Jennifer Lambert

A Sacred Balance

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Best and Worst of Wright-Patterson AFB

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It was rather a shock coming back to the States from Germany.

It’s ok here, but it won’t ever be home for us.

The Best of Wright-Patterson AFB

Central location

It’s kinda halfway between Chicago and Atlanta, where our respective families live. Not that we visit them.

Lots of camping opportunities we may explore.

It’s a good jumping off point to travel by car, I guess. It’s about 12 hours to the east coast or Gulf, and about 6 to the Great Lakes.

Dayton airport goes lots of places.

Lots of outdoorsy stuff to explore

We love the MetroParks and all the wetlands and hiking areas and state parks. We love all the nature!

Boonshoft Museum

We cannot get enough of this place. Great monthly homeschool days and summer camps! Boonshoft is so much more than a kids museum. Reciprocal membership to Fort Ancient and Sunwatch!

Air Museum

It takes a week to see it all! And they have the Memphis Belle now.

Native American history

We love SunWatch, Fort Ancient, the Serpent Mound, Miamisburg Mound. It’s great being able to see Native American sites as we learn about Indigenous Peoples.

Medical facilities

Huge WPAFB hospital and lab. There is a great children’s hospital network. Lots of varied medical specialties, if needed.

The Worst of Wright-Patterson AFB

Landlocked

Yes, I realize there’s a big lake up north, but it’s very polluted. There are lots of lakes, rivers, and wetlands. I miss the ocean. It’s about 12 hours away. It seems so very expensive to fly or even drive anywhere for overnight trips.

Weather

We have the craziest weather I’ve ever seen. Torrential rain, hail, hot and cold, high winds – at the drop of a hat. It’s weird. I have to always be prepared for anything. I don’t like tornado sirens at all. Wind frightens me.

Little diversity

I figure we may have chosen the wrong township, but there is very little diversity here and lots of racism and bigotry. Perhaps we were insulated in Germany, but it seems more pervasive since we’re back in the States and so very obvious to us now. Perhaps it’s the new political climate.

Dayton smells like Jeeps and privilege.

Have you lived in Ohio?

What did you like or not like?

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Best and Worst of Robins AFB

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I grew up in Georgia.

I met my husband when he was at his first duty station in Warner Robins.

Most of my extended family still live in Georgia.

The Best of Robins AFB

Location.

Close to Atlanta and close to Florida and close to Savannah. Perfect for spontaneous weekend trips! The state offers beaches, rivers and lakes, plains, hills, and mountains. Something for everyone to enjoy!

Affordable.

Georgia is one of the most affordable states to raise a family. Houses are cheaper and yards are bigger. You don’t need much winter gear.

HOPE Scholarship

Students with a B average or higher can go to an in-state college or university with the HOPE Georgia Lottery Scholarship program. I did!

Southern Hospitality

Everyone really is that friendly. Everyone is smiling and chatty. You’ll feel like the grocery store cashier is suddenly your new best friend.

Other than a little bit of isolation since Robins is in the middle of the state and the closest city is Macon…it’s pretty fantastic to live in Georgia! The people are friendly and the food is amazing.

The Worst of Robins AFB

It’s humid.

The weather is really mild in winter, but summers are really hot, humid, and buggy.

It ices.

No one can drive in bad weather. Georgia isn’t prepared for the rare snowstorm or annual icy days. Even if it rains really hard, it’s terrible to drive. Hurricane season dumps lots of rain on the state!

Bible Belt

This may or may not be a negative. There’s a church on every corner. Blue laws are still in effect in some parts of the South, so you can’t buy alcohol on Sundays or until afternoon at least.

The base itself feels kinda isolated, but the town is growing around it. And there’s only a small clinic.

Have you lived in Georgia? What did you like or dislike?

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Best and Worst of Lackland AFB

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Lackland AFB was our second duty station.

We lived there only two years. I’d love to go back and explore San Antonio.

We had recently gotten married. I was pregnant. It was the first time I’d ever lived outside the state of Georgia. My husband’s parents both passed away within a year. My husband almost got decimated in budget cuts and had to change his career field from Communications to Medical Lab at Wilford Hall.

It was a stressful two years for us.

We didn’t get to enjoy our time there as much as we would have liked.

It’s Texas. I really like all there is to do and see. We began homeschooling in Texas and it is soooo homeschool friendly!

The Best of Lackland AFB

Great food.

I adore Tex-Mex and Mexican food. It’s the one style of cuisine I can’t seem to master in my kitchen, so authentic food in the San Antonio area was great!

Fun festivals.

There’s always a fun festival or event to attend in downtown San Antonio or the surrounding areas.

Travel.

So many day trips and places to see in the Lone Star State. So much great history and culture and art. Camping and other fun outdoorsy things.

Military-friendly.

Texas has lots of military installations. Most people are really patriotic and respect the military community.

The Worst of Lackland AFB

It’s really hot.

In summer, the temps are stifling and no wonder everyone had a siesta and went out at sundown! So A/C bills can run high. But you don’t need winter gear or clothes!

Texas is big.

It takes forever to get out of the state if you’re driving somewhere.

Traffic

San Antonio is a growing town and traffic in some areas can be rough at certain times. Plan accordingly.

Critters.

You have to be careful and watch kids and pets and keep your yard clear of snakes and other stinging, biting things.

Have you ever lived in Texas? What did you love or dislike?

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Best and Worst of Hill AFB

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We never wanted or expected to live in Utah.

It was a culture shock, but we made the best of it, as military families have to do.

We lived there for four years.

My husband deployed a few months after we arrived. On our anniversary. I spent the first winter of my life alone with four kids. Our cat died and the basement flooded while he was deployed.

The Best of Hill AFB

Outdoors Activities

We’re not so much into winter, but I hear the skiing is wonderful. I did like how sunny winters are and it doesn’t feel very cold. We enjoyed hiking, fishing, and camping. We explored national and state parks. It is beautiful there!

Affordable Housing

We rented a humongous house with a huge back yard and there were lots of nice houses for sale. There were new ones being built all over! We knew many who chose to retire there.

Deals for Families

Since Utah is known for large families, there are many deals for kids and families. Lots of museums and other attractions have family passes or free admission for kids. There were lots of consignment sales and thrift stores.

The Worst of Hill AFB

Religious Discrimination

The Mormon Tabernacle is in Salt Lake City. Many LDS military members put Hill AFB on their wish list to make their pilgrimage.

I wasn’t so surprised to be treated differently because we’re not Mormon, but I was surprised to learn that even non-Utah Mormons are given the cold shoulder.

And separation of church and state? Not so much in Utah. There were blanks on even gymnastics forms for my kids as to which ward we belonged. It came up way too often in conversation for our comfort.

Once my daughter reached age 12, she was excluded from activities in our neighborhood. This is the age that kids are more indoctrinated into their church. At the high school, kids even take classes at their ward for their mission.

Our kids couldn’t even play with any other children in the neighborhood on Sundays. Mormons take their Sabbath Day seriously.

Alcohol Laws

The alcohol rules and laws are very weird in Utah. I’ve never felt so like an incompetent child as going to a restaurant and being told I can’t have a cocktail without ordering food first. I grew up in the South, so Blue Laws aren’t news to me, but Utah alcohol sales laws baffle me. Liquor stores close at dinnertime, even on Friday and Saturday nights.

The Smell

During dry, warm days…the brine shrimp in the Great Salt Lake cast a disgusting rotten fishy smell over the whole valley.

Air Quality

The Inversion in late winter makes going outdoors unpleasant. Those with breathing problems should stay inside.

Have you lived in Utah? What did you like or dislike?

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The Best and Worst of Hickam AFB

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You either love Hawai’i or you don’t love Hawai’i.

I knew people who resented not having cooler weather or who didn’t like sand or beaches. What?!

We were surprised to get stationed there for three years.

Living in Hawai’i isn’t the same as a vacation there. But every single day, there’s a rainbow!

We lived on base. My son was born in Hawaii. We loved it and the kids still call it home. We long to go back!

I couldn’t limit my list to just 10 items!

Best of Hickam AFB

  1. Beaches

    All beaches are open to the public. We love the beach life!

  2. Festivals

    So many fun festivals, like the Merrie Monarch, SPAM, Makahiki, and The Lantern Festival. Hawaiians love to party!

  3. Weather

    It’s almost always gorgeous. Never cold and mostly sunny. Except December is a rainy month.

  4. Food

    If you love food, there is a plethora of it! It’s so, so good!

    Some of our favorites:

    Wailana Cafe for Macadamia Pancakes and the best coffee!
    Puka Dog
    Hale Koa Bar for the best mai tai!
    Ono Seafood
    Nico’s Pier 38
    Leonard’s Bakery
    Teddy’s Bigger Burgers
    Anna Miller
    Boston Pizza
    Zippy’s
    Wah Kung
    Nam Fong for the best Peking Duck!

  5. Culture

    Aloha culture is welcoming and joyous. We never felt discrimination for being white or haole. Aloha Fridays were the best – leave work early to get a start on the weekend!

  6. Activities

    Lots of fun, outdoorsy things to do: hiking, wildlife exploring, camping, beach activities, history, and culture.

Worst of Hickam AFB

  1. Traffic

    There are only 3 major highways on O’ahu. Traffic can be rough during rush hour times. We had to always plan accordingly or just suck it up.

  2. Centipedes

    These not so little critters get into everything. I once threw out a hamper when one crawled inside. I didn’t even play. They sting quite badly. Also, mosquitoes and other bugs are a nuisance since it’s always warm.

  3. Isolation

    People get island fever. The mainland is about 8 hours away by plane.

  4. No Autumn or Winter

    We didn’t mind this at all, but we knew some people who missed cooler weather. They complained that Christmas didn’t feel like Christmas. We made the most of it and had lots of fun with tacky decorations. December is the rainy season and our lanai turned green!

  5. Vog

    We always had the sniffles and were prone to respiratory infections due to the Vog. It’s the volcano fog floating over all the islands from The Big Island smoldering volcanoes. It was sometimes very hard to breathe and alerts would issued to stay indoors.

  6. Expensive

    There was no possibility of our living off-base. Housing is super expensive. Food in local grocery stores is super expensive. The commissary sometimes ran out of sugar and other staples during peak times, so we learned to stock up before the holidays instead of running out to a local store.

We lived on Hickam AFB on O’ahu for three years. It was a magical time and we have lots of great memories!
We traveled to Mau’i, Kaua’i, Ni’ihau, and The Big Island.

Be sure to check out:
Hawaii Activities
Non-profit Sustainable Tours
Reef Safe Advocacy

I love this helpful list of Facebook groups to join when PCSing to Hawaii!

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The Best and Worst of KMC, Germany

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The Best and Worst of Kaiserslautern Military Community, Germany

Every base has its pros and cons. While most jump at the chance to live in Germany, here’s what great and what’s not so great about the KMC.

The Best of KMC, Germany

Travel Opps

Churches, castles, wineries, and breweries – OH MY!

We loved exploring Europe for the culture, art, and food! See some of our trips here.

Cheap Flights

RyanAir often has $10 sales on flights in Europe. There are a few other discount airlines too. Take advantage and see everything you can!

Beer and Wine

Even if you don’t drink, the grapes on the hillsides are lovely to see. The festivals are fun. If you do drink, it’s cheaper and better than anywhere.

The Worst of KMC, Germany

Language Barrier

I learned German in college. Textbook German. No one could understand me in the KMC, so I pretty much gave up. Most people know at least some English. Some are really nice and try to work with you. Do try to learn some helpful phrases. There are classes on and off base if you really want to immerse yourself.

Shopping

  • Sundays. Most European stores are closed on Sundays, except for special Sunday Shopping Days, about once a quarter.
  • Commissary. This is the only store you can shop at for American food.
  • KMCC. This is kinda the equivalent of a mall, with the BX and lots of little shops and food court. I think prices are high and quality is low. Selection is also limited.

Housing

  • Screens. There are no screens on windows. So, bugs. you can buy and install screens, but it’s a hassle.
  • Storage. Most European houses have little in the way of storage. FMO provides shranks, but we miss basements, real closets, cellars, and attics to put away items we don’t use very often, like holiday decorations.
  • No Air Conditioning or Central Heating. It can get pretty hot in summer. You need lots of fans and shut all the Rolladens during the day. Stone and brick houses stay cool, and it was hard to stay warm in winter. Buy lots of rugs and wear house slippers.
  • Dust. Everywhere. I can sweep, mop, and dust every day and it still accumulates because the windows are always open.
  • Should you live on or off base? We’ve heard horror stories about German landlords and there are lots of issues to think about if you want to live off-base. For sure, it’s easier and more familiar on base. Do your research and make an informed decision. Be proactive and communicate with your landlord, take lots of pictures, record everything, and refer to the housing office for advocacy.

Do you have anything to add to the list?

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