Last month, we were shocked when we learned that D’s orders were already in the system. Ironically, it happened on his birthday, so that was pretty cool. More often then not, we end up not having too much lead time before we have to move, so this was a pleasant surprise. Because it’s not too far away from here, we will be able to do some house hunting ahead of time which is a good thing since the wait time for base housing right now is 12-18 months. We’re only slated to be there for 24 months. lol!
When we told people that we were headed to 29 Palms, the most common response was – “this is a good thing?” The truth is that we’re happy with it. Yes, we’re going from one desert to another desert, but that’s okay. The fact that we’re going to be surrounded by numerous places to explore is a major plus for us. I can’t wait to check out all the new locations. Many people have some serious reservations about moving to this base for a variety of reasons, but we’re comfortable with the new location. It’s going to mean some adjustments on our part, but that can be said with pretty much any new duty station.
I’ve been researching homeschooling in California, since we’re going from a very homeschool friendly state to one that’s not so much. It looks like we’re going to be filing as a private school once we move. Because I want to stay up-to-date on all the happenings with homeschooling within the state, we’ll probably be joining the state homeschool group. I’ve joined a local homeschool group online, so I can try to get to know a few people before we move. I found out that there is an American Heritage Girl program near the base which is something that I’ve always wanted Munchkin to be able to participate in. When she was younger, she thought it would be really cool, but we never lived near a local club. Now, she’s not as sure, but I think part of that comes from not knowing anyone going into it. It’s always a difficult transition.
Munchkin’s current TaeKwonDo instructor is going to try to find a good place for her to continue taking classes once we move. D talked to him after Munchkin’s last class, and he immediately made a call to the Grand Master to ask him. Once it was determined that they didn’t know of anyone in the area, they decided that they were going to personally do some interviews to find a place for her that they felt would be a good fit for her. Yes, this is one of the many reasons that we really like our current place, and we’re going to miss it when we move.
When are we moving? Right now, it looks like we’ll be moving mid-summer. We’ll be going from one hot location to the next. 😉
I loved 29 Palms. Our oldest was born there. My family was only 2hrs away and we were able to visit often. Made many great friends there too that I am still friends with to this day. But that wait list… Wow! :-/ The new (then) base housing was wonderful.
Jen recently posted..DITY Move vs. DMO Move
I hear both love and hate stories for 29 Palms. I’m a firm believer in a duty station is what you make of it. Obviously, some stations are better than others, but it is what it is. I’ve heard the new base housing is nice which was why we wanted to go in that direction, but unless something changes, we’ll be living out in town.
Heather L recently posted..Farewell, Dear Sun, ‘Til Morning Dawns
YAY! I’m so glad that you got your orders! We’re waiting for ours but the word is out and we are also heading to a Marine base….and we are Army. 😉 Now to just get the actual papers in hand.
Tara O recently posted..Colorful Creations
I kept reading that as 29 Psalms! I was amazed there was a base with that name:) Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!
We are military too and sometimes you just gotta keep your chin up and know that God has a plan.
I enjoy reading your blog!
That’s too funny! We’re all about making the best of whatever situation our move creates. Sometimes we do better than others. 😉
Hi all! I know the last couple of posts are from last year.. But, just thought I could jump in and say hi! My husband just got orders yesterday that we are going to be based in 29 Palms! I’ve heard nothing about it.. But, I also believe it’s what we make of it! We are moving from Indiana, so this is going to be very new being so far from family and friends, especially with a baby! Yet, we are super excited to meet new people and make new friends! If anyone is willing to give some advice, or insight I would LOVE that! Thanks 🙂
Let me know if there are any specifics that you would like to know about the area. When are you guys pcsing?
We are pcsing to 29 at the end of June. Just found your blog , we will be homeschooling for the first time and I’m very excited about it 🙂 Did you get into base housing ?how are the homeschool groups? Any info would be great thanks so much
We’re off base as the housing wait list was way too long for us. It’s hit or miss depending on rank and how many people are leaving when you’re coming in. Living off base ended up working out for us as we now have horses. 😉 There are a variety of homeschool groups both secular and Christian. There is also a homeschool co-op, but I don’t know that much about it.
They are getting ready to start up a variety of homeschool programs on base. The first activity is going to be rock-climbing. (They have a very nice rock climbing wall facility at one of the gyms on base as rock climbing/bouldering is pretty big around here.) The base is really trying to reach out to homeschool families here as there are a lot of homeschoolers. Families get together for park days and field trips. The summer is pretty warm, so things tend to die down a little in the summer. This is one of those duty stations that is what you make of it.