ever owned so in the past moving was as “easy” as a 30-day notice, but again, since moving to Washington in 2010, we’ve made some changes … like buying a house 6 years ago.
My biggest fear when we bought this house, and one of the biggest reasons we never even considered buying before, was the huge process it is to either rent or sell your house when you move. I know, I know lots of people do it, do it well, and even make some money in the process, but the whole thing just sounded like TOO MUCH to me, and well … here we sit in exactly that nightmare dilemna!
Also while my husband and I were weighing out our rent vs sell options, my middle was coming to terms with the state of the rental market in our area which is abysmal to say the least. She simply doesn’t make enough money to rent literally anything on her own working just one job, and call me a helicopter mom, but I wasn’t liking (read: was completely freaking out over) the prospect of her doing all this adulting on her own all alone for the first time without mom and dad or really any family close by to give her a hand if she needed it.
Enter Aubrey & Mak who had been looking for a way to get back to the Westside anyways. They were interested in ditching their small apartment with no yard for a house with a big yard for my Granddoggos, Max and Chancho.
BING BANG BOOM … an idea was born! A break lease fee, a u-haul, and a bunch of boxes later, the three who will NOT be moving to Guam will be staying right here taking care of Mom and Dad’s house, sharing the cost of the mortgage and utilities, and supporting one another for a few years while the rest of us move to Guam for a while. It’s a win for literally all involved.
So, in summary …
Josh is leaving first, with a pit stop in California, and will arrive in Guam sometime later this summer. Tiny Bestie and I will be headed straight to Guam once the school year ends, and Aubrey and Mak will be moving East to West sometime in May or June to house share with Sydney and (WHY?) to ease this momma’s anxiety.
jodimargus 