The Uniqueness of Military Friendships

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art...It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival." C.S. Lewis

As a MilSpouse, friendship is necessary to your daily survival in the world of PCS's, deployments and military life. Make no mistake establishing and maintaining friendships is not always an easy task. It can be difficult, scary, and even heartbreaking. Let's not forget rewarding, but most importantly it's essential to our survival through military life. In our world, no friends can equal no sanity. 

Building friendships is made more difficult because we don't have the luxury of permanence. It's not a word that is part of our military vernacular. You don't get to stay in the same neighborhood for years and watch your children grow up with the neighborhood kids. Your children don't have the luxury of staying in the same school system their entire educational career. You don't have the luxury of keeping the same job for more than a few years. Moving, changing, uprooting, new schools, new jobs, new units- that's permanent.  The only real constant is change. 

I've been a military spouse (on and off) for the last 20 years. I was young and naive when I said yes to the military, and I had no idea what to expect from this lifestyle. Hell, I'm not sure I even grasped the idea that it was a "lifestyle", and not just my spouse's career choice. Either way, my first move was from the town I call home (click here to understand) to hubby's duty station. It was at Fort Campbell that I made my first military friends. 

What makes these friendships unique? 

While not all MilSpouses form bonds and friendships in the same manner, I believe there are a few things that seem to be shared across the board. 

• The need for friends is more urgent.
• You give of yourself more freely because you understand that time is finite, and everything is short lived.
• Every duty station presents it's own challenges, which force you to look for friends to fulfill different needs. 
• Every new move and new duty location is the passage of the last one, and along with it, the change in dynamics of those friendships left behind.
• Mourning those losses requires the hope of new relationships. 

It's because of this that military friendships are a breed of friendships unto themselves. 

Quick, Fast, and in a Hurry

Let's face it, military families are at a duty station for 3-4 years, 5 or 6 if we're lucky. We need to spend time with someone other than our spouse and kids. 

We need to be able to have a lunch date, or dinner, or drinks, or shopping, or anything seemingly adult- like in nature.

We need to have other moms and dads to vent to about our kids. We need to listen to their horror stories, helping us to realize that our hellions aren't really all that bad. We need to get advice from other moms who have "been there, done that."

We need to feel connected and part of a community. It's the only way to make this new location really feel like home. It's what will make the time meaningful and lasting, for us and for our families.

If we wait too long to make friends, it will be PCS time and we'll be moving again. Or worse, we'll have a deployed spouse and no friends. Trust me- that's not fun. 

So we make friends and fast. As MilSpouses we don't have the luxury of getting to know people over the course of years. It's like speed dating. We let ourselves hang out there in the hopes that we will make connections and friendships that will last, if not last, at least help us cope and survive. 

Open Books

Since time is of the essence in building these friendships, we I tend to be an open book. What you see, is what you get. This MilSpouse doesn't have time to deal with false niceties and pretenses. I want to know if you are someone I can spend time with and be myself. 

I want to know that you share my parenting values, that we have things in common, that you like to drink wine and/or beer. (Wine and beer are important things to find out in the speed friending rounds!)

I want to know if our kids get along. 

I want to know if our husband will 'play nice' together as well. 

For this reason, I'm open and honest, and I wear my heart on my sleeve. I can't afford not to be me, or to see you for you. "Ain't nobody got time for that!" 

I find many MilSpouses are open, honest, and welcoming. They are willing to let you in and form lasting bonds.

Understanding the Demands

We understand that every duty station presents its own demands, and requires adjustments. Because we know this, military friendships are understanding. They are flexible. They are just what the doctor ordered at that particular assignment. 

We are like the old psychic hotlines! We have experienced so much over the course of military lives that we either have the been there done that shirts, or we know a friend who had it happened to them. We know what it's like to have to find new schools for our children. We know what it's like to have a husband deploy for 6 months or 16 months. 

There is an inherent understanding of the way our lives operate that makes it easier to relate and connect with another.

So long, farewell and goodbye 

Goodbyes are inevitable. In our lives, they are as sure as the sun rising. 

It's the three letters that will change the dynamics of military friendships: PCS. You know the moving truck will come, packers will box everything, and you can expect a stay at lodging or a hotel as you transition from one post to the next. 

Along with moving trucks, comes the long string of goodbyes that seemingly takes days to complete. You also know that some of these goodbyes are permanent.

There are friends you positively know you will see again. You will speak often, and even plan to vacation with them in the future. 

There are those friends that you will miss, but you also know that time and distance will change your friendship. You know the friendship was meaningful and lived its life to the fullest, but will no longer be with you. You know that Facebook and other social media will allow you keep in touch with all the people you have met along the way, but you know that few will remain truly close. Its not personal, it's the nature of this life.

It's the nature of military friendship, they are meant to help us through and to allow us to connect, but not all are meant to last.  When we get to the new location, we mourn those losses. We miss our friends. We miss our old life. Mourn it, you're we're allowed to. 

And that's ok. There are new friendships on the horizon of a new state, new location, new assignment, new life. It was beautiful while it lasted, and this too shall be a great adventure. 

The bottom line is I disagree with C.S.Lewis. Friendship is essential to the survival of the military spouse, and military life. I can't think of a single MilSpouse that ever made it through on their own. Our identities are tied to the variety of people who have touched us throughout the tenure of our military lives. Embrace the friendships, they are the key to survival.

New Digs!

Everyone's life is hectic. Mine is no exception. Last time I checked in I was anxiously awaiting the closing on our NEW home.

Our NEW home!

It happened! On March 14th we became the proud owners of our brand new home, never lived in by anyone but us! I think that is cool as crap!  Don't get me wrong, we aren't first time homeowners. This is actually the 3rd home we've owned. However it is our first new, NEW- still smells like NEW CAR smell- home. That is fracking exciting!

You can imagine that in the last month I have been crazily unpacking boxes. Our first shipment of things arrived the same day we closed on the house. No like seriously on the same day we closed. We'd barely were done with closing (actually we really weren't 100% finished) and the movers were at the house unloading the truck in the driveway because we hadn't been given the keys. It was 100 shades of crazy!

If you're new to the concept of PCSing, lemme 'es-plain' the procedures for you.  The military packs and moves everything for you- not bad huh? However, when you are coming from overseas you may or may not have had all your things with you overseas. We didn't. We had left many things in long-term storage in an effort to accommodate what we were told were going to be substantially smaller German homes. Not entirely true. German homes can be big, they just don't have closets which makes storing a bunch of extraneous crap difficult. But I digress.....the movers.

So the movers unpacked the 13 crates, yes I said 13 crates, of household goods that had arrived from Germany, via the slow boat from hell.  Thriteen crates, some 12,000 lbs, and 6 hrs later, and VOILA! We were in our new home! Can you say box heaven? More like box haven. It seemed our house was a sanctuary to every wayward box in Georgia. Thankfully hubby had taken a week of leave to get us settled.

Boxes, boxes and more boxes.

Talk about a rough week. It was up at 6:30. Unpack, unpack, unpack, eat, unpack, unpack. Fall into bed around 11:00pm, which still wasn't on the frame. Only to start again the next day. Wash. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. It went on this way for the entire week. Splatter in a new furniture delivery, and a smaller hold baggage shipment which contained about 10 more boxes. The house was in shambles, and  that was the first week in the new house. By the end of that first week, we had more empty boxes awaiting disposable than we had boxes to empty. We were machines!

Fast forward a bit, and another delivery comes. This one of the long-term storage items. Oh yeah, another 4,000+ lbs of things. Did I mention this was 4,000 lbs of stuff we hadn't laid eyes on in almost 3 years? Yea that. This unpacking was more akin to Christmas morning. Every box we opened was like getting reacquainted with items and things we had forgotten we even owned. It was great! (Not in the Disney World sense of the word great, but in the "it's great that this root canal is over and my tooth doesn't hurt anymore" kind of great. Get my drift?)

The house is almost put together. There are a few boxes that need emptying, but for the most part the house is at about 90% solution. Mind you that's the house.

The garage is a hot mess of garage sh*t, which includes boxes, that needs shelving and a permanent home, i.e.. my Christmas decor. We are slowly working on that. Did I mention the 18 boxes of professional items I have? We call it professional gear, but if you are a teacher, have ever lived with a teacher or have ever seen a veteran teacher's classroom- you know what I mean by professional gear. It's the years of accumulated books, handouts, papers, exemplars, folders, projects and just things that you just might need in the remote chance that some day in the next 100 years you might actually teach that obscure course you've never taught before. In which case it would take you 10 years to locate the materials you so judiciously stored, which by the way is now housed on 7 different teacher blogs and websites. Now you're tracking! So my mission for the summer is to go through those boxes and scan those papers, handouts, and oddities, and put them on an external drive which I can very easily tote around for the next 100 years or more like 2 before external hard drives become obsolete, if they aren't already. Are they?

On to the yard work.....

The yard-scaping was done almost immediately after getting there and it looks great if I do say so myself. Thank you very much! I have all sorts of beautiful perennials, shrubs, and flowers. It smells good and looks good! DIY websites have helped me get great ideas and implement them in my planting and landscaping.

Life and the house are coming along. It's a tedious road, but the payoffs are tremendous and I'm enjoying the process. I have already completed TWO major craft projects in the last few weeks. I will most definitely post about those. They are swweeeett!!

Anyways.... I hope to start posting more again as I get my myself back in a routine. I'm going to try to make more time for me, and this of course includes another attempt at shedding this fat suit I have been wearing for some time now. I swear it's not mine, but I'm clutching to it like an old lady clutches her purse at the bus stop.

Onwards and upwards. Read the post about the 60 day challenge. It will all make sense.


Until next time..... don't forget to click that brown Top Mommy Blog Banner. Not sure what it does, but I'm hoping someone gets shocked each time you do, so try it out. :)

Hey It's NOT always Ok, Sometimes It's Ugh

Hey Hey everyone! So my fellow blogger Amber does a Tuesday piece called "Hey It's Ok." She got the idea from Glamour magazine and it lists things to be okay about. I occasionally join in, but I am always a day late and a dollar short. So here is my latest installment of "Hey It's Ok" on Wednesday.

I need to preface this Ok piece with the fact that I have been under an incredible amount of stress lately. So this might seem ugly or harsh or maybe even angry.... be warned! 

-----------------------------

It's Ok...

... to get so frustrated and angry with my 13 year old son that I call him a "dick" or an "asshole." Probably not the best parenting, but it sure does beat spanking him. 

.... to have purchased so much new furniture for the house that I am afraid that when they deliver it, I won't have enough room. 

... to be so pissed at the realtors for not being considerate enough to call me to cancel an appointment this afternoon. 

.... to be grateful my husband had the presence of mind to call and confirm the realtor walk-through appointment this afternoon. Yea, that's how we found out they wouldn't have the house ready for the final walk-through. 

Photo by the OwnerBuilder Network

.... to be REALLY excited about our new house despite how long it seems to be taking to close on this damn thing! 

.... to be REALLY REALLY excited about planning my outdoor projects: flower beds, mulching, butterfly bushes, upright garden and that's just my spring projects! 

.... to have my Pinterest rehab project in mind: rehabbing an old window frame. Can't wait!

.... to be ready to have my own things around me. It's weird how material objects help you feel more connected to yourself and make you feel "at home".

.... to be ready to start running again. I have found at least 1 race a month that I plan on joining. I need the motivation. My first one: The Big Nasty Mud Run on April 5th!

.... to NOT be impressed at all with hubby's newest show "addiction"- Storage Wars. Ugh that show is  just unit after unit of shit left behind by Californians. 

.... to be BE impressed with this year's American Idol. Sadly, it's the only one I have ever watched passed the auditions. Hah!

.... to be bored with The Walking Dead. I totally get character development, and I honestly have been very impressed with the writing and acting. However, I'm waiting for the group to reconvene and I'm getting impatient. Actually I'm friggin' worried that it will be the season finale and then they will regroup and I'll have to wait until next season. Shit!

.... to be angry that every damn PCS has its challenges and I'm ready for this move to over with, pronto. Oddly enough, as a military spouse you would think I was more open to change- well guess what, change sucks! 

.... to be ready for the weekend.... since Monday.  

My new job: Learning Coach

Yup. That's me. Learning Coach extraordinaire.

Mom by morning. Learning Coach by day. Exhausted by night.

Lather. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

What's a learning coach you ask? It's any adult (usually mom) who facilitates learning via virtual lessons and school, while still doing more or less what a homeschool teacher/mom does.

Let's start at the beginning......

First, a recap of my anal retentive tendencies...I'm a researcher. Not only do I love to do it, it soothes my angst and worry, especially during a pending PCS (Permanent Change of Station- military speak for "fuck me! we are moving again!"). I researched my ass off about schools, the local housing and job markets, and as much as I could about the area.

What I found was disturbing. Schools were not the best in the immediate county of the new Army post, with state tests being the barometer for success. Hey I don't decide this, your our lovely government officials seem to think success is directly linked to some stupid test the kids are prepped all year to take. Never mind the fact that teachers teach to the test, but I digress.

So, blah blah... scores were shitty in the area that we really wanted to live in. Odd occurrence given the fact that 3 major companies are located within spitting distance of the area: Gulfstream, Mitsubishi and JCB. Oh wait, and the housing market has houses in this area that command upwards of $350, 000 homes. Ludicrous! The neighboring counties had better schools, but in one of them the housing market was even higher, if you can believe that. In some instances rent increased by $400-600. Yeah.  In the other county, it seemed rural and from what I could see the drive hubby would have to endure would be difficult.

Lotsa research. No assuaging of fears. Minimal options. And the PCS is right in the middle of the school year which doesn't allow for a huge margin of error. So I keep looking.

In this research I find Georgia Cyber Academy. Hear the choir of angels? Well it was a life saver. It was a virtual public school system open for any student living in Georgia. Hmmm.... keep talking.
The sample lessons online and the information they provided was a huge plus for me, because it allowed me to see exactly what we were getting into. I thought it was a great idea! Online schools, interactive lessons, point and click assessments, and even Blackboard collaborative classrooms where the kids received direct instruction from an actual certified teacher! Winning!!!!!!

What more could you want? School in your underwear or jammies. Wait isn't that always the bad dream? Either way, it was a win win. So I thought.  Now if you know my child, you know he is a computer/gaming geek. He is a techie. I'm thinking attending a public school that's virtual, with no building that he had to wake up and to go, and no real set schedule- well I thought that was right up his alley.

Yea. No.

Week one could have been Navy Seals Buds Training for all the torture it was. He whined and moped and literally cried about the amount of work he was doing. Mind you, it was from 8:45am until about 3:00 or so and no homework! The lessons were no longer than a 55-65 minute class session, and the activities were incorporated right into the assignment/learning.

By Friday I was ready to kill him. On Saturday we went out and got him all he needed so that he could attend the regular local middle school. Let's see how that works for ya big guy!

It didn't. He went there for 1 day. I left the school crying when I left him (fodder for another post- How Shitty My Experience Was at West Chatham Middle), and he walked out at 2:45pm damn near in tears. Between unruly students in Math and the teacher continuing to teach through the disruptions, to a fight in science class, and eventually kids upending chairs in a classroom. I think he got his first real taste of how the other half lives- you know the half that attend crappy public schools. This speaks nothing of the crappy attitudes I had dealt with that morning in Guidance department.  We withdrew him and took back his school uniforms. Thankfully Wal-Mart was friendlier in their return policy than the school staff had been to us on our first day.

Score one in the winner's column for GCA. He promised he would make it work until the next school year.


And that is how I became the Learning Coach.


We are about a month into this adventure, and some days I want to bash my head, or his, against the table. Some akin to the scene in True Lies with Arnold Schwarzenegger, where he is riding in the car with the used car sales man, and he head slams the salesman's head into the steering wheel. Go watch it and you'll understand. *wink*  I haven't caused him harm, yet, and by the looks of it we should make it until May 23rd, which is the official last day of school.

I do have to say, it's a nice change of learning/teaching modality. It really syncs up nicely with our current generation's need for tech-y things all the time and the "right now" mode at which they process everything. They still have books and many of the supplemental activities take place offline, which allows me to interact with Bear while he is doing some active learning. I hate to admit this, but I think I like it more than the traditional brick and mortar- it's what we call the old fashioned building. *snort*  On top of all of that GCA, does a great job at trying to incorporate "field trips" or outside learning opportunities. We will be attending a Science event in our area next month and it takes us out to the coastal areas to learn about the local environment. Oh did I mention that it counts as "classroom" time? Too cool!

All in all, I'm happy we had an alternative for schooling- many people don't and are stuck sending their kids to sub standard schools, wondering what's next for their child. I'm truly blessed that right now our lives permit me the time and space to make this work. I can't imagine trying to do this 10 year ago.

Georgia Cyber Academy and k12.com- I'm giving you a 2 thumbs up!



Oh and GCA, I'm also giving you my résumé and filling out an application for the 2014-2015 school year. How about a job next year?

Click on the banner above to VOTE!!

When it rains... it pours.

So we are back in the states, and still in the thick of the PCS bullshit! It's been 3 weeks and we still don't have our unaccompanied baggage or a place to hang our hats, never mind asking about the rest of our household goods. Now mind you, we aren't homeless, technically, but we don't have our own place either. We have, in a way, regressed... we are living with my mom. 

Now I am grateful, because I am not sure what we would have done had she not already lived here in the area. However, it seems that having my mom here has created a crutch of sorts that allows us the "freedom" to find exactly what we want in a house. Ergo, the 3 weeks and still no place to live. 

As luck would have it, the housing market here is a buyer's market. So much so, that it is actually cheaper to purchase a brand new home than it is to rent one. *deep sigh* You can imagine where I am going with this.... Yes we are looking at purchasing. 

Most people would be ecstatic, right? But I'm not most people, and I didn't grow up in most families. (That's all I'm gonna say about that!) So the build will take until April. 

Yea. No sense of permanence or my own home until April.

All the visitors that want to come to see us- not until April. 

Five people, sometimes six, and one puppy in a 3 bedroom townhouse- two alpha women. Two women who are not use to "sharing" their space. You get the picture. 

As if we needed some additional spice to this gumbo, Hubby's computer went tits up about 2 weeks ago. We took it in and attempted to have it repaired and it was a bust. We were told is was the mother board and that we should just give it up and purchase a new one. We did. There went another $1500 down the drain. Never mind the cost of diagnostics to tell me my computer was a bust. Oh did I mention they removed our hard drive and made it into an external hard drive? Yea, that was great. Except the fucker doesn't work! Now I have to go back into the Best Buy to find out why they sent me home without first having tested it to see that it was viable. 

Wait, it gets better.

They had also attempted to sell me the Geek Squad tech support, which did nothing to repair my broken mother board, but it did cost me $248. To their credit, once I complained they refunded the tech support, charge me $70 for the diagnostics and sent me on my way- on my way to the Apple area to purchase my new MacBook Pro. I did purchase the Best Buy warranty protection crap, in the event of another fried mother bleep, I mean board. 

Let's move right along. 

Bear's schooling. There is a topic for ya.. and for another post. Let's just say that "peachy" is not a new Georgia word I would use to describe that situation. Suffice to say that I am doing something that resembles home-schooling, but with far more frustration and colorful language than is probably called for.

I know I shouldn't complain. There are people who have it far worse than I do, and I'm grateful for all I have....but.... 

PCSing sucks. 

Did I mention that I can't find a job? And unemployment isn't sure if they are going to pay? So that. 

I need to find a different profession. Wait, I am not qualified to do much else other than teach. Or at least that's what the 7 job rejections have told me thus far. Love it. 

I'm gonna end this pity party and send everyone home with this little nugget... since I have been back stateside I have spoken to my friends LESS than I did in the 2+ years I had a 6 hr time difference. 

And it's raining again... freezing rain. Actually I think it's pouring. 

What I "think" I will miss about living in Germany

** I started this post the day before we left. I know you know what happened. Life. Traveling got hectic. PCSing got in the way. The transition was a hot mess. 

Here is the completed post. Now that I have been back stateside for almost 3 weeks, I will write another with the stuff I didn't realize I missed about Germany.**

____________________________________________________

As I check off my final To Do list before we are no longer expats, I am trying to process all the things I know I will miss about living in Europe Germany. Today is our last FULL day in Germany, as tomorrow we start our trek back to stateside living.  I'm feeling excited for the new chapter in our lives, and yet there is something sad about closing this chapter. Of course there is the usual of leaving friends you made, and the ever stressful actual move and relocation. 

But it's more than just the usual PCS jitters. 

I lived in Germany. I lived in Europe. I am was, and perhaps will always be, an expat. There is something so rewarding about living abroad and experiencing life through different cultures. It was overwhelming and remarkable, and truly eye-opening. I have learned more about my country, my beliefs, my understanding of the Old World, and I have truly learned how to live like a European. 

At this point, all I can say is Thank You. Thanks to everyone who made my years here special. Thanks to my husband for the special sacrifices he made to make this European tour possible- it cost him more than he bargained for. Thanks to all the people I met along the way that made my time here so memorable. I will miss it, and here are some of the things I believe I'll miss the most. 

So without further rambling- here is what I think I am going to miss the most. We'll see if that remains the same once I get home. Here we go (in no particular order):

1. Cleanliness 

Yes, it's really clean here! That's not to say there aren't slums or dirty areas, but by and large European countries are pretty clean. The cleanest countries we visited were Germany, Switzerland and Austria. 

I wondered about why this phenomenon doesn't exist in America, and it came to me after a visit to NYC: the recycle program in Germany. 

At first I thought I was going to lose my mind trying to figure out what went in which bag, bin or sack. There are blue bins, black bins, glass bins, recycle bins and brown bins- and that's just what I was recycling. There are pfands for bottles and places to recycle glass- of course by color. It's cumbersome, at times frustrating (especially when your bins are full and it's still 5 days before pick-up), and more importantly it's the LAW. Just in case you didn't know, Europeans (specifically Germans) are all about following the rules. 

Getting back to the cleanliness- people not only follow the rules of recycling, but they take pride in doing so. You will see the Fraus out on Saturday sweeping their front steps and even their curbs. You don't see people working on their vehicles in their yards, leaving oil spills and old unusable tires in their lawns. And you never see people fling trash out their windows in cars. Hell you don't drive down the autobahn and see roadside trash. Come to think of it, you never even see road gators, dead animals or unidentifiable road kill. Unheard of. 

As a result, shit stays clean and I love the clean living!

2. Beer and all things bier.

So I'm gonna put this in print, and admit to it. I was NOT a beer drinker before coming to Germany. Now I LOVE beer. Delicious German beer! Delicious Belgian beer! It's really a toss up which I like better. Either way, I'm a beer drinker and proud of it!

German beer is a food group here. It has history, class and goes well with everything. Germans make beer drinking look like an Olympic sport, and they are more than happy to share with anyone willing to sidle up and train your liver. Germans pride themselves in their beer making prowess. So much so that there are laws on the books from the 1600s that guide beer making principles. That my friends is the true art of beer making. Bier is good! 

And of course because beer is good and plentiful, it's inexpensive. Now stateside inexpensive beer is usually crappy beer. Not here. Here you can purchase a beer for about 1 euro for a half liter bottle, and it's actually good beer. In many restaurants beer is cheaper than cola (soda), if that tells you anything. 

I will miss the lovely biergartens and the ability to sit and "linger" for hours with a beverage, friends and enjoying the great outdoors. I will miss all things bier. Thanks Germany for making me a believer. 

3. Fest, Fests and more Fests.

Germany, and as much as I can tell from my travels, Europe as a whole loves to "festival". There are wine fests, Easter fests, music fests, fall fests, and so many other festivals. You can literally find something to attend virtually every weekend. It's a celebration of everything from life, to seasons, to harvests to ancient celebrations of towns, to the celebration of foods and drinks. 

I didn't attend one festival that didn't entice and appeal to every one of my senses. The sights of the beautiful landscapes and smells of the tasty food. It all comes together in such a wonderful way that it leaves you wanting more! 

Of course the most world renowned festival in Germany is Munich's Oktoberfest, and that is a great example of festivals done right. However there are so many other festivals that are smaller in size but grander in scale and amusement. Some of the others area the international beer festival Bierbörse, which an amazing traveling festival that showcases beer from all over Europe. There are also Easter markets, which aren't huge markets, but they sell some of the most amazing hand-painted eggs you will ever come across. 

Probably the best part of festivals in Europe is that they are FREE! Yes, I said the magic words. Every fair we attended was free of charge. You can walk around and enjoy the festival at no charge. The only thing you pay for is food and drink. Don't get me wrong you can spend a small fortune eating and drinking your way through a festival, but that's the point right? You want to try every food stand and drink all the beer and wine you possibly can!

All I can say is that while we do the festival thing in the states, we don't seem to be able to incorporate the food, the drink and the ambiance that Europe has mastered. Perhaps as we age as a country, our festival-ness will mature as well. Which leads me to my next point….

4. Old-ness of Old World living… and the Pride that goes with it 

They say age is nothing but a number, and while that may hold true for the dating scene, that adage is completely unfounded when it comes to the history and culture of a region or country. Europe has age, experience, and history in spades. 

I've always loved history, it's my thing. So when we found out we were moving to Europe, specifically Germany, I was elated about the prospects of learning more history. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would get to visit so many cool places. I don't think I fully grasped the concept of 'old' until we visited cities who celebrated their 900th birthday, or had Roman ruins, or even a 2,000th birthday in 1984! The oldest city in Germany, Trier, was is one of my favorite places to visit and take visitors. It has an awesome pedestrian walkway lined with shops on either side. The cathedral and basilica are sites to behold, and the most amazing thing is that is was heavily bombed during WWII and has been rebuilt to feel older than the remnants of that devastation. 

This age is only rivaled by the pride that Germans, and Europeans at large, have for their villages, cities and countries. You see this pride in the way they care for their cities. How they care for their public spaces, and create public spaces that everyone can enjoy. From comprehensive bike trails that traverse the country, to walking trails that provide countless hours of exercise and entertainment, their's is a deep seeded pride for their surroundings that unfortunately don't see everywhere in America.  They sort their trash and recycle not only as part of the law but as part of their environmental awareness. You will see the pride they take in their personal possessions and how they care for their things. And this pride doesn't stop with their country and possessions, but in how they carry themselves and how they act. Germans will be loud and rowdy, but in a bar or in a drinking tent. You don't often hear Germans being rowdy in a group. You almost always hear Americans coming down the street. Germans don't go out in sweats and sneakers, that attire is for the gym or working out- maybe it stylistic or maybe it's about pride in appearance. Culturally there seems to be a greater sense of "this is ours and we take care it", and that translates into almost everything they do. 

5. Wine: Taste, Price and all things Wine

Wine is cheaper than water. I'm guessing because not only can we drive about 30 minutes to the local Cora and buy French wine for next to nothing, but Germany does a pretty bang up job of producing it's own fantastic wine. Most people associate fine wine with France, and their wonderful Bordeaux wines. Or even Italy with their magnificent Pinot Grigio, for the white lovers, or one of my favorites Sangiovese. However, I would be doing Germany such a disservice if I didn't mention her wine region along the rivers Rhine and Mosel. Some of my favorite German wines are Rieslings and Dornfelders. Of course I can't speak of wine in Germany without mentioning glühwein. 

Now onto to prices.... when I think cheap wine in the states, the back of my mouth waters and I get the distinct urge to throw up Boone's Farm or Arbor Mist. (No offense to all the Farmers and Misters out there who still call that fine wine.) However, in Germany, or Europe, wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good, no not good-great! It's just the way it is. 

Now take this heavenly grape elixir of the gods and give it a festival, and well you have the making of two of the best things: wine & festivals. What more can I say about this? Great taste, great price, and celebrations- winning!

6. Pace of Life

Germans have an automatic reset button- it's called Sunday. Sundays are reserved for quiet, peaceful nothingness. You can't do work or really make noise on Sundays. The countryside is quiet and tranquil. Going for a Sunday drive means you aren't competing with trucks as they are not allowed on the roads or to work on Sundays (special permits withstanding). Nothing but a quiet peaceful country.

When we first got here I didn't appreciate, hell I didn't like it. But after learning to work around the store closures, you really start to enjoy the idea of the easy button, the reset that comes with being forced to do "something" else on Sundays. We learned to go out on walks, hikes, runs, bike rides, or just enjoy each other's company. Who knew, right?

Now this different pace of life isn't reserved for one day of the week. Germans, on the whole, work hard during their business hours, which are much less than American business hours. They also take what seems like, a ton of time off.  You can walk down any pedestrian strasse, at any given time, and there will be boat loads of people shopping and just generally out and about. It's more like what you would experience on the weekends stateside. I can't really put into words how their version of work hard and play hard is different than ours, but somehow in the execution of this mantra, you get an overall different pace of life. It's slower without losing it's efficiency. It works for them and after living here, it worked for me. Paraphrasing Bubba, that's all I can say about that.

7. Traveling

Sixteen countries in less than 3 years. Two Mediterranean cruises- one with the kids and one without. I'm not bragging, just trying to show you how much traveling you can do in a short time, and yes we we were on a budget. So much to see and experience. Never enough time. The traveling opportunities are without a doubt amazing! Sadly, I know people who hardly travelled at all in the two plus years they have been in Germany. I can't fathom not exploring, not getting out to see all Europe has to offer. I know, no questions asked, I will miss it dearly. 

8. Bäckerei, Bakeries and Baked Goods

It's a Christmas miracle I'm not going home 50 pounds heavier. The baked goods in Germany are fantastic! You can find a bakery in almost every village, and it's a cornerstone of village life. Opening bright and early, many times before the bright even started, and closing just around mid afternoon. Awesome deliciousness just emanating from it's shelves! Breads, donuts, pastries, and always fresh. My favorite was Johanisbeeren pastry, which is currants. What's it taste like? It's a little bit tart, a little sweet, and totally delicious!

 OMGosh is it amazing! So yeah, pastries are amazing, but I haven't mentioned the bread. German bread is just as great! I'm not sure what their secret ingredient is, but I'm pretty sure it lacks all the preservatives we find in our bread. Simply because

9. Amazing Food

Pastries. Bread. Rolls. Strudel. Schnitzel. Pork Roast and all things pork really. Wine. Rest stop food. Yes I said rest stop food, but that is a separate item all together. All of it is just amazing! In the almost 3 years in Europe I did not sit down to a meal that was awful or worthy of being sent back to the kitchen. We ate tapas in Barcelona, stuffed grape leaves in Athens, escargot in Paris. All of it phenomenal, and I'm not exaggerating. We either truly lucked out every single time or our palates were so indiscriminate that everything tasted yummy! Either way, I tasted my way through Europe and loved every minute of it. 

10. Rest stops worth the stop.

I joked with my mom when she came to visit, if she thought we could bring the German concept of rest stops back to the states. We laughed because there is no way I can see any American paying to use a public restroom. That being said, it's the best 70 euro cents you will ever pay. What are you paying for you ask? A clean bathroom. One that has an attendant keeping up with the tp, sinks and overall hygiene. Some bathrooms are high tech in that they include a self-sanitizing toilet! In all my travels I think we stopped once at a rest stop and were disappointed. Mind you it was more disappointment at the long lines than anything hygiene related. On top of clean, usable restrooms they have wonderfully fresh cappuccinos made- made by a real person, and tasty freshly cooked meals. It makes stopping at a rest stop to eat worth the money and time! What a novel concept. Imagine the money a US company could make if we improved our rest stops? Oh and to boot you get a 50 cent rebate receipt that you can use on your purchase. Cha-ching!  

11. Autobahn and Left Lane Passers

Driving has been such a pleasure, especially at speeds of 130-140 kph, which loosely translates to 80-90 mph. Speed is just one of the pleasures of the autobahn. The actual conditions of the road are equally wonderful. They either pave them under the cover of night or just know how to pave the hell outta some roads. If you have ever driven in NYC you know that can loose a small child in the city's potholes. Germany doesn't have potholes really. Perhaps an occasional rough patch road, but by and large they are smooth, especially the ones in our neck of Germany. The A6 and the A62 are marvelous for opening up the Beamer and listening to her purr at 100mph. Aaaahhhh!

Now let's talk about the courtesies of driving. Apparently, in every country, the laws state you pass in the left lane and stay in the right for cruising. Who knew that this could actually work if enforced? People TRAVEL in the right lane and PASS on the left. They actually only use that left lane to pass! Again, German efficiency. I wonder how I will cage the my beast of a car with top speeds of 70 mph in the states. *chortle*  

12. Health-centric culture

From an amazing amount of biking, hiking and walking trails, to a diet that centers on fresh food, Europeans have a different view on healthy habits. While my impression was that they smoke and drink more than we do, it seems they are healthier. Perhaps all walking and biking coupled with a different way of preparing foods, just adds up to a healthier lifestyle. Maybe it was the lack of fast food options? I don't know, it's just a healthier lifestyle. I do know I will have to work to maintain this healthy living. The question is how much work will it actually be?

13. Unapologetic Christmas

This is short and easy. In liberal Europe they are unapologetic about Christmas. You don't say Happy Holidays in fear of offending someone with a Merry Christmas. You don't Happy Hannukah people or happy whatever else they celebrate. It's Christmas and they celebrate it with Christmas markets, parades, lights, Saint Nick, food and wine. It's the most wonderful time of the year! You want to understand more, check out my post on Christmas Markets. 

14. Pedestrian walkways and street cafés 

A delicious pastry. A fresh cup of coffee or better yet a cool beer. People passing by on their way to this store or that place. All of this happening before you as you sit and take it all in from a sidewalk café. I know many American cities are joining in on this awesomeness of summer, but the mild German summers make this extra special. You can sit for hours and watch the droves of people with their well groomed and well-healed pets, and just take it all in. It was one of the quintessentially European things to do, and if you have never had an opportunity to do this- it's a must! Many of these street cafés are located on these large pedestrian walkways lined with shops, bakeries, restaurants and many other enticing-to-the-senses locales. It was just so nice to sit and just soak it all up. 

I know I will probably be able to find street cafés stateside, I'm just not sure how many and of what caliber. I guess we will see. 

15. Lingering restaurant stays

Dining in any European restaurant is an hours-long experience. I remember sitting at a Thai restaurant for over 3 hours, and that was after dinner. There is no rush to get guests out of there, or to even get you served. When you enter the restaurant they will get you menus and drinks but there is no sense of urgency to hurry up and take your order. You never feel like there is a rush to get you in and out, turn over that table. At one German restaurant they actually kept count of our beers by writing down hash marks on the backside of a coaster! Talk about the honor system. Dining is a true affair of food, drink and leisure! You can stay for hours after dinner, have as many drinks as you want, and just be with your family and friends, enjoying your time together. It's what dining should be, and how enjoying the tastes of food ought to be accomplished. 

_______

I am sure there will be other things that I miss about Germany, but for right now these are tops in my head. I'll be sure to update this if other things pop up or become more apparent as the "You're back in the USA" game evolves.

So long and Farewell

It's almost over. We leave tomorrow for the good ol' US of A. It's a milestone in this journey of mil spouse life. It was a great ride Germany! 

From our trip Summer 2013*

I just want to take a moment to thank everyone that made my almost 3 years so memorable and tolerable. 

From my first friends at the Dub- Krista, Leanne, Gen, Ryan, Bren and Peter. You made that first year tolerable, bearable and more than anything memorable. Thank you for giving me a place to call "my bar" Bren. You will be missed, my Little Leprechaun. To all the people I met through the Dub, thanks for a good time!

The Ramstein High School folks- you made my year teaching in a new school and new country fun and amazing. I appreciate you more than you know. Luly and Tracy- thanks for all the laughs and I am sure I will see you again in the future. :)

To the Volleyball crew- thanks for everything you taught me this year, and it wasn't just volleyball. I will miss my girls, my coaching friends and everything volleyball. 

To my USAPAT family members who I love dearly, and because it's my blog I will call you out by name:

The Carpenters-  That first year was almost hell but together we got through it Jilly. Just wish your ass hadn't moved to the opposite coast. :) Miss you. Can't wait to create more memories… just watch your movie if you think we didn't accomplish much in 2 years. ;)

The Peterson's- I'm so happy we became friends. You are both amazing people and I can't wait to see what our future adventures hold. It's always a blast when we get together! We appreciate your unwavering support! :)

The Harrington's- You are both wonderful people and I am so grateful to call you friends. It has been a fun ride and I can't wait to see you both in GA. :)

Mindy- Thanks for finally opening up and giving ALL OF US a chance. Only took you 6 years, but who's counting. ;) You missed so much and I can't wait to make up for all the lost time, and we will! Life is good and you deserve it. Keep telling yourself that! I'm so happy to call you and Colby family. I love you both! 

To anyone and everyone else who showed us kindness, friendship and a good time. We have so many fond memories of our time here in Germany and I can't ask for more…. well I could but that would be selfish! hahaha!

Last but never least many many thanks to my hubby and kids who make everything worth doing and experiencing. Love you to the moon and back! 

I heart Germany. *

Auf wiedersehen Germany, and know that I will return to visit. 

*All pictures are mine. I took them and I own them! :) 

The Nurse vs. a Georgia form

The PCS season is upon us, and we are on the move again. We have been getting ready for this move for quite some time and it seems that the worst is over. We have shipped our unaccompanied baggage, household goods, alcohol (always important!), cars and now we are down to the last little bit. 

Of course moving in the middle of January has it's benefits and drawbacks. The biggest drawback is moving the kids in the middle of a school year. We've done this before and I know that in addition to school records, school district usually want some of their own state-specific paperwork. Experience tells me so. Part of this last little bit of clearing is Bear's school records. Being a teacher, and working in a military school, I know how tedious it can be to complete student grades prior to a marking period closing, especially with short notice. For this reason alone, I made sure to request my son's records WELL in advance of his last day of school. And by well in advance, I mean more than 30 days before his last day. 

So today when I go to his school to request a favor, I didn't expect the attitude I received.

Here starts today's incident which leads me to this rant. Rant starts now…….

I'm a planner. I'm a researcher. I like to know what I'm getting myself into and what I can expect. It's not a bad thing, and quite frankly it has been invaluable at time when I have insight brought about from my research. I like the analytical side of my brain, it works for me and for my family. 

Part of my PCS prep has been to research everything GA was going to want in order for Bear to start school as soon as possible. Granted I will be hand-carrying his school records, copies of his report card, immunizations and all that crap. But I also know that some states want their own paperwork, their own forms completed. So I researched this and got my hands on the forms GA wanted. I got the specific immunizations forms filled out, which was an issue as the clinic didn't want to fill them out. I also got my hands on GA form 3300, which is required for attendance in their schools. 

This particular form has a few pieces of health screening information that most schools do anyways: hearing, vision, nutrition (height/weight). So I figured it would be easier to have his CURRENT school complete this rather than his gaining school. I thought I would be better to have it done here where they HAVE that info, rather than try to get in to see a doc for a physical at our new post. 

I walk in to the middle school today and ask the lady at the counter if I could see the school nurse so that she can fill out this form for us so that he can start school as soon as we get there. She is baffled by the form, and calls the nurse. She doesn't leave her desk, and yells to me through the "drive-through" window at the front desk :"Who's your student?!" Then she proceeds to tell the nurse on the phone, a call I CAN HEAR, that she "has never seen this form before."  She then walks the form up to me at the window,and tells me to sign in and go to the nurse.  She looks at me and says "I have never seen this form before. And they want this for him to attend?" 

I was nice. I promise I was nice. Only because I need them. Otherwise I would have said something snarky like: "No I'm thinking it's a big fucking joke, but I'm gonna go along with it! Yes of course they want it! It says it on the form! You rahtard!"

But I didn't I simply smiled and said: "Yea. It's something they need." And I walked to the nurses office. 

You would think this would be the end of the madness, but no. I get to the nurses office, who was expecting us (hubby was with me). And I show her the form, which she takes from me. She looks at it and says: "They want this completed? I have never seen this form before." Here we go again! 

So after round 2 of the Mystery of the GA form 3300, she proceeds to tell me that she can only fill out the vision and hearing, and height and weight. The rest I will have to figure out on my own. She also tells me that she can't do it right this minute. Ummm, listen bitch nurse, I didn't ask for it NOW.  I told her several times that as long as I have it by Wednesday, we're good. She then gives me attitude about having to complete the form even though she already turned in his records to the registrar pending our move. 

Oh I'm sorry you have to do your job! Oh! I'm sorry I went online to see what GA wanted in order for my child to start school. Sorry your rude, lazy ass doesn't want to complete this form, but YOU WIlL! I didn't ask you if you had SEEN the form before, I simply asked you to complete it! Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it isn't a legitimate form that is needed for school attendance in GA. Trust me I know! I already had to complete forms for GA for my daughter to attend COLLEGE for crying out loud. 

I just don't understand why people don't want to help others. Why people are insistent on being rude. I didn't pick your job, YOU DID! Do it with kindness and pride, especially if you are a school nurse. Sheesh.

That middle school could really use an overhaul of its administrative staff. They are rude as shit and really have the worst customer service skills I have ever seen in a school. 

Just sayin'.

Girls Gone Wild.... for pottery??

My European life has been a whirlwind of tastes, sounds, sights, and even smells, often times associated with a trip to this or that village, town, city or country. Our latest rendezvous landed us in Poland on a girls trip. 

I know you are probably wondering what could we possibly want with Poland, and a girls trip no less. It doesn't conjure up the warmth of beaches like Barcelona, nor does it scream fancy footloose like Amsterdam. Uh yea... so what exactly did we expect to find in Poland? 

Beautiful, hand-crafted, spectacular and inexpensive Polish Pottery. And boy did we ever find it! Yahtzee!

Four grown women going wild over baking dishes. Kinda silly, a little bit sad, and a whole shit ton of fun! Make no mistake- we made purchasing pottery look like a science. Mad science!

All smiles at the start of shopping day!

We used another military spouses blog review of some of the stores as our point of reference, and while it was incredibly helpful to have the addresses and descriptions at our disposal, we had a different experience. So here is my take on our little Polish adventure.

Rewind, Review, Relive: 2012.

Often times we get bogged down in all the negative things that happen during a year that we fail to highlight all the positives. So here is my review of 2012, lots of positives and some negatives (Oh and a few Thank you's.)

We did A LOT of living this year, and it shows. 

January

I rang in 2012 working at my local Irish pub. Yah. It wasn't exceptionally busy nor fun but I hubby had recently deployed and the Princess was with friends. So there really was nothing else, besides I don't really remember having a choice since I hadn't worked Christmas. If I remember correctly, it was just my turn in the holiday work barrel. No matter what, I made the best of it that night, and looking back it wasn't so bad after all.

My girls and I hard at work at the Dubliner.

January also brought in a commitment to exercising and eating healthy. There was weight to take off and depression to shake off. I don't think I could have done it without the help of my dear friend Jill.
I made a great friend/family, one that I am sure I will have for many years to come. We bonded in our likeness, sarcasm, parenting styles, husbands deployment and in the many things that brought us together last year. We stay bonded in the friendship, mutual respect and love that grew in that miserable winter last year where sunshine seemed like some other worldly occurrence. I can't thank her enough for her support.

You should already know my travel-whoreness tendencies, and 2012 was a stellar year for travel! While hubby was deployed, he had a mission that took him to parts undiscovered by us. With a perfectly safe location for me to join him, I took full advantage of it! We explored London and Brussels together and what a time we had! It's always good to reinvigorate a marriage with some time yourselves. This was good for our year.



February

Bear and his Arrow of Light

February crossed us over from Cub Scouts (Webelos II) to official Boy Scout status. The ceremony was awesome and he did an excellent job at advancing through belt loops and badges.

We did quite a bit of local traveling and did some castle exploration. We got to see a FREE show performed by Cirque du Soleil courtesy of USO. It was spectacular! And considering it was only a shortened performance, in an aircraft hangar, they did an AMAZING job!

February also packed in some unexpected surprises like pneumonia! Not fun. The positive side of being deathly ill was the commitment to quitting smoking. I had been a smoker on and off since I was 17 years old. There had been plenty of years where I didn't smoke (pregnancies and nursing and infants in the home) and then there had been years where I smoked regularly. Over the last five years I had taken to being a "summer" smoker. Weird. I know. Except it isn't. When most of your drinking, BBQing and hanging with friends happens in the summer, and as a school teacher I am off all summer... it seemed logical to take it up during the dog days of summer. Either way...February's illness presented me with the opportunity. I have been smoke free ever since. Hooray for me!

February was all peachy and cheery. I struggled with trying to loose weight, inches, something, anything. To no avail. I finally broke down and get signed up for Weight Watchers online. I struggled with seasonal depression which was made worse by being sick and the fact that the sun didn't shine with ANY regularity. It was tough, but I marched on through.


March

Bring in the start of Spring and warmer weather. We spent this month exploring the Easter Egg Markets here in Germany. I had never seen so many beautifully adorned eggs! We purchased our first three Easter eggs for our collection. This will be something we explore again this year!

March is also the start of the birthday season in my home. We have a March bday and two April bdays, so Spring is truly the time of birth! Bear celebrated his 11th bday in March and also went on his first SOLO overnight Boy Scout camporee. I was nervous he would be frozen to the bone, but he did well!

Sibling tomfoolery on the bike rides!

We spent many a Sunday riding our bikes around the villages and enjoyed what we named Triple F: Forced Family Fun. It wasn't always fun, but it was always a good laugh.

Edinburgh Castle

For my travel addiction, I took my long awaited Three Girls and A Gay Guy trip to Edinburgh, Scotland. Now that was an amazing trip! The history, the people, the sights, and even the weather was agreeable. After this trip my husband labeled 2012, the year of Mel or YOM for short. Cute. Real cute.

We did encounter some difficulties in March. Like the time I came home from work one night to find someone hit my hubby's car right in my driveway! Jacked up the right rear tire and quarter panel. And no, they didn't even leave a note or knock on the door. Fuckers!


April

To celebrate the Month of Fools, I got my hubby back from the short deployment. Any month is a great month when you get your husband back from Afghanistan! With his return he brought back the sunshine to Germany, literally. On the day he returned, it was sunnier than it had been all winter and spring. 

View from the top of a hill in Garmisch. 

We celebrated birthdays and just being back together again. We took Sunday bike rides and enjoyed our family time. 

Our travels took us to my favorite area of Germany: Bavaria! We were blessed with the opportunity to attend a Marriage Retreat in the German Alps, with Bear and Princess courtesy of the US Army. Thank you so much! It was a great weekend for all of us! 

Our travels even got to a historical site: Dachau Concentration Camp. The kids were excited to take a day from school to visit this historical site. They learned more that day from experiential history than any history book could every convey in words. 

April was a month of renewal. My family was back together, the sun was shining again and I felt like the weight of winter had been lifted. Literally and figuratively since I lost several inches and pounds. All the hard work with P90X and Insanity was paying off. 

May

Circles were completed in May as I finished the last of graduate work and closed the chapter on my Administration Internship. That was relief! Talk about an albatross hanging around my neck. Sheew!

Hubby and the Graduate

We traveled back to the states for the first time since we moved to Germany for my stepson's graduation from high school. It was a bitter sweet moment. Many divorced parents are able to set aside differences for those momentous events in the child's life. Many divorced parents can "play nice" even for just a few hours. Not here. Hubby and his ex have not played nice in over a decade, if not more. It's truly not for a lack of trying. Hubby has really tried and I don't say that because he is my hubby, but because I really believe he has given it the effort it deserved only to consistently get slapped in the face by lies, and manipulations. The ex really gives a new meaning to the word c*nt. I could go on about her injustices against the boy and Hubby, most egregious is her total devolution of the father-son relationship. Graduation was just more of the same. After watching the graduation in the stands avoiding "her". We slinked out of the stadium, unable to take pictures with Oldest since Mom was hovering like a hawk. We finally got to see him at the local Olive Garden for approximately an hour, and that was like from 9:45-10:45pm. It wasn't pretty. Oldest was ambivalent. Hubby was hurt. Not the best of situations. 

The worst was yet to come. Oldest told his Dad that he would not be visiting him this summer. He wanted to "hang with his friends and girlfriend before basic." To further add insult to injury, he was going on vacation with his mother and step dad to see his step dad's family. Words still fail to heal that wound. We will see what time can do. 

Our trip to the states did give us a chance to see and hang out with old friends! That was truly the highlight of the trip. 

Mother's Day was great this year, and in keeping with the spirit of YOM, I got my first NEW car. My kids call it "Mom's first new cool car!" I love it! My other Mother's Day gift was an iPad. I guess maybe it was YOM. 

Other travel news took us to Disneyland Paris where I got to reunite with an OLD friend from high school whom I hadn't spent time in 10 years. 

June

June brought heartache to the Princess as she said goodbye to a new love, and hello to old friends. She finished the dreadful Junior year, which was quite rebellious and ushered in a fresh new grounding for the summer! Uggh how I hate those as much as she does!

NYC

We traveled stateside again for the family vacation. We visited friends in Maryland. We attended a 40 year vow renewal, and drank ourselves stupid. We visited family in NYC. We happened to be in NY when the heatwave of June rolled through, and we roasted in a Bronx apartment with the circulation equivalent to a jail cell.  We spent a fuck ton of money, and went way over budget. However, we had a wonderful time! It was good to be home, even if we didn't have a home stateside anymore. 

For Father's Day, I made sure I returned the good favor of YOM, and got hubby his very own laptop! 

July

Gma fooling around with a beer!

As if the summer hadn't already been costly, we received our first visitors! My uncle, his wife, my cousin and my grandmother all made the voyage out to Germany. It was wonderful to have my grandmother here! We took her everywhere, to include Prague, Czech Republic. She had a wonderful time and it was heartbreaking to put her on that plane to go home 3 weeks later. 

A week after her departure, we embark on the cruise of a lifetime. Our graduation present to our daughter, yes the summer before her graduation, was a Mediterranean cruise. Words can't express how awesome it was! We travelled to Barcelona, Spain; Marseilles, France; Florence, Rome, Naples, Venice and Sicily, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia. Talk about getting my travel fix in!  AMAZING! The food. The drinks. The ports. The excursions. The family time. The adult time with kids taken care of. All of it was pure perfection. And in the words of my Hubby, YOM. 

The family at the port of Civitavecchia (Rome)

Fucker was right. 

While on our cruise, I discovered I had been offered an interview at the local high school for a job! It was turning out to be a FABULOUS summer!

August

School started and I started a new job! It was great to be back in the classroom and out of a smokey pub working nights. The job offer was a dream come true: part-time, every other day, teaching electives Psychology and Sociology. Cha.Ching. Oh yea.. the money is spectacular too!

August was a restful month as we got back to the daily grind of school, routine and end of summer blues. We did the back to school shopping, the unpacking, the post vacation rest which were coupled with the post vacation blues. It was a month to get back on track with savings, considering how expensive the summer had turned out to be. Ouch!

August also saw the start of Volleyball Season. As the new Assistant Coach and head JV Coach, I had my work cut out for me, especially since I hadn't coached in over 6+ years. But it was worth the adventure!

September

Like every fall in Germany, September starts the season of wine festivals! The weather is beautiful and the wine is delish! We made our rounds to a new wine festival in Bernkastel-Kues, and what a good decision. It's a beautiful city on the river and what gorgeous country-side! Good friends, good wine = Good Times!

Sports was a consuming event this past fall. Volleyball kicked in full gear mid-September and my schedule was consumed with it. I had a great group of girls, albeit a bit prone to drama, but it was exciting and fun!

At his final game, with snow flurries, like a BOSS!

Bear started soccer and had an excellent season! It had been years since he played, but he got back into it and did well. Add to that starting middle school, learning to play the Oboe and Scouts his played was plenty full.

Princess got busy with her Senior year and plenty of AP classes to keep her busy. With the idea of college looming on the horizon, we saw a new Princess emerge with a more settled sense of being. Thankfully!

While September didn't bring many opportunities to travel, we had a great month getting back to the business of daily living, and that is always good! 

October

Bear had his first Oboe concert! He did a great job and sounded great for only having learned to play it for less than 6 weeks. We were so proud! 

Volleyball season was a huge success with JV losing only 1 match the entire season! AWESOME! Our Varsity team was heading straight to European Championships and on its way to another victory. 

Alex and I, WHOOP!

One of the highlights of the month (year) was the chance to audition for Jeopardy! I had the opportunity to test and retest with the Clue Crew and I even met Alex Trebek. I have the picture to prove it! :) 

Our travels took all four us back Stateside to see the Oldest graduate from OSUT (Basic Training and AIT). This too was a disaster! While we made it there to watch him graduate, it was a fuckton nightmare with the ex. I won't divulge all of it here because it isn't my story to tell, but it wasn't pretty. Suffice to say that when it all shook out, we saw the Oldest for about 10 minutes after graduation. That was it. We traveled half-way around the world, drove from SC to GA, and got to spend 10 minutes with him WITH an audience of his mom, stepdad, grandmother, aunts, cousins and every other swinging dick that was there. Epic fail. 

We also took the time to take Princess to see her first college campus. It was a great experience. She loved it. I loved it. Hubby loved it. It was a reality check that she would be graduating and leaving soon. *deep sigh* You would think that would have sunk in when we ordered her class ring and announcements this month. Ouch!

We also got a chance to see my mom and grandmother. While Mom was a planned part of the trip, Grandma was not and it was a perfect surprise. We spent a few days in Savannah enjoying the weather, the company and Mom & Grandma. 

November

Us at Cologne Cathedral

Start of the holiday season, my favorite time of the year! We ushered in my 38th birthday with a day trip to Köln (Cologne). It was an adventure given the celebrations going on there, which had the city infested with over 70k people. A hot mess I tell ya! 

Hubby, Bear and I in Austria. 

Thanksgiving brought us a quiet dinner with friends as the Princess traveled to visit her real dad in FL. This year was better. I was more settled with my new life in Germany, and my usual seasonal depression was kept at bay with a busy schedule, travel and volleyball. Bring on the Christmas season!

Our travels had us on the road again. Hubby planned a SURPRISE trip to Salzburg, Austria! We had a fabulous time going to the Christmas Markets and touring the city. The only downside (not really): the drive! 

December

Bear had his second Oboe concert and we had our first German snow!!!We Christmas Marketed almost every weekend, sometimes two in one weekend. We ventured to Bastogne to the historical walk, and we walked 13km in mud and yuck! We ice-skated. We drank glühwein. We did the Christmas carols all month long! We enjoyed our Christmas season, like we were unable to last year. Time has a way of helping you adjust. 

Bestie and I

Another chapter closing in the book of our life. December brought us another visitor as well. My first stateside friend/family to visit. My bestie from MD make the journey over, and we spent a whirlwind 10 days touring as much as possible. From Frankfurt to Heidelberg, to Saarbrucken, and even down to Strasbourg, France. No Christmas Market that was available was left untouched. :) We ran ourselves so ragged we caught a stomach flu and spent two days bed ridden, but we had a great time! I can't wait for her to return this summer. :)

Christmas was good to both the kids. Princess got her class ring, and sweatshirt, and memory book and all sorts of other class memorabilia. She also got a few other things in there as well! 

Bear got the usual clothes, new coat, books and other small necessities. His big present for the year: iTouch. He was happier than a pig in poop. :)

The New Year celebrations were quiet and peaceful, which was much needed after the holidays and the year we had! We can't wait for next year. 

Our family is lucky. Beyond lucky, we are truly blessed. 

I know it. Hubby knows it. I hope to hell the kids know it. 

We crammed a shit ton of living into one year, (and I'm sure there is sooo much more I am missing), and I am grateful we were able to do so. 

I am grateful and appreciative for our health: financially, emotionally and spiritually. As we embark on this new year, I want to thank everyone who supported us this year, through thick and thin. 

I want to thank my husband who a truly patient man, and who loves his family unconditionally. I want to thank my kids who are not perfect, and sometimes there are a true pain in my ass, but they give my life purpose and meaning. 

I want to thank God who has guided me to a better place in my life, one where I can accept the challenges he presents to me as well as the blessings. 

Here is to the hope that 2013 is as wonderful as 2012! 

Happy New Year!

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