Make a Bucket List for Your Base
We are nomads. No specific home — and sometimes you can’t even say the United States is home because the military has called you to live in another country. Being nomadic may feel like you don’t have any strings, but it also means you can be a tourist in your home. It’s time to explore where the military sends you. Motivate yourself to explore by making a bucket list for your current base.
Who?
Make one for yourself. Make one for each family member or have each family member make their own. Having everyone make a list is a great way to find commonalities and for everyone to have their interests represented.
What?
What you include in your bucket list is up to you. Do you enjoy museums? Hiking? Wine tours? Nature?
When?
When to make a list? That is really up to you, but it adds an element of fun during the stressful upheaval of the moving process. It can be a great break during the pack-out. It also means you can build a list of something to look forward to at your new duty station. As part of the list making, it can be fun to choose one item that you can do the week or so after you arrive — it’s a breath from the stress of moving, packing, and unpacking.
You can wait until you have arrived and moved in to research and write the list. Then you know where you will be living, what will be near your home, and the comfort zone for exploring.
Where?
When you get orders to your new military base, it’s time to research the location and make a list. Check out the cities around the base. Check out what is within an hour or two drive from the base — these can make great staycations where you explore more, but all within the comfort of a quick drive from home if necessary.
Why?
Writing down what you want to see and do at your military base will help you do it. It makes the subjective idea into objective goals!
How?
Look at the tourism board website for the city near your duty station to get ideas. There are often coupons and hotel deals listed on the site if you are looking at a staycation. There may even be premade things-to-do lists for families, adults, and those who enjoy breweries or wineries with websites and further information. Tourism board websites are a great starting point for creating a list for yourself.
There may also be a “things-to-do” list on your military base website. Check for the family section for a list. Check where tickets are sold on base for local area attractions. The price list is a great list to start with — and you can plan your budget around the ticket prices offered with the military discount (and without tax!)
Look for local blogs by searching the city and blog, or check out local social media groups for blog recommendations. The blogs usually provide honest feedback. Just watch for paid or compensation notes as this may sway the opinion.
The bucket list terminology has historically referred to the things to do before you die. Still, it has changed into a list for exploration. Building a bucket list for each duty station is something to look forward to. It is an opportunity to get to know where you call home for those couple of years. There are a few bucket lists here to start. What will you include on your bucket list?
MILLIE is an online community and digital marketplace that connects members of the military and their families with specialized knowledge and trusted resource providers to alleviate the stress of PCSing. Check out MILLIE’s Installation Guides, our network of veteran and military spouse real estate agents, and MILLIE Scouts, our on-demand task service comprised of military spouses.
