There’s moving… and then there’s moving to Oklahoma.

Sometimes you choose it. Sometimes the military chooses it for you. Sometimes a job brings you here. And sometimes you pull up a map, see your new destination and think:

“Okay… but what exactly am I supposed to DO there?” 😂

If your orders say Fort Sill, there’s a good chance your first Google searches look something like:

“Things to do in Lawton, Oklahoma”
“Best neighborhoods near Fort Sill”
“Does Lawton have a Target?”
“How far is Oklahoma City?”
…and eventually…
“Why is the wind trying to steal my trash can?”

Welcome to Southwest Oklahoma. LOL🤣

But here’s the part Google can’t really explain.

Oklahoma has a sneaky way of growing on you.

First, You’re the New Person (if you know you know) 😉

Relocating is exciting, but it can also be lonely.

You leave behind your favorite restaurants, your people, your routines, your kids’ friends and the places where everybody already knows your name. Military families know this feeling especially well.

You arrive with boxes stacked to the ceiling, half your belongings mysteriously missing, and absolutely no idea which local Facebook group you should trust when you ask where to get a haircut. (Some are referral fee biased.😒

Then something starts happening.

You meet a neighbor.

Someone recommends a little locally owned restaurant you never would have found on your own or trusted seeing the outside. (Love me some hole in the wall, hidden gems!) Message me I got you! 👌

You discover the coffee shop where they start recognizing your order. (Or local club, which ever you prefer) No judgement here.

Your kids make friends. You find your people.

And suddenly, the place that was supposed to be “just our next duty station” starts feeling a little different.

It starts feeling like home. 💕💕

The Small Businesses Are Part of the Magic

One of my favorite things about communities around Lawton and Fort Sill is that supporting local actually feels personal.

• You’re not just grabbing lunch. You’re eating at somebody’s dream.
• You’re not just buying a gift. You’re supporting somebody who probably lives a few streets away, has kids in the local schools and may very well be standing behind the counter when you walk in.
• And once you’ve been here awhile, errands can become social events. You go in somewhere for one thing. Thirty minutes later, you’ve learned who is moving, who is opening a new business, which road is under construction, whose kid made the team and exactly where you should go for dinner. You still may not have purchased the thing you originally went in for.

That’s what this community is. A BIG FAMILY. 

Oklahoma Gives You the Best of Both Worlds

This is one of the things I think people underestimate about living in Southwest Oklahoma. I know I sure did when we were moving here.

You get the breathing room of a smaller community without feeling completely disconnected from everything else. Want a bigger city?

Oklahoma City is roughly an hour and a half away from Lawton, depending on where you're headed and traffic.

Want a weekend getaway, major shopping, a concert, professional sports or a flight out of a larger airport?

The Dallas-Fort Worth area is roughly less than three hours away.

Then you come home.

Back to less traffic. Back to familiar faces. Back to a place where your favorite local restaurant might remember you. It’s kind of like having city life available when you want it, without having to live in city traffic every single day.

That is a pretty good deal to me.

And Then There’s Oklahoma Weather…

• If you’re relocating here, there are a few things you should know. The wind is not a weather condition. It is a personality trait.
• You will eventually own something that blows into a neighbor’s yard.
• You will learn to check the weather before making outdoor plans.
• You will experience days when Oklahoma apparently cannot decide which season it would like to participate in.
• And eventually, you’ll become the person explaining Oklahoma weather to somebody new.
• That’s when you know the transformation is complete. 😂 And you're officially a Lawtonian! 

Military Families Bring Something Special Here

• Fort Sill means Southwest Oklahoma is constantly welcoming people from somewhere else. Different states. Different countries. Different backgrounds.
• Some families arrive knowing they’ll only be here a few years. But usually end up in the Field Artillery Black hole.
• Others retire here.
• Some swear they’re leaving as soon as the Army gives them the chance… and years later they're still here.

That says something.

• Military life teaches you that home isn’t always where you were born.
• Sometimes home is the place where people showed up for you. The neighbor who helped when your spouse was gone. The friend who became family because neither of you had family nearby.
• The teacher who made your child feel welcome halfway through the school year.
• The local business owner who remembered your name.
• The community that somehow became your community.

Then One Day, You Realize You’re a Local

There’s no ceremony.

Nobody mails you a certificate.

It just happens.

You start giving newcomers directions.

You have strong opinions about where they should eat.

You know which roads to avoid at certain times.

You hear someone say, “We just got orders to Fort Sill,” and instead of thinking about Oklahoma…

you think about everything you want to tell them.

Because you remember being the new person.

And maybe that’s one of the best things about Oklahoma.

People come here from everywhere, but there always seems to be room for one more at the table.

So if you’re relocating to Lawton, Fort Sill or Southwest Oklahoma, come with an open mind.

• Explore the locally owned businesses.
• Talk to your neighbors.
• Try the restaurant somebody insists you have to try.
• Go see Oklahoma City.
• Take the weekend trip to Dallas.
• Experience the sunsets.
• Complain about the Bipolar weather and the wind with the rest of us.
• And give Oklahoma a little time. Trust me.
• You may arrive wondering how quickly you can leave… and find yourself years later explaining to somebody else why you decided to stay. ❤️ (JUST LIKE ME) ❤️

Now I want to hear from the locals and my fellow military families:

What is the ONE place, restaurant, business, event or Oklahoma experience you think every newcomer absolutely has to try?

Drop it in the comments. 👇 Let’s build the unofficial “Welcome to Southwest Oklahoma” bucket list together.

Helping buyers, sellers and military families make Southwest Oklahoma feel a little more like home.