On the Road Again, Just Can't Wait to Get on the Road Again...

Okay, plane, I mean plane! 

Living the Army life means one thing for sure. There is no telling where you might end up moving next.  For those of you who did not recognize the flag above, our next stop is GERMANY this summer!  We have known for a few months, but we have been waiting for things to be official, e.g. orders in hand. As of yesterday, we have our official orders and things are starting to happen.  We are very excited as Germany has been on our list of places we want to be stationed for years.  However, I would be lying if I said I am not a little sad to be moving even further way from our family and friends at home, as well as leaving our new friends and family here in Washington. 

This is definitely going to be a learning experience for all of us. When we moved to Washington, we did what is called a DITY or PPM (Personally Procured Move) and hired a company to actually transport our belongings.  So basically, we packed everything up, loaded it on a truck and they moved it.  We didn’t deal with the whole system of having the military move you.  That is normally complicated enough, but now we have the added addition of doing an OCONUS (Outside the Contiguous United States) move, which involves so much more.  I have been doing some reading and planning and my head is already spinning with all the details we have to work out prior to moving.  We are already making a list of what to sell/throw away, what to store and what to take with us.  Then, we have to further break down what is going with us into three more categories:

1.        In our luggage on the plane

2.       Unaccompanied baggage – Things we will need on arrival like sheets, clothes, dishes, etc.

3.       Household goods – Everything else that we are taking with us.

On top of all that planning, we have to make sure that we make it under our weight limit or risk paying out the wazoo in overage charges.  Then we have to figure out all the details in shipping our car, shipping our dog and oh yeah, shipping ourselves. Needless to say, Microsoft One Note is my friend and the lists have already started. I am sure all my military friends who have done multiple moves will be sick of all my questions by the time we leave.  To make it even more intense, I am finishing up my last semester of school before graduation right now and researching/applying to grad schools.  WHOO!

http://www.neuschwansteincastle.net/Neuschwanstein-Pictures.html

Of course, it will completely be worth it.  I mean, we get to move to Germany!  It is going to be one heck of an experience for sure.  Lila got a book of castles for Christmas and is already making a list of the ones she wants to visit.  Neuschwanstein, which the Disney castles are based on, is at the top of her list.  To be honest, it is on the top of my list, too!  We’ll also be within driving distance of Frankfurt, Nuremburg, Munich and the Czech Republic and only a train ride from so many other wonderful places.  Places we want to visit will be one more list we will be making.

I’ll try my best to post as we get ready for and make this transition and if you have any insight or advice, please feel free to share!  We can use all the help we can get!