There are many different types of duty stations out there. Some are in the US, others are overseas. Some of in the middle of no where and others in the middle of a city or town. Some have hotter climates than others. Some get more snow in the winter. Others are near a beach or the mountains. Some are very popular and others are places people never want to be at. Some people love certain places while others would hate it there.

It is so nice to like where you are stationed. It can make moving to a new place exciting. It can make for some great memories. But what happens when you are stationed some place and you don’t like it at all? What do you if you have years to live at that place? How can you handle upcoming pcs orders to a place you don’t want to be at?

The first thing you should do is look for the positives. This might be hard to do at first but I believe every duty station has a few positives even if they are not obvious at first. Maybe the schools are really good? Maybe there is a nice lake nearby or the best Mexican restaurant around? Make a list of them and whenever you are feeling bad about being there, look at the list and remind yourself of the positives of living where you do.

Try to make friends. You could be in the middle of no where and as long as you have some good buddies, it can make all the difference. Check and see if your post has a Facebook page for your area. Look for fun activities to go to. Take your kids to playgroups or start one of your own.

Plan a weekend trip. Get away for a few days. If you husband can’t come with you maybe you could go with a few friends? Maybe a friend or family member could meet you somewhere? Sometimes it helps to get away from the mundane for a few days.

Start a new hobby. When I had been in Germany for about 2 years I was so ready to move back to the US but I knew we wouldn’t be able to for a while. I didn’t have a lot of local friends at the time so I put myself into photography. I took tons of pictures of my kids everyday and tried to teach myself more about it online. It helped me get through an otherwise boring summer. If you duty station has a library, take advantage of that and do your own research. This might be the perfect time in your life to learn something you have always wanted to learn.

I know how difficult it can be to live somewhere you really don’t want to be. The key is to stay positive and try to find the good in any situation you might be put in. It can be hard to do sometimes but it will make life easier for you in the long run.

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