Life Lessons of a Military Wife (overseas in Europe!)

Bye, Bye Blogger....

2011-08-20T20:03:00.000+02:00

Like an old boyfriend, I am discarding you, sorry! You couldn't give me what I needed, so I think it's best we part ways. I don't want to "try to be friends" nor do I want to "stay in touch"....clean break, okay? And to my readers, if things go wrong...you know where to find me on Facebook to let me know the errors of my ways (cause you know that's how I learn)!

I thought I would post a warning here first. I'm not smart enough to investigate how to transfer over any subscriptions or RSS feeds and am sorry to say that if you are still interested in hearing what I have to say (or do), please rejoin me at the new site which you should be redirected to in the next few days as I plod my way through this with a little apprehension and the wringing of the hands.

This is LLMW signing out for the last time on Blogger...it was wonderful while it lasted and thank you for all the good memories, because there really were some! Wordpress, looking forward to our first date and a hopefully lasting relationship where we can both learn and grow together...not necessarily in that order.

Six travel mistakes I've made this summer

2011-08-14T23:07:00.001+02:00

In Oslo's Vigeland Park

I know. LLMW does not make mistakes...aghast...but she really does...and bad ones sometimes too. Just because you have a lot of knowledge does not mean you know everything...plus, you sometimes forget or are lazy or just don't know any better. I made this site not only to help others but to have others help me! So before you laugh and get a kick out of that, see what I did that was less than perfect as we all tend to do.

I planned and arranged a trip to Oslo. Because this city will make even the richest person feel poor and have an empty wallet before it's over, I thought I would save and get a hotel outside the city center. That part was just fine...we saved literally THOUSANDS of euro, and it was a luxury hotel to boot, mysteriously being upgraded to a business suite with two rooms, two bathrooms and a wonderful buffet breakfast (boy, did I score brownie points for that one).

Sure, I saw that it was on the main metro ring with connections every minute and only six stops from downtown, and certainly wasn't worried about us getting around. I planned how easily we would get there (no problems actually), but I got LAZY and just assumed I would do the same thing on the way back for our early Ryanair airport bus. Imagine that sinking feeling you get, when you get down to the metro platform at 0610 and see the first train comes only at 0649, only 11 minutes before you have to catch your paid-for bus back to the airport to catch that flight. Oops, it was a Saturday with less metro connections. Can you say "oh sh*t?!"

After a nanosecond, we raced back up to the hotel, had them call a taxi (which arrived in less than 5 minutes) and arrived in plenty of time for the bus.....but $40 poorer. Lesson #1 learned, follow thru from beginning to end in trip planning, especially if you absolutely have to be somewhere at a certain time! Also watch time schedules on holidays (know what they are for that country) and on weekends!

This summer I also had an ambitious notion that we would relax in a wonderful country cottage in the peaceful countryside in Normandy. I had visions of us seeing the sites during the day and then viewing some wonderful countryside vistas driving back to our wonderful retreat. I carefully researched many, many cottages, B&Bs and even a few chateaus. Since my plan was VERY ambitious and it involved going in exactly two different directions (St Malo and the famous Mont St Michel vs. the Normandy Beaches), I thought I would split the difference and try to find something in between. I found the ideal place in the most idyllic setting...on paper. The first day was peaceful and relaxing after we finally arrived (that'll be my third mistake below). Once we started visiting the sites, I realized my mistake. Yes, it looked like only x amount of miles from this destination to that one on Google...but try to actually drive the winding and narrow country roads and you quickly realize it takes MUCH longer to drive them in person. After two days of it taking us two hours to get somewhere and then two hours to get back at the end of the day, with me in a nauseous stupor, I came to the conclusion that we needed to pick one area OR the other and leave our pastoral place.

I chose a wonderful historic hotel near my beloved sites in Normandy (our main goal to see) and was then happy for the rest of the trip. Even though the WWII battle sites and of course the many other sites along that part of the coast were spread out, we still spent no more than 45 minutes driving to any one site for the rest of the trip. Don't remind me that I forfeited the rest of the money we had paid for the country cottage (I try not to think about that) and then had to shell out another 70 euros a day for our nice hotel room with no cooking facilities...but you know what? I was happy and we all know what happens when momma isn't happy. What's the lesson here? There's Lesson #2. Take the time to see what kinds of roads there are at your destination. Take the time to really see how long it'll take you to drive everyday to see what you want to see and prioritize which direction you want to travel in! You can't see everything!

Of course, also on this trip, our home had a slight issue that needed immediate attention. Of course, it needed attention on the morning we were due to leave for our trip. Doesn't it always happen this way? After finally getting things taken care of, we hit the road at 0900. I know I have mentioned before to check the German school holiday site and stau situation. I also know the Belgian schedule from living here. Why oh why did I not check the French schedule? Can you say "bank holiday"? I don't know. I'm still wondering about that. All I know is that we waited anywhere from 20 minutes to ONE HOUR at EVERY SINGLE TOLL BOOTH going thru France along our route. It wouldn't have mattered if we had a "fast pass" either (which many Brits rent or buy to allow them to breeze thru the auto lanes). The traffic was well backed up before all the lanes even decided to split. This turned a four hour drive into an EIGHT HOUR drive!!! Lesson #3, ALWAYS, ALWAYS...and then again...check the school holiday schedules for the countries you will be traveling through and to!

On one of our trips to a country with a different currency, a certain someone in my family suggested to use the rest of that currency to pay part of the hotel bill. I hesitated...well, what if there is an emergency and we need some quick change? Luckily, a last minute taxi ride that was NOT planned was payable by credit card. I even tried to tip the driver in Euro, our home currency in Belgium, but he would not take it and kept telling us not to worry and to catch our flight. He was such a nice man. The amount I used in that foreign currency to pay part of the hotel bill would have paid the taxi driver almost EXACTLY...with enough left over for coffee...which I desperately needed at the airport and couldn't buy because I didn't have a foreign coin to my name. Lesson #4, I think the peace-of-mind is worth it to keep at least some bills in that foreign currency...at least enough to pay a taxi or some other quick emergency! With so many military families traveling all over, you can sell your currency, especially if you have bills, at a later date.

This summer has been unusually cold and rainy, from start to finish. Yes, we packed plenty of shorts and swimsuits we didn't get to use, at least when we were outside for the most part. We brought rain and cold weather to each of the four countries we vacationed in this summer. We had more rain days than sun days. You think I would've learned by the third trip at least to bring more warm clothing. No, I was determined to pack pretty much the exact same things I had packed previously. I ended up recycling my fleece pretty much every day and found out that the combo of fleece and a rainjacket on top can be pretty toasty. Me and my fashion sense were non-existent. Lesson #5, even in summer always have raingear AND something warm to wear...doubled...unless you don't mind wearing the same thing over and over again. The good thing about fleece is that it rolls up very nicely in your suitcase and is very lightweight to boot!

In Amsterdam, we were in this wonderful little restaurant. Now, you know that Europeans don't do doggie bags like we do doggie bags. In fact, if it wasn't for the Americans running around in Europe, there would be NO doggie bags. Europeans don't do them! I always prepare myself for the errant look I get when asking if I can take my leftovers home. I've been given newspaper, waxpaper and butcher paper to wrap my stuff up. I've had stuff leak thru those flimsy wrappings, and it is not pretty. My solution....is to ALWAYS carry a few ziploc bags of a few sizes...of the freezer variety due to their sturdiness. I'm not going to tell you to do it, but if you want to make your kid...or you and the family a little sandwich from the breakfast buffet for later...I'm not going to tell you not to do it either. Well, in making my list for the trip, I thought I'd be slick and download an Iphone app specifically for packing....I missed a key item in the transfer from paper to app....ziploc bags. Not only did I not have it for my leftovers but I also didn't have it for the wet swimsuits or the opened bag of goldfish that wanted to jump out all inside my purse nor for the pile of receipts I like to keep in order til I get home. Crap. Lesson #6, travel with a few ziploc bags of various sizes. You won't know what you will use them for ahead of time, but somewhere and somehow, you WILL end up needing them!

Of course I learned a few other lessons, but they are not worth the paper I would write them on, so I will end here. Do you have any lessons learned from this summer? Any summer?

Video: A Visit to Bavaria, Germany

2011-08-10T17:51:00.026+02:00

I was recently running around in Bavaria….Oberammergau and Garmisch area in Germany. As usual, I'm all over the place throwing out tips and advice….take it or leave it!

I love to hear from my readers, which means you gotta post below about your own adventures and advice! This blog is made possible by all the great tips and advice shared by you...yes YOU!

On this particular video, you’ll hear me talk about food….more food…hiking, things to see and do down here and tips for saving money of course like always!

I hope this has inspired you to get out and ENJOY your current duty station, wherever that may be! There is ALWAYS a hidden gem and fun is what you make of it!

Podcast #9 - Travel Tips in Germany (Oberammergau)

2011-08-07T09:11:00.001+02:00

Join me as I walk down the mountain along a babbling brook. Rounding the bend in our two hour hike just outside of Oberammergau, Germany, I thought I needed something to keep me going those last few minutes...hence, the podcast! I share a few tips that are all over the map...literally!

Some of the things I mention in this latest audio podcast:

Shopping tips on vacation

Visiting the town tourist bureaus

What is a "Ferienwohnung" and why you should know this

Getting money from German bank ATMs (Sidenote: You can access many of these foyers by sliding your ATM card thru the card reader at the door after hours)

Money Tips Overseas

Pool Rules

What is FKK?

Eating Out Tips

How to pay our restaurant bill

Why is the butcher so important?

The Laberbergbhahn (gondola) in Oberammergau

What is a Kurkarte, and why do I need one?

The Edelweiss Lodge in Garmisch

Random musings I know, but hopefully you can take something out of it!

Space A Magic

2011-08-04T09:56:00.001+02:00


Visit http://www.baseops.net/spaceatravel/ for more Space A information!

I know for many of us, flying Space A is a big unknown. I've only flown twice myself, as a military dependent many years ago. We waited many days in Dover, Delaware trying to catch that perfect flight to Germany to visit my grandparents. It's clear in my mind that we went to the terminal every day, only to be told there was no flight that day or that a previously scheduled flight was cancelled. We made the best of it, enjoying the shore and some beach time and luckily, my parents had budgeted to stay in a hotel off post nearby. We waited just about a week. The flight we ended up taking was a military craft with the seats suspended inside. So this is what the guts of a plane looks like I remember thinking. But what sticks out the most in my mind was a mid-air refueling training mission (yes, they did warn us), and WOW, it was enough to make you think you were riding a roller coaster...up and down...up and down...enough to make you blow your lunch which the air crew handed out in little boxes a few hours before. One of our readers, Jo recently flew Space A and offers these tips for us below.

The first and most important thing to remember is that Space-A is a privilege, not a right. If you aren't on an open schedule (meaning, come and go as you please) then it's VERY important to have a back-up plan).

Where are you trying to go? What is your closest AF Base that can get you there or somewhere you can transfer from? Some bases have regularly scheduled flights (ex: On Monday, Wednesday and Saturday there is a flight departing XX base, and it stops at YY and ZZ).

Visit this link to get an idea of where some of the bases' frequent stops are located.

Have all your valid and required paperwork to travel. Are you flying with or as a servicemember? They/You will need to be on leave before they can even 'register' for Space A. If you're flying and your spouse is currently deployed, you will need a letter from his CoC stating you are allowed to fly Space A while the servicemember is out in theater. This letter needs to include your information, along with any traveling dependents and your spouse's information as well. You will also need to bring proof that you are command sponsored, meaning that you were included on his orders to his current duty station. The S-1 or admin folks of your husband's unit can type that up for you.

REGISTER - Once you have an idea of where you would like to go, register with the bases that you may be flying out of. You can register in person, by fax or via email. Sign-Up email addresses can be found here.

If a servicemember is traveling, they CANNOT register until they are ON leave. The email you send needs to include leave start and end date. If you are traveling sans SM, scan and email a copy of your CoC issued travel letter. Email any and every base you may be using. Better to be safe than sorry. Registering early is important because if there are three Active Duty (AD) Category 3 personnel on leave trying to fly, the person who registered FIRST gets priority. Once you register, it is active for 90 days (or 60 days, so double check) so you won't need to register every single time you fly so long as it's within that timeframe.

You should receive a confirmation letting you know that you are registered. If you don't receive it in 24 hours, call the base. It's possible that they may have an incorrect email listed. Be proactive and don't make assumptions. Again, it's better to be safe than sorry.

All that squared away? Great! Now you're probably wondering "well, how do I know when the flight is?". Most bases do not provide a flight schedule earlier than 72 hours out. Some have automated answering services that give you a destination and how many tentative seats there are and a "showtime". Showtime is when you need to be checked in by. Continue to call everyday within that 72 hour gap to make sure the flight info is accurate. They are subject to change (this happened to us) and you could get stranded somewhere you didn't intend on staying.

Please pack a sweater or blanket in your carryon, especially if you are flying overnight. You won't know what type of aircraft you'll be on and a C-17 can get very cold. We shivered our entire trip to the east coast. Lesson learned for us.

Show up! Make sure you have your proper IDs, Passport (if going overseas), and bring your CoC issued letter or Leave form. Although you may have submitted it, keep it on you. I'd also print out a copy of any confirmation messages or emails you may have received showing your 'registration' date. Once you arrive at the AMC Terminal you will mark yourself' present' so they know you would like to take a flight out. Afterward, you'll wait until they call your name. This is done by category. If you are flying with an Active Duty (AD) servicemember, then you'll be category 3 and for the most part, you're at the head of the line. The only categories flying ahead of you are Emergency Leave or those on PCS orders.

Have a safe flight! flying Space-A may not be the most convenient in terms of time, secured seats or comfort but it's free! I'll deal with all of that vs paying an outwards of 1000K for a flight overseas.

Thanks so much Jo for your input. Stay tuned where Jo will talk about her family's personal experience in an upcoming blogpost. The only think I would add...and try to pound in your head, you absolutely have to be flexible and need to have the time to do this. If you want to try to use it during the summer, I would definitely re-think that. It is the heaviest PCS travel season, and you could be trying to get on a flight for days. If you have the time and patience, go for it....if not, find an alternate means of travel. I believe MAC flights also only take you to the first point of entry in the US. You need to keep that in mind when planning the rest of your transportation to your final destination. Will you grab a commercial flight the rest of the way? Rent a car? Have family come get you? Have it all planned out including alternate ideas. MAC flights may only get you so close, and the rest of the plan is yours to figure out.

Something interesting I have found when friends have traveled from Germany, is that every plane can be different. Do you know the G5s have space sometimes? Yes, I know it's a $50 million aircraft! Yes, I recently read about a military wife who rode a G5 plane from Korea to the US....plush leather seats and personal service usually reserved for generals. How she snagged that, I don't know. I owuld post the link with her happy smiling child...but I can't find it, sorry! Coming out of Ramstein, be prepared for flights loaded with wounded going back stateside...some in fairly grave condition. I had a friend who passed on one of those flights, because she was afraid to expose her children to so many injured soldiers. I am not saying that was right or wrong, just something to think about when accepting a flight or not. You may even have a flight with NO SEATS. Yes, I had a friend fly on a military craft that didn't have any, and there must have been many veteran Space Aers on the flight, as they rolled out their sleeping bags and hung out using their pillows as luggage!

One more resource to throw your way, be sure to check out the AMC's Space A Facebook page. It's a great resource and what a great way to get your questions answered should you have any. If anyone has any other sites or stories to share, please do so below. I would love to hear them!

The Ubiquitous German Stau and what to do about it!

2011-07-27T19:49:00.001+02:00

After this past weekend, I realized I am spoiled. I am spoiled because I live in a semi-rural area in Belgium where the biggest gridlock I see is trying to get into the front gate of the base....or perhaps on the dumb occasion I decide to drive to Brussels on the ringroad during rush hour. Imagine my dismay when I saw the brake lights this past week on a German autobahn going South. Oh crap, how could I totally forget the life of a German autobahn driver?   Ooops, I used to be so on top of this stuff when I lived here...out of sight out of mind I guess! I read in this month's ADAC magazine (ADAC runs something similar to the American AAA motorists' program) that in 2010 there were 185,000 staus with a total length of 400,000 kilometer. To put that in perspective, this length would get you to the moon at least! And why all this stau stuff and what can you do to help yourself?

First of all, like many places in the world, we are building more cars than we have the capacity to handle. Go to any Chinese city these days and see hosts of shiny blue BMWs and sleek Mercedes not moving instead of the ubiquotous bicycles that fanned across the nation just a few years ago. The same is going on in Europe, in particular Germany that sits in the middle of everything. There just isn't enough autobahn capacity to handle all the car traffic, period. I also read that the German authorities are looking at widening the autobahn lanes, not by building yet another lane, but by using what's already there...the break down lanes. Believe it or not, there are cameras all up and down the autobahns, and those folks watching these cameras can immediately see if there is a breakdown or other hinderance in that lane, and if it's clear for a certain stretch, lights would flash, letting drivers know that this is now an open lane. Yes, that's the plan, and yes, they'd have to install that light system. I have no idea when and if it will be implemented, so don't ask me. I am just parroting what I just read the plan seems to be. Of course they gave it a good solid German name too these "new lanes", "Temporaraere Seitenstreifenfreigabe" or just TSF for short.

So here we are back to the problem. What can you do about these staus? Honestly, there are a few things you can do before you ever hit the road.

-Check Schulferien before you travel! This site lists the various school holidays of German schoolkids by region. The German states try to stagger their vacation time, so that not all German kids are streaming South or wherever they are going, all at the same time. Nifty, huh? Now instead of millions, you may only have thousands...but still, it's too many. Please don't even think of traveling on a German autobahn at the front or back end of these holidays...just don't torture yourself like that or even your family.

-Try not to leave on a Friday or come back on a Sunday or vice versa. Try to stagger your own holiday if you can and leave during the week, the closer you can to Wednesday is best. I realize some vacation rentals are not set up for that, so find another one that is.

-Consider leaving in the middle of the night. Believe it or not, there really is less traffic at those times.

-Check Staumeldungen with up-to-the minute traffic updates. Keep your German radio on. You will hear some God awful airhorn noise through the radio every hour on the hour, which actually will interrupt a CD or even cassette tape you are playing (at least in a German car) and give you the latest stau information via a person quickly running through all the German staus of note (for that radio station's region). Many times, this person will talk incredibly fast for English speakers, but listen to key cities and also the autobahn designations, such as A8, A81 or the like...they won't say North or South like I blogged about before, but they will tell you which direction by signifying a city direction. So they'll say "A8 Richtung Stuttgart" which means on the A8 Autobahn going North if you haven't hit Stuttgart yet, as the A8 comes from the direction of Munich....they'll even tell you how long the stau is and sometimes you'll hear the word "zwischen" which means between or "Kreuzung" which means a crossing of one autobahn over another...listen to what cities or towns they mention...those are the exits. It may take some practice, but you'll get the hang of it.

-If you have a smartphone, then download the Stau Mobil App, which is free. You'll see what's going on without having to wait for anyone to tell you.

-AFN radio also tries to mention the major ones when they hear about them, plus I think they encourage their listeners to call in. Of course if you have a GPS that handles gridlock for you, by all means use it and its bypass recommendations. ADAC Magazine also mentions that the majority of the time, you are better of staying on the autobahn rather than leaving it...unless it's a really bad one, such as after an accident that closes down all lanes...sometimes in both directions!

If you are an ADAC member, you can look for ADAC yellow marked vehicles....the autobahn angels I call them. I've seen them pull all kinds of spare parts out of their hatches! Did you know they also have fun stuff for kids, food and water too for ADAC members? If you are really stuck, don't hesitate to call them if you have ADAC roadside asssistance, even if it is to request any of these routine-sounding items. You are paying for the service.

Do you have any tips you'd like to share about avoiding staus and also how to deal with one when you're in it? Honestly, I have great memories of a pick-up frisbee game on a stau to Austria many years ago...I think we were at a standstill for about four hours, but I got to know my fellow stau companions and had a great time while we dealt with the delay. If that would happen today, with all the hurry up and wait we do these days, I don't know if I could handle that. It ended up being a rockslide, and thankfully no one was hurt. Let's hear your stories!

Flying your pet to Europe using a military rotator (MAC) flight

2011-07-18T15:21:00.002+02:00

You have heard me blog about flying pets overseas and the prep involved. But earlier this year, I had a reader contact me about flying overseas on a military rotator flight with their doggie and what did I know about that. I didn't admit I was a total neophyte, nor did I give her any information she could use about pets and military flights.....honestly, I didn't think pets could even fly on MAC flights, PCS or no PCS. Glad I kept my mouth shut, because thanks to Lee, she got back to me as promised with how the experience went for her and her cute little pug. Here is Reggie's story and how you can use the military to fly your pet to Germany.

As promised, I wanted to get back to you about our experience flying our dog overseas to Germany via the Patriot Express (the AMC Rotator). We left BWI airport the night Sunday, 10 July, and arrived at Ramstein AB at noon on Monday, 11 July. We're now settled in at our new duty location and I'm relieved to say everything went well! However, there are a few things I would recommend to others preparing to PCS overseas with a pet:

* Plan ahead - way ahead. As I wrote to you before, my husband scheduled our flight on the Patriot Express roughly 10 weeks prior to our PCS date, and we got the very last pet slot on the plane. I believe there are ten pet slots per rotator flight (not counting pets that can travel in cabin under the seat), and during heavy PCS seasons (like summer), they book out quickly. So once you get orders, one of your first priorities should be working with TMO (or your branch's counterpart) to initiate your reservation and request a pet slot.

* If you are taking the Patriot Express during heat or cold with a snub-nosed dog (pug, boston terrier, etc.) consider alternatives to connecting flights. If time allows and the distance is not too great, consider driving or taking a train. We PCSed from the panhandle of Florida which is very hot and humid in July. Our dog, Reggie, is a nine year old pug, and we could not find any commercial carrier in our area that would be willing to transport him. Most have an embargo on snub-nosed breeds during summer months and extreme cold temperatures, and some carriers no longer take any dogs at all in the summer. The Patriot Express does not have these embargoes, as the pets are in a climate controlled area, but getting Reggie to BWI was becoming very problematic. However, since we have family nearby, we opted to drive up and stay with family along the way, and then we shipped our car directly from the Port of Baltimore. It was a lot of time in the car, but it was much easier than the hassle of flying him in the summer.

* Go through a military veterinary clinic if at all possible for your International Health Certificate (the one you can get up to four months out) and your Health Certificate (the one you must get within 10 days of flight). If a military veterinarian signs off on the forms, you are exempt from getting the USDA stamps on your documentation, which saves a lot of time and hassle. However, when you make your appointment, be sure to confirm there is an active duty veterinarian on site who can sign the form. Because whenwe left our AFB in Florida greater than ten days before our flight out, we had to get Reggie seen by a military vet en route. Four weeks before we left, I called several military installations in the Baltimore/Washington area, thinking they could see him - but they couldn't. Most did not have an active duty veterinarian on site (they are frequently deployed during times of combat to serve as public health officers), and those that did had very limited clinic days/hours. Fortunately, I was able to get him in at the Shaw AFB vet clinic, and although it meant four hours round trip in the car, it was still faster and easier than taking him to a civilian vet and dealing with the USDA stamp process.

* Make sure all signatures are in a color other than black. Military veterinarians generally know this, but civilian vets might not. After I obtained the International Health Certificate, I had to go back to my civilian vet and get a new rabies certificate and immunization record because they were signed in black ink. Had I known, I could have requested this from the start and saved myself a trip. (Note from LLMW, I did not know this....something I need to follow up on).

* Make sure your pet's microchip number is on your rabies certificate and immunization record. It does not have to be printed on the paperwork - you can hand-write it in if necessary (I did, without any problems).

* Check - and double check - your pet's documentation before you leave the clinic. I cannot stress this enough - if there are any errors with the paperwork, your pet can be refused on the flight. When I obtained our health certificate, I noticed that the batch number of the rabies vaccine was incorrectly entered, and date of the certificate was in MM/DD/YY format but my dog's birthdate was in DD/MM/YY format. I pointed this out and requested that they reprint the certificate with the correct batch number and write out both dates (i.e., 5 July 2011 and 10 November 2001) in order to cut down on any confusion. I know the clerk thought I was being anal-retentive and wasn't too happy with me, but these are the kind of small errors that can cause a real problem later.

* Bring multiple copies of your pet's documentation (health certificates, rabies certificate, immunization record, etc.). I had to give a copy to the agent at BWI as well as the German customs officer at Ramstein AB, and a copy was taped to Reggie's crate. Had we had connecting flights, I'm sure each carrier would have needed copies as well. By having multiple copies with me, it saved time (agents didn't have to make copies) and I was able to keep the originals with me at all times.

* Get your pet a properly-sized crate in advance and let your him/her use it. There are strict rules about crates for international flights (size, ventilation, etc.), so measure your pet carefully to make sure you get the right size. (I used the following site for information on measurements and crate requirements. I'm not endorsing them as a vendor, as I didn't buy my crate from them, but the info is helpful.) Consider having your pet sleep in the crate for a week or two prior to the flight, so s/he can get used to it. Flying is stressful for pets, so getting them used to their crate means they will at least have a familiar place to stay during the flight. You may also want to include something like an old shirt or blanket that you've used and that smells like you - this may also be comforting for them. We also bought a clip-on fan to help with ventilation, since Reggie is a pug. I don't know if it helped him, but it reduced MY anxiety knowing he had it! :)

There's a nice brochure about the Patriot Express at this web site: (click on "Patriot Express Brochure"), and one about shipping your pet here. I would definitely recommend reviewing these prior to the flight.

Throughout the process, I told my friends and family that getting Reggie to Germany was more complicated and time-consuming than it was for my children - and I wasn't really joking either. However, if you start early and are proactive and organized, it makes for smooth traveling later. I hope your readers find this information helpful, and as always, thanks for the service you provide us military spouses. Were it not for your blog, I would not have been nearly as well prepared for our move, and I am so grateful I discovered it!

Thank you Lee for taking the time to report back on your experience! If any of my other readers would like to share any experiences, pet or otherwise, just let me know! My goal is always to share information here, whether it comes from me or one of our fellow readers!

Have you joined me on Facebook yet?

2011-07-12T11:07:00.000+02:00

In front of Linderhof Schloss yesterday.

Hello all....well, I've discarded yet another new blog design. My father keeps telling me to take the time now to make sure it's exactly what I want...but of course I want things....NOW...or yesterday. You know how it goes. So, in the meantime, while I dicker around with something I don't know much about and drive myself more into some kind of newfound frustration when I should be on vacation...and now Oh Lord, I'm rhyming...never a good sign....I'll have to leave you with something in the interim! I wanted to ask if you are on Facebook?

I know there may be a few of you (like I used to be) resistant to even be on Facebook. Others may not have ventured that way. In the interest of continuing what we talk about here...and discuss...we have some tips being bantered back and forth on the Life Lessons of a Military Wife Facebook page. How much should you be tipping in Germany? Especially hairdressers? How about using those VAT forms to get huge discounts on your lodging, not just on your travels later but also after your fresh arrival in Germany. It's extra money in your pocket! A friend is also having trouble registering her car now that she's stateside...find out an easy way to avoid this on the Facebook page.

And the best part? Is in the bottom left, you should see all the other great military spouse, travel and other interesting Facebook Groups I have subscribed to. There are some really great support groups and groups that can help you with any question you may have under the sun. There are even pages supported by the different military support elements as well, so get an official answer without messing with email and putting your personal information out there. Even the military paycheck people, DFAS, have a Facebook page.

Anyway, thought I would throw that out there! We are still "vacationing" down in Bavaria with an internet connection that is more fickle than I ever was when I was younger....yes, it's that bad...and frustrating! I'm working on a map of fun things to do in the Garmisch/Oberammergau area..not the typical stuff that the Edelweiss giftshop/tour people recommend but other stuff too...I'll let you know when that's online. The kids are determined to swim in every Alpine Lake in the area...me, typical mom holds her breath as they dive down and don't appear for awhile...some of these lakes are DEEP and murky. Many do have nice beaches and docks, along with cafes and restaurants....entry to the swimming area for nominal fees, so it's not like you are totally out there in the wilderness! There are also plenty of hiking and biking trails radiating out in all directions...something for everyone!

I hope everyone is able to take some time off this summer and is enjoying family time as well! See you next week when I have a better connection online and look for me to hopefully say something useful next week over at Military Moms Talk Radio!

Bringing your iphone (or android) to Europe

2011-07-09T07:00:00.000+02:00

It was inevitable. Either you are pegged to go on a business trip somewhere in Europe, moving overseas or will be taking a little vacation across the big pond. I've gotten a bit of mail from folks asking if they should bring their iphone or not and what pitfalls there might be. First, you might want to read my general article on cell phones overseas in Europe. There are quite a few differences from being stateside. The biggest being that we use SIM cards over here, so if your iphone is CDMA technology, you are hosed...partly....although you should still be able to use it in the wi-fi mode, along with any ipod touch you may bring along. Note to self, in today's global economy, don't bother getting a CDMA cell phone as the Americans are the only major players still using it! Here are some things on making the transition smooth with your iphone when coming over here.

Check with your provider and find out what the roaming charges are. If you are only coming over for awhile, then you'll keep your cell phone plan at home....literally. Most providers have outrageous international roaming charges, but to do your due diligence, just find out what they are. We've all heard about the lady with the almost $40,000 roaming cell phone charge and don't want to be in her shoes!

Make sure you TURN OFF the roaming feature before you even begin your journey and get on that plane! Even if you don't use the phone, you may be still charged data fees (which are higher) when your apps decide to do their updating and background work.

The next step would be to put it in "Airplane Mode" and only switch that off when you plan to use it. It's an extra safety net. It will basically turn your iphone into an itouch and allow you to use any nearby wi-fi networks.

Turn "Fetch New Data" OFF in all your apps. You also don't want your email and contacts to constantly try to sync. To turn off the Auto-Check functionality tap on Settings, then Fetch New Data, change Push to “OFF” and Select to Fetch Manually.

You might want to reset your Usage Tracker to Zero tap on Settings. Then General, Usage and then Reset. This way, you'll be able to track your exact usage.

If for some reason, let's say you are coming from the UK and your carrier has some kind of partnership or lower roaming fees with a certain provider on the mainland, turn off the automatic feature setting when searching for a Carrier, under your iphone Settings Menu. That way, if there are multiple carriers operating in an area, you can choose which one you want to connect to.

Make sure you have the Free Wi-fi finder app on your iphone and also have the offline database already uploaded on your iphone ahead of time, so you can check it out offline. It doesn't list all the free wi-fi hotspots in Europe but many of them are there. More keep getting added from folks like me who discover free wi-fi in our travels. Also know that many coffee shops, parks in Paris, hotel lobbies and other public places have free wi-fi. I don't know if it's standard Europe-wide but every McDonald's I've been in has free wi-fi. Don't discount hospitals and other public buildings either. I even went to a comedy show in Amsterdam, Boom Chicago...granted, the free wi-fi was for us to use Facebook and Twitter as we were waiting for the show to start...and during the show to make fun of some guy's Facebook page they had singled out of the audience, but hey, I could still check my stuff while I was in there! I've even found free wi-fi in some stores, especially bookstores.

Most of the US bases or posts, even the NATO bases have wi-fi hotspots. All over Germany, in a pinch, I've paid the $5 for access at the onpost foodcourts, which is good for one week typically at that price (credit card needed). Many of the USOs will have free wi-fi. Be sure you note which communities have them (not all do unfortunately). Here in SHAPE, Belgium you'll find free wi-fi at the SHAPE Library, the Rendezvous Cafe next to the GB Shopping Center and also at the SHAPE Club. Be sure to also look online at locations you'll be visiting and see if you can locate any that way. As long as the wi-fi is free, you can use your iphone or itouch for free at those hotspots. Now what if you want more options when it comes to wi-fi?

There is an alternative out there if you strictly want to use your iphone with wi-fi...ANYWHERE in Europe..anywhere with cell phone tower access that is. Even if your phone is still locked, you should be able to use it in wi-fi mode. There's a little device you can rent, and if you are over here for a longer period, it will pay for itself many times over! It's called Tep Pocket Wifi and provides wireless internet wherever you go. They can even deliver it to your hotel or wherever you'll be on the mainland. It works just like a wi-fi hotspot, but it's personal and fits in your pocket. Not only can you use it with your smartphone but also with your laptop and tablet PC. Up to five devices can share the hotspot and you get reliable 3G coverage where available. Who said Europe was backwards when it comes to technology? Hey, we've got the high speed Germans who like to be at or near the forefront, so you know we are going to have good options.

Be sure to download the app TextPlus. This app will give you a free stateside phone number where you will be able to send and receive FREE text messages. With the free version, you can send up to 20 free texts a day. If you want to send more or would like to do group texts (oh that sounds dirty doesn't it?) where you can send one text out to multiple people, then upgrade for around a dollar or so to the Silver or Gold version. Please remember that many of the apps I'm mentioning are available in the android market too!

When I first bought my iphone, second-hand mind you...I used it for an entire week just via wi-fi while I waited for my SIM card to arrive. One great thing about being around soldiers...a lot of soldiers have been looking to upgrade to the iphone 4, so want to get rid of their 3s...I can see the same thing happening when the next version comes out....so, if you are near a barracks or some soldiers, get the word out that you have QUICK CASH for their used iphones!

Now, if you are coming over here for a longer time period and would like to use the cell phone part of your iphone or handy as it's called over here, you're going to need it to be unlocked. If you are under contract in the US with a carrier there, they are obligated by law to unlock your phone at the two year mark. It's funny, but most cell phones over here, to include the iphone are sold UNLOCKED. We don't have all these issues of AT&T and other carriers hogging all the prime cell phones and iphones. We are also a few years ahead of the US in general with cell phone technology. Why that is, I just don't know. Maybe one of you can explain it to me, cause I'd sure like to know...it's been that way ever since I can remember...the newest models always come to Europe first...then the US...hmmmmm.

Anyway, SIM cards are sold like candy over here. You can find them at most electronic stores, bookstores and even convenience stores. Many of us over here don't have cell phone plans but buy minutes as we need them. Cell phone plans tend to be a lot more expensive over here and are hard to get out of. The average European will have whatever cell phone, which they bought unlocked and then buy the SIM card w/minutes separately. I have SIM cards for every European country I typically travel to (along with their in country cell phone numbers). Again, you can only exercise this option if your cell phone is UNLOCKED!

I've noticed in Germany, not all carriers reach all towns for some reason, so I always recommend people check their new area as well as what carrier their spouse might have for their military issued cell phone. Many military units have iphones and blackberries they give to their key leaders. If you use your own personal cell phone, most folks will then add minutes online through their carrier or buy the little tickets at the checkout. These tickets will give them a code on their store receipt, which they then punch into their cell phone to reflect the new purchased amount. You have a whole year to use up those purchased minutes. These minutes cover voice and text messaging. Many will even let you upload minutes thru Paypal or your local bank account too.

Now for those who want a bit more, then buy a SIM card through a carrier that offers it with data....usually 2 GB limit per month. Here in Belgium, I use Mobile Vikings. How do you know you went over your data limit? Just by a gentle reminder. Like everything here in Belgium, things are slow and not taken too seriously. The only catch with this is that voice calls are more expensive than usual. In that case, I mostly end up text messaging and using the data portion. It offers roaming throughout the continent, but since those fees are a bit higher (even when receiving calls which are typically free with options, not data), I end up using my supercheap prepaid regular phone for use outside of Belgium for my voice calls. Now, I still access free wi-fi on my iphone where available and end up carrying both with me on my travels. Or, I'll just switch out the SIM card for an in-country one....I hope that makes sense!

If you will be in Germany at least 30 days and want a SIM card (and its respective German cell phone number) that will handle data and the use of your smartphone, check out FYVE and Smartmobil where you can get these services without a contract. You will need a German address for these choices though and will need an UNLOCKED device.

If you have extra money to throw away and the thought of purchasing a SIM card in a foreign country scares you....or maybe you are one of those people who likes to travel but have everything set in place before you go, then go with Smart Free to purchase a European SIM card. It's expensive, I'm not going to lie...more than I would pay, but again, it gives peace of mind BEFORE you leave. That's why I am mentioning it here! I've also known a few business people who were happy with Telestial.

One more thing...there is one more option for you if you like to fly by the seat of your pants...okay, so the other end of the spectrum then! As long as you are tech savvy or know someone who is, then this is for you! I've found yet again, that there are many soldiers out there who have mastered the art of jailbreaking iphones, and just getting the word out that you have one that you want jailbroken, can really free up your choices in Europe if your phone is NOT unlocked. To indulge in all these goodies, your iphone has to be both UNLOCKED and JAILBROKEN. Read this article here for the how-to on using your iphone in Europe after the jailbreaking process.

So now what? Well, there are a whole lot of apps that can be a huge help in your travels throughout Europe. But, since I'm done for today, I will end here and blog more about those choices later!

Gifting a Word Collage

2011-07-07T07:00:00.002+02:00

Here's a great idea from Tiffany...something that I've never thought of. Read on...

Recently, my husband celebrated a (rather) milestone birthday and I wanted to commemorate with family and friends - but with everyone around the world, I was stuck.

Then I stumbled upon word collages - what a great gift for a writer to give her husband. And a great way to incorporate love from everyone. I had family and friends send me a word (the total equaled his number of years) to describe him or their relationship with him. He was touched.

Word collages are great for our military spouse life because they are inexpensive, special and unique. Imagine you have a retirement to attend. What do you give the retiree, or the spouse, to commemorate such service - and not spend an arm and a leg? Or spouse club going away parties? Or little morale gifts?

Here are my tips for word collages in the military life:
- Incorporate jargon. You know those silly acronyms and words that somehow become part of our vocabulary. Word collages are a great place to celebrate the weird language we have learned - and the intricacies of a field or specialty.
- Don't forget to include some of the jokes, quotes, rules and overused phrases among the guys or girls in your community. I would avoid anything too offensive, but those slightly off-color jokes can bring back lots of memories.
- If you are commemorating a whole career, make sure you think back to the early days. Were there special schools or trainings? Deployments? Include words from all his or experiences. (You might need a spouse to help with this one!)
- Include a list of duty stations, zip codes or bases in the collage. (My friend made one of all the street names of their former addresses. Too cute.)
- The best word collages have a whole mix of words. Use names of tools, uniforms or equipment. Use verbs regarding tactics or missions. Use commands and lyrics. Use places and addresses. Use adjectives or adverbs to describe certain experiences.

If you want more tips, come on over to my website. I have lots of ideas!

Have you ever created a word collage? How was it received?

Thanks Tiffanie for the neat idea!

Settling in to our Bavarian Cottage this 4th of July

2011-07-04T11:07:00.000+02:00

Finally made it...two hours after we intented due to numerous detours around mountains and also a lake to get to our destination in Bavaria. I think every Bavarian town in our direction was having a fest or parade as we tried to make our way down here. After a full night's rest, we are enjoying the brilliant sunshine and getting used to the slight slant in the floor of our cottage. It's funny how your brain tells you one thing, and your feet are acting like they are DRUNK! But it is also funny how your brain compensates or overcompensates and makes your brain think right side up again in spite of what you are seeing. I even stopped putting things on the window ledge in the kitchen, knowing that they will roll right off of there!

Coming back to Germany, the place of my birth...and the place we lived before moving to Belgium...I feel like I came home. After our big Bavarian meal of schnitzels, dumplings, Schweinehaxen (pigs' knuckles) and veal cutlets with mushrooms in a creamy sauce, we think we all died and went somewhere otherwordly last night! The food is that good! It's even cheaper than eating out in Belgium, with hefty portions...but alas, we obviously can't do this every day, cause for a family of four, you're still going to pay about 65 euros for a meal (gulp, about $95) and have to grow another stomach to accomodate the big loads going in!

Before we made it down here though, a wonderful friend of mine offered up her home to us in Stuttgart, to kind of break up the drive...it's about six hours driving comfortably and taking into account a few German staus (gridlock) on the autobahns, we made it the second day...boy, had I forgotten that little deal about driving in Germany...the staus!!! Big tip here, if you are driving for a longer distance on any of the autobahns, please check the German school calendar for your region of Germany...it is almost impossible to get anywhere on the autobahn when those periods start and end, so be mindful of those dates...also the big German holidays too are listed on that site too (unfortunately, that's the only part in English right now).

Anyway, so we spent a day of being nostalgic and driving by and checking out all our old haunts in Stuttgart. As we walked into the building where I used to work, my younger son said, "yep, it smells the same". The commissary on Patch looks exactly the same...a bit rundown as always...the big talked about foodcourt on Patch is still non-existent, although they say it is planned to open in July (isn't that...now?) after many construction delays. Over on Panzer, we noticed that the foodcourt there has been spiffed up a bit, and in addition to Charley's Steakhouse, Popeye's, Anthony's Pizza and Sehne Bakery, they have added a Burger King. Most of the small mall shops (there are only a handful) are still the same, although it looks like there is some kind of t-shirt or clothing shop that wasn't there before at the PX entrance. The PX has revamped its image a bit, and I love that they expanded the electronics and book sections, although the clothes still look like the same tired old fashion they had before....we'll take the change in small bites though, right?

So, not much else on the agenda at the moment. We'll do a little sightseeing but mostly relaxing and enjoying the mountain air...maybe do some hiking...one of the two gorges in the area, we have not ever hiked. The kids are glad we brought the cat, and I can already see where he has picked out his spot, right by the window where he can see that bird's nest and the fountain out back. He seems to have no problems with the lean at all.

I just saw the new banner for my blog re-design and am so happy with it! I did tell the designer (okay, so she is my stepmom, but she does do this professionally) to flesh out my cartoon character a bit, cause right now, if I were to turn sideways, I would disappear. I am NOT that skinny, and I need to have some reality going on here! If any of you have ever migrated a blog from blogger to a wordpress platform and a new site, I would love to hear what your biggest trip up was..and NO, not to laugh at you but to LEARN from you! I am a bit worried when it will come to migrating the old posts...isn't it funny how attached we get to stuff that isn't even real?!!

As I sit here thinking about the 4th of July and what it means, I am a bit sad...I read an article yesterday about this lady. And it made me sad.....although she seems to have a great support network, no one knows the outright terror and worry that she goes through on a daily basis. Sometimes the fear of the unknown can be worse than any known fear. Haven't you noticed that before?...so she will sit...and wait....and keep herself busy, cause that is what you do so you don't dwell on things. If you are currently going through a deployment and need some encouragement, please make sure you read this.

I know my military readers will think about their loved ones in harm's way this 4th of July, just because their communities are so deeply immersed in the thick of this deployment stuff. If you are civilian, I appreciate you coming by this blog and hopefully others and thinking of a deeper meaning of today too. I am thinking too of all the friends we currently have in harm's way and will pray for their safety today and also pray today that they get a good taste of Americana....whether it is an American flag gently flying in the breeze...a slew of sparklers being lit tonight and reminding them of their childhood back in the USA...or perhaps a hearty slice of American apple pie with ice cream. I don't know...I don't know what they will all do downrange today, but I will be thinking of them more than myself today...I'm going to make a point of it...and will send some positive email downrange to let them know I am thinking of them on this special day. If you've got the time, please do the same. Yes, it's great to celebrate with family and friends, and I personally have some awesome 4th of July BBQ and fun memories, but let's remember why we are even able to freely celebrate as we do.

Well, let me get going. I thought I'd run to the bakery down the street to give everyone a choice of fresh rolls and pastries this morning. Mind you, this will not happen every morning...although many German families do their bakery shopping EVERY morning...this family does not (again, thinking of the money and weight factors).....and then we'll see what else the day will bring. What will you be doing today?

What's this jewelry swap business?

2011-07-01T14:52:00.000+02:00

Hmmm...I received this interesting invite, and my first thought was WOWWWW, what a great idea! I get to go shopping for cool jewelry without any money...and have fun....and meet new people....and have fun.....oh, I said that already. Here's an idea for you and your friends, especially if you are tired of BUNCO or old chips &; dip nights or forays to the movie together. Check this out....

So I had this friend who sent me this invite:

"Are you like me…do you have a drawer full of costume or silver jewelry and accessories that seemed like a good idea at the time? Well, you know the saying…one woman’s clutter is another woman’s treasure!

Discover new favorites at our First Annual Jewelry and Accessory Swap and Get Together!!!

For each item you bring in you will receive one token allowing you to choose from among the treasures of the other guests. Any items remaining will be donated to a local thrift store.

Just to clarify, all remaining items will be donated. Dollar value of items will not be taken into consideration. It will be a one-for-one swap. It is possible you will leave with fewer items than you brought. This swap is for fun!"

I've seen this concept done for kids toys (all in great condition) but never for jewelry. Participants were also supposed to bring a dish to share. That is up my alley too...minimal prep and food-making for the host, everyone gets to be a part of it....sounds like a winner.

Here is the list of swappable items my friend listed:

*Reading glasses you’ve “outgrown”
*scarves
*belts
*all kinds of sturdy jewelry

So did I go? Not this time around due to another commitment, but I had to agonize and hear about all the great things others picked up at this event...how's that for feeling left out? You can bet I'll be first at the door for the next one...you see, I am partial to scarves and necklaces and those two items are the first things I look for in my travels and when discovering a new shop around here.

Do you have any great ideas of similar ideas or things that can be fun for a group of ladies?

Gonna be out of commission for about a week

2011-06-25T07:00:00.000+02:00

No, just wanted to reassure you that I am not dead and that I did not forget how to use the internet or write. I have been exploring options on how to make this blog better....whole new design, location...everything under the sun. That takes time. I don't have time at the moment to do that AND write....so I have taken a short break from writing. Please forgive me....

Be sure to check some of my favorite bloggers and what they are up to on the bottom left of this page. It seems like a lot of folks have been starting their summer travels, so I am excited to hear what everyone is up to!

I will see you soon with more content, more thoughts on living overseas....got some stuff in the works that I hope you will find interesting! Ciao for now (oh crap, it's a rhyme)!

Video: Vent day in Europe

2011-06-21T07:00:00.008+02:00

Well, I finally went and did it...I vented. I vented about not being home, in the US of A. Sure, it's great being over here. But sometimes, things just get to you and with a slew of late night cookies to make, this is what I had to say.

Guest post: Stateside move with three little ones and a hyperactive dog

2011-06-19T07:00:00.013+02:00

Lauren is an Army wife of seven years and mother to three kids (4 and under). Her website www.militarymoveit.com and her blog are her hobby and a sanity check from her three-ring circus.

In about three weeks we will take off and move to Ft. Benning, GA. For my husband and me the location is very welcome, but like most people, getting from point A to point B will be a real pain. We have 3 kids 4 years old and under, 2 cars and 1 hyperactive dog. Just to complicate things a bit more we are buying a newly built house at Ft. Benning (closing long distance) and renting out the one we currently live in. To add to the fun our 2 year old is potty training – or more like potty protesting- and our 1 year old just went mobile while getting in about 10 teeth at once… no exaggeration. This is going to mean lots of juggling.

This is nothing in comparison to an OCONUS PCS, however there are still lots of moving parts. But because I am a woman, and a Mom, I am determined that I can multitask my way into a smooth sailing move.

Arrive with all three children happy and healthy (it would be a real bummer to lose one).

Have zero meltdowns (I might be -1 on this already, as I did have a mini-tantrum over the incompetence in getting our orders completed).

We really want to limit time spent in a hotel to 3 days or less. I used to think hotels were fun. Then we had kids. I have yet to meet a hotel room that really understands children. I would much rather be in our new empty house on air mattresses where everyone has THEIR OWN ROOM.

I also would like to eat out as little as possible. I actually love eating out, but see above reasons on why that is not all it is cracked up to be anymore :)

Here the number one biggest challenge. I want to unpack and organize our house in about 2 days.

The second biggest challenge is to stay out of a financial hole, maybe even make a little money off this move.

Here is what I am doing to make all of this happen:

Since I have the luxury of knowing our new floor plan I am already determining which rooms everything will go into. I have closets that won’t really match up so I plan on separating that stuff out into containers and labeling them for the “new closet”.

I am taking pictures of all my bookshelves so I can “recreate” them when we unpack.

I am packing up as much perishable food as possible since this is a fairly short move. Do you know how much condiments cost!

I am putting together an "essentials" container that includes air mattresses, blankets, towels, a shower curtain, and some other stuff. Go here to access full lists on what to pack.

I am packing a container with cups, a few plastic plates, a pot and a pan.

Lastly, I will have our movers unpack our house. Read more about the tricks of that here.

Hopefully a lot of prep work at the starting line will translate into a successful move! I will check back in about a month to let you all know what did work, what didn’t work, and any extra tips I learned along the way.

Last day to enter - GIVEAWAY: Only a few more days to WIN the Europa Park tickets!

2011-06-17T07:00:00.049+02:00

Thank-you everyone for entering the contest to win the FREE Europa Park tickets! The contest is now over, and the winner will be announced shortly:-) Again, thanks to all who entered!!!!

Okay, last day to enter! To make sure these tickets don't get buried on the blog, remember you only have a few more days for an opportunity to win them. The odds are very good you will win! Why? Because we only have two handfuls of entries....less exposure for me but more for you, right?

Please be sure to read this post and follow the directions.

To enter, go to my Facebook page post and and comment on my entry that asks "What is your current duty station and what has been your best experience so far?". If you have trouble, let me know so I can manually enter you!

Hurry before it's over!

Guest Post: Top Tips from another veteran military spouse

2011-06-17T07:00:00.047+02:00

Military spouses = stone wall (mutual support)

Many of you already know my good friend Susanna who runs Military Duty Stations. It is a wonderful site that she has put together, detailing information on just about every military post you can think of, including some obscure ones you may have never heard of. How does she do it all? She doesn't....she gets her visitors to write in entries, and I think it's awesome that so many contribute...BUT she is always looking for new and fresh information, so please take the time to go help and leave your comment on your current duty station, no matter how small. We can't expect Susanna to do it all alone, and I think we can all benefit from her awesome work!

And without further delay, Susanna would like to share some of her veteran military spouse tips, as she has been on this bus herself while.

When you are a part of the military life there will be plenty of moments when you are alone or lonely. You will have to deal with the situation, hopefully without becoming bitter but finding new ways to live through it. Attitude is half the battle. Here are a few suggestions.

Planning
Forget planning anything. If you decide to plan then make sure that you realize your spouse might or might not be available for the event. Trying to find a date for our wedding was fairly challenging and one of the first lessons for me to learn.

Become independent
Yes, the military brings us spouses up to be Type A, go-getters. Sometimes this seems to backfire on them. Seriously, we are married but we have to know what to do and how to do it without having our spouse there. I remember that I have taken myself to surgery or childbirth before. Unfortunately, this tough exterior comes with a price as I have noticed to have little patience with some civilian wives. I am very sure that most of you know what I am talking about.

Holidays, birthdays, important dates
As mentioned before, planning is an issue when you live a military life. It is even more devastating when your loved one is missing an important event in your life. I believe that in my 18 years of marriage my husband missed...I guess half. However, I am not complaining, as I know that there are ladies out there who have a much lower percentage of their husbands being available. Holidays have taken on a different dimension. While birthdays and Christmas are still very important, things have changed. Christmas is when we can celebrate it as a family and not necessarily as a date. Birthdays...well, you do the best you can. It will be helpful to look at these dates differently.

Don't buy into the drama
Drama, there is a lot of it. Not sure why. Is it because most of us spouses are female and drama like that might be a female trait? Is it an outlet for spouses? I am not sure. Seems that sometimes the drama comes from hurt feelings. Sometimes it's a part of old baggage, when things only seemed right when there was a lot of upheaval in life. I do believe though that we, I , have to do the right thing. I want to grow, do it better. I want to accept others' opinion, even if I don't agree with it. I don't want to be hateful, but put good vibes and some love out in this world in hopes that this goodwill spreads. You try it, it will make a lot of things easier.

Finding new ways of finding together
After frequent or long-term separations it will become important to discover new ways to find your way back together. Don't be too hard on yourself.....but know that you are stronger than you think. If your gut tells you one thing there is a chance you are right and you need to go with your gut until the situation is resolved. Don't take NO for an answer until you are satisfied. Disclaimer: You might step on a few toes.

Seek support, support others!

Don't try and fight a situation by yourself. Find and join a support network, help if you can.

Thanks Susanna for those inspiring words. It sure gives us something all to think about whether we've been in military life for 30 days or 30 years! Thanks for your words of wisdom!

People still calculate in non-Euro currency over here

2011-06-15T17:34:00.000+02:00

This just cracks me up...but then again, I'm an American not schooled in such things (even though I sometimes say I am German if it benefits me...hey, I'm half right, cause I'm half German)....anyway...so I bought this book about Paris in our local Troc.com, an awesome second-hand store which I blogged about before. They sometimes have cool old books, but this was a new one. Okay so this is not about the book. It's about the receipt. Yes, the receipt. You see, everything looks nice and orderly, and in fact, just like an American receipt (except in French), until you get to the very bottom.

The entry I circled in the pic says "484,08 BEF". So what the heck is that? Well, if you can believe it or not...it is close to a decade that the Euro currency was brought to Belgium and people still calculate what the thing will cost in Belgian Francs, the previous currency. That's right. Especially the older generation. They absolutely want to know what that thing is worth in Belgian Francs before they buy it, whether it's a book, a piece of furniture or a sack of vegetables. Nevermind that we haven't had the Belgian Franc in nine years to value it against other world currencies. It is forever stuck in la-la land.

And before you laugh...the Germans do it too. In fact, right after the German Deutschmark changed over to Euros, you could still walk into stores and see two price signs and tags. The Deutschmark price and the Euro price. Of course you could only pay in Euros but people still wanted to know. My grandpa, rest his soul cause he had already lost one fortune when the Reichsmark went to the Deutschmark and thought it would happen again....even he continued to do it until his dying day about 12 years ago. I suspect my aunt still does it too although never out loud these days.

So next time you get your receipt in Europe, take a look at the bottom and see if you can find the old currency. You just might see it there and impress your friends with this fairly useless bit of knowledge!

Score one for the Air Force at RAF Mildenhall in the UK (Great newcomer info)

2011-06-13T07:00:00.009+02:00

Well isn't that something...once again I have to hand it to the Air Force. Yet again, they have put something together that I think the Army should have in Germany! I was surprised to stumble upon a seven part...yeah, you read it right...a SEVEN PART video series, of a few minutes each, geared towards newcomers PCSing to the UK and our Air Force bases there. You'll learn about inprocessing, the house hunt, on and off post living and just what you will be doing those first few precious and mind-blowing weeks.

It's funny. It's kind of like childbirth. It can be painful and overwhelming moving overseas for the firs time...and next year, when someone asks you about it, you'll be like...ah, from what I remember, it wasn't that big of a deal...yeah right. Anyway, I want to remind my Germany folks are those coming to other European locations...the inprocessing dance is done almost the exact same way! Yes, I know I was shocked. I have never inprocessed to an AF base before. Imagine that.

Anyway, be sure to check it out here...some of the clips go on to the next one automatically....I think the first one doesn't', so just click on Part 2. Maybe I should send this to Army Public Affairs or USAREUR...or something.

GIVEAWAY: Two FREE tickets to Europa Park Amusement Park!

2011-06-11T06:54:00.004+02:00

Thank-you everyone for entering the contest to win the FREE Europa Park tickets! The contest is now over, and the winner will be announced shortly:-) Again, thanks to all who entered!!!!

I guess I am going to jump on the giveaway bandwagon this summer! I'm excited that in partnership with the USO, I can offer two free tickets to Europa Park, an AWESOME American-style amusement park in Germany. People, this is the closest you are going to get to a "taste of apple pie" American experience...with of course some good German food available for good measure. Join me and my readers...tell your friends and win these two tickets!

Here are the contest rules:

Join my Life Lessons of a Military Wife Facebook page (or already have "liked" it) and answer my question posted on my Facebook page, "What is your current duty station and what has been your best experience so far?"

One entry per person please.

This contest is open to ALL my blog visitors and readers, regardless of where you are stationed but realize you can only use these tickets for the 2011 season in Europa Park in Germany. The park is located near Stuttgart and Karlsruhe, Germany.

The contest will start on 11 June 2011 and end one week later on 18 June 2011.

I will use random.org to randomly select a winner. Please make sure I am able to message you on Facebook or leave me with some way to contact you via your answer!

These two tickets have a value of 72 euros and have generously been donated by the USO Europe.

Looking forward to reading your answers, and I plan to use them in a future post on this blog (names and identifying information removed of course for privacy!).

Don't forget, if you have a local USO in your community in Europe, they sell discount tickets to many amusement parks, concerts and venues in Germany, so be sure to check them out!

Guest post: Fresh off the plane to Germany!

2011-06-09T07:00:00.063+02:00

So a few days ago, I asked if anyone would like to guestpost. Well, I asked, and I received!!! Thank-you so much. This post is actually fresh off the airplane. One of our readers packed up kit and kaboodle and flew overseas to Germany. After the first few weeks, she decided she had better write this stuff down. Without further delay, this is what she had to say.

I’ve been having problems with finding current info on Stuttgart so I thought I would share my experiences so far, one week in. OK so here's how it went.

Dropping off the car was easy and took about an hour. You just have to have what they say on the website www.whereismypov.com or on the automated phone system and you'll be good there (you can get the numbers from the website). If you have a loan on your car, make sure you go ahead and get a letter stating that it’s ok to take it out of the country. We had no problem with Pentagon Federal letting us take it out of the country. They took forever getting the letter out to me and I had to request it twice. If you carry a note on your car, please be sure to read this post.

We rented a car for a week in DC and shipped our car on May 23^rd, a few days before we shipped it out of Baltimore. It isn't due in Germany until July 5thish. It took us about an hour to get it shipped and it’s an hour drive to the Dulles airport. I would not suggest shipping your car the same day as you fly out. At least in Baltimore/DC. If you are flying out of Dulles then get there extra early. We waited in line for two hours and barely made our flight. We got to the car rental return at 4pm and our flight left at 6:54. If we had had another hour then it would have been perfect. We did fly out close to Memorial day weekend so that may have been the problem. Also, an hour layover once you get overseas is NOT long enough. You have to go through passport checks and security again...I got patted down! Fun. I would suggest at least a 2 hour layover, we ran to the airplane and were the last ones on...the plane was already boarded. Give enough time for food and drink and running around.

Maybe you are used to foreign airports but I was so lost, the airport in Frankfurt did not flow like an American airport and everything was confusing. At least everyone I encountered spoke English. Once we were on the plane they served us drinks and dinner. We ended up not using the CARES systems but with the car rental, those car seat vests came in handy.

We have 3 car seats and we shipped them with the car since we didn’t want to mess with them at the airport…and because 3 car seats just don’t fit in one backseat. The boys slept pretty well...until my 2 year old threw up all over everything within a 2 foot radius. It was horrid. BRING EXTRA CLOTHES FOR EVERYONE (and wipes)!! I actually packed some full sized kitchen garbage bags on a prompting thinking it was stupid to do. Now I'm glad I did. It holds vomitous clothing very well. Once that was all cleaned up we had about 3 hours and 45 minutes left. The flight didn't feel that long. Overall it was a good trip.

I was stressed out and my husband probably didn't like me that much during our travels but we made it. Driving across the country was worth it, we drove from Fort Carson Colorado to Baltimore. Even though it took 3 weeks because we visited family all along the way, it was slow and relaxed and the boys did really well. Taking off a few hours of flying time was well worth the time in the car.

Make your temporary lodging arrangements as soon as you can. They are full here and I heard them at the front desk telling someone they could only stay a week since they are booked up. Staying in the Panzer hotel is cramped. We have a one bedroom and would have to have 7 people in our family to qualify for a 2 bedroom. You would be fine in here with just 2 or 3 people. I have heard that the hotel on Patch is better for families. All we have is a convection microwave oven that is very German and I had to borrow the owners manual from the front desk to try and figure out how to use it. I think I figured out the dishwasher. We bought a car for $3000 on the lemon lot on Panzer. It is in the PX parking lot in the very back close to the Panzer Hotel. Don’t let the name fool you, it has very nice cars. You can also look on www.bookoo.com for cars AND houses. Along with everything else you might need. It’s like craigslist but this is more popular here.

The only thing I can think of that I am wishing I had sent in my fast shipment (unaccompanied baggage) is something to put the baby in (bouncy seat). I REALLY wish that we had sent our fast shipment a whole lot earlier. It takes the same amount of time to ship your unaccompanied baggage and your household goods (HHG) so they are only arriving one week apart. No one told us when to ship so we messed up there. We still have 2 weeks until our fast stuff gets here and another 3 weeks until our slow stuff gets here. We are trying to figure out how to get our iphones unlocked so we can use them. Take my advice, unlock them before you get here or wait to buy something once you get here.

No one will unlock it here and the German internet is really weird....so far....at least in the Panzer Hotel. All incoming calls and texts in Germany are free no matter what service you use. I bought a phone for 14 euros and am doing the prepaid thing here until I figure out my iphone. I am not going to do a contract, too much involved I hear and the prepaid thing has been great so far. If you go to TKS (a phone contractor located on most of our posts in Germany - they provide home phone/cable/tv service & cell phone service/prepaid....basically a middleman that provides this stuff in English with itemized bills). You can do prepaid or a contract. For unlimited data it is 10 euros a month. If you are just going to use the phones here then all you have to do is walk into a store and point out the phone you want and its active once you put in the number from the phone card. It ended up being about $115 after we bought 2 phones and 2 phone cards. Please be sure to read this article on the cell phone system and phone choices in Europe.

We found a house by looking on the bulletin board at the commissary on Patch Barracks. It wasn’t listed with housing and no realtors are involved so it’s allowed. Housing seems to have a lot of drama so I’m glad that we found a house so quickly without using them. I have heard that once you find a house that you like you should jump on it. They don't last long. I would say the average size of a house here is about 1400 sq ft. We like everything about the house except that it is a little far from work. The Stuttgart housing website seems to be out of date but as of now they told us there is nothing available on post and didn’t give us an option of being on a waiting list…not sure if that’s because of my husbands rank or not (E8). You can now find the Stuttgart Housing Office on ahrn.com. Just sign in with a government or .mil email address to access overseas listings.

As far as home phones go…my observations so far are that Magic Jack is the least reliable with the crappiest reception but the cheapest and calls to and from the states are free. Vonage only works if your internet is working (along with Magic jack) and so that is why Skype is my next option because even if your computer is down, it will still forward calls to whatever phone number you input. Skype is costing me around $60 a year for a stateside number and then you have to have Skype credit or a calling plan for Germany in order to forward your Skype number to your German home or cell phone. The down side to Skype is when you call out you have to use your computer. Although, you can buy a Skype phone. It looks just like a cordless phone and runs off your router, so you can use it even when the computer is off. So my plan is that I'm going to get a home phone through TKS and they offer unlimited calls to the US. So people from the states will call you on your Skype number so its free for them and you will call them on your TKS home number so its free for you. Otherwise you would never get calls from the US.....maybe that’s not a bad thing though :) It's about 50 Euros a month for home phone and internet...another 20 Euros for Cable TV.

Awesome and what a wealth of information! Thank-you again! As you can see...there are a lot of things to think about during the move, but you can make it work if you are well prepared.

My next post, I will cover something on iphones. I just recently bought a second-hand iphone over here...I paid under $200 for it...in fact, it was closer to $150...and used it a whole week on all the free wifi networks and my wifi at home....it is honestly the best thing since sliced bread over here...that's just me talking! There are some amazing apps you can use over here, and I have already made good use of the thing...more on this later!

Video: Being a military girlfriend (or even boyfriend)

2011-06-07T07:00:00.001+02:00

It seems that when I wrote about being a military girlfriend, it moved up towards the top of the reading list on this blog (see bottom right of the homepage). I must've hit a nerve...either that or there isn't a lot out there on being a military girlfriend. I'm going to go over some things you need to think about before dating that handsome man (or woman) in the uniform!

Here's what I had to say. Go get a soda and see if any value can be squeezed out of it.

There is a reason for everything really...

2011-06-05T07:00:00.006+02:00

Visiting my mom on Mother's Day at Arlington National Cemetery

Funny...someone messaged me the other day and asked how in the world do I get anything done with all the traveling (and writing)....another person said I must have too much time on my hands....honestly, I took a little of a beating on xpats.com Q&A. I'm still not sure why. I didn't let it bother me (okay, well not completely), whereas before, when I was younger, I might have been really hurt by some of the comments, I decided to take the time to ponder why things are the way they are.

So....I thought I would explain myself since I hadn't really thought about what I'm going to talk about today. I guess I had to sit and think about it and even pin it down for myself....why do I go to bed late, or get up two hours early to write on my blog? Why do I leave my computer on when I am home, knowing that electricity is more expensive over here, and make comments throughout the day on my Facebook page? Why do I feel the need to answer emails and questions? Why have I bothered doing videos and podcasts when I could be thoroughly enjoying myself for being me?

I'll tell you why. I know the answer....or at least I think I do. It's because I come from a family with a strong sense of service and honestly believe it is better to give than to receive. I also believe you should leave a place better than you found it...I used to do that as a Girl Scout, and you can bet the rental homes (and military housing) we lived in were in much better condition on our way out than in. You might even catch me picking up an errant piece of garbage or whatever as I walk from my car to wherever I'm going.

My first memories are of my mom, bless her heart and her soul as she is no longer with us. I think I was 5 years old, seeing her walk around in a volunteer Red Cross uniform. Back then, the volunteers wore neat and pressed uniforms before they went out about their business of helping others. I remember the little boy who lived across the street in our onpost stairwell in Germany......before our posts had fences around the housing areas, kids ran freely, maybe too much so. He got hit by a speeding German car and my mom dropped everything to go with them to the hospital and then spent DAYS at that mother and father's side. She spoke fluent German and never thought to do anything different. My brother and I spent those many days being shuttled back and forth between neighbors....my brother wasn't even a year old yet, but me...the five year old was tasked with his feeding, changing and watching over. Later, growing up, I remember my friends being absolutely terrified of my mom through the years. She could be very abrupt and honest...and it scared them...hey, it's the German way....but after they got to know her, it was my mother they called when they needed someone to help them or even to talk to, and she never told anyone the no-word.

I grew up with stories of my German grandmother hiding people and their things during the war. Even today, a grateful family, who were perfect strangers to our family at the time, stay in touch with me....two generations removed...their children STILL grateful for my grandmother's kindness. My American great-grandfather, the son of a slave, after the move to Chicago, used to make almost daily trips to the train station to see if anyone got off from his hometown in Mississippi. He was determined that no one coming from down South would be out on the streets, when they first arrived to the big city. It didn't matter that he worked long shifts and was bone tired by the time he got there. My dad remembers sharing a bed with two, three and four others, just so everyone would have a warm place to sleep at night. My husband can share similar stories of his own family, and we hope our kids will take note too. I think that is what drew me to him initially. This is just the kind of environment I grew up in and feel comfortable with.

I am not an expert in everything...in fact, I'm a dabbler in everything...knowing a little bit of this and that is a lot but not everything....yes, it can make me dangerous sometimes but usually, my common sense will stop me before I wreck anything or anyone. I take after my father on this one. He of course walks around with two or three books at a time and can be found almost always waiting in line everywhere he goes with a book open. Just because I like to give advice and get comfort and a sense of satisfaction in helping others, it does not mean that I don't appreciate the same. I would love someone to guestpost on a subject. I freely take advice as well. I am so grateful that many of you post your wonderful tips and stories here in the comments and my Facebook and Twitter pages....love that, and please don't stop doing it! All of our shared experiences can make us better people on the inside and the outside...

I don't travel every weekend with cameras and Flip in tow...honestly, no. And I don't even write about all of our travels, just some of them. I am also just as happy spending a lazy weekend at home. What do I do? We do things locally. I shop at the PX and eat at the food court. Many weekends I am on the couch watching a movie marathon, cuddled under a blanket with our cat. Or maybe we are taking a bike ride along the canal or taking a walk or local volksmarch...just like anyone else. I wish I was craftier...then I might be working on projects or photo albums or something interesting rather than cleaning the house...would LOVE to know how to make jewelry, as an example...but that gene has left me by the wayside. I am thankful I have two coworkers who are so creative, I get to tag along with their great ideas and help with the actual grunt work...so for now, that is good enough for me, to broaden my horizons. Cooking can be fun too, right? That is evidenced by all the recipes I have bookmarked, and do you know that if I find a really good recipe or someone gives me one...I will write it in an email, email it to MYSELF and then put it in a recipe folder in my email account. I guess that's kind of weird, and I should've probably left that bit of information out....too much over the top? Maybe.

And with that, before I get way too sappy or get myself worked up, I will end here. Feel free to comment as you see fit....or not. I just want to say thank-you to my blog readers and those who stop by for a visit. I know a few of you have been with me and grown with me since the very beginning....you know who you are! I have made some amazing friendships through this blog, rekindled some old ones....and just gotten to know a great group of folks....I think 'nuff said there. Oh, one more thing before you wonder......no, he did not make it, and I still sometimes think where that boy would be today.

Video: Navigating a Volksmarch (what is it and how do I do one?)

2011-06-03T07:00:00.001+02:00

I think my husband holds the record for the most volksmarches in our family...he's done hundreds of events and well over 2,000 kilometers...and that's being conservative. So what is this volksmarch? And why can it be so important to you?

Well let me tell you. I'll explain it all below. At the end, I've written some tips out in plain English. If the video moves a bit too fast at that point (I tried to slow it down), pausing it should allow you to read what I wrote at the very end. Lots of resources and websites to get you started in this great and relaxing sport too! Come join me as I walk through a forest and the streets and farmpaths of a small town in Belgium.

A very lofty mission of free home security alarms for deployed servicemembers

2011-06-01T07:00:00.018+02:00

I received a nice email from a Mr. Kandell and thought his project was so worthy, I would like him to tell us about it! As you can see, it is not easy raising money and trying to provide a valuable service. It's all yours.....

Hi, My name is Eric Kandell and I have worked in the private sector with military men and women for years. Whether I have been helping service members, deployed troops, or Veterans, my professional career has allowed me the opportunity to give back to a part of the population I have a lot of respect and admiration for.

Recently I had the chance to try and form a nonprofit organization that was intended to pay for all associated costs with putting home security alarms in the house of every deployed man and woman possible. I went as far as securing a law firm that specialized in 501C3 applications with the IRS. The thought was ideal, we would raise charitable funds and then take all the money raised and install security alarms in the homes of deployed or deploying troops so that the families that stayed behind could be protected and the state of mind of the men and women serving could be relaxed and focused knowing their family members back home were protected.

We were able to negotiate free home alarms with most of the Nation's leading alarm providers, but ran into lots of issues raising funds and getting donations so that we could pay for the ongoing price to monitor the alarm system each month. Eventually, with regret we gave up on the 501C3 or charitable organization and continued our efforts to educate and let families know they had a friend and advocate in the home security world.

Today Protect Our Troops is a normal business, yes we make money, but we still pass on huge savings and lots of education and assistance to family members of deployed or deploying troops. There is nothing better than hearing from a spouse of a man or women overseas, serving this country, when they tell us how much better they are sleeping at night, thanks to the alarm Protect Our Troops helped them secure.

Here is what Protect Our Troops currently does for this Nation's men and women of the Armed Forces:

1. We have negotiated FREE home security systems for both active military and Veterans alike.

2. We have advocated for rock bottom monthly monitoring expenses with companies like ADT for example.

3. We have removed equipment costs all together.

During deployment, if you got your alarm from working with Protect Our Troops, we can reimburse two months of monthly monitoring expense while a loved one is deployed.

I truly think our original goal of 100% free alarms and monitoring, subsidized by charitable contributions was a great idea. I think that anyone in harm's way serving this great country should be given a free home alarm by our government. However, until then Protect Our Troops looks forward to advocating and assisting in any way we can the brave men and women of the military.

Thank you to you all who are sacrificing for the rest of us. We do not forget the great sacrifices of those family members asked to stay behind and support their loved ones while they are serving. Thank you all!

Memorial Day in Flanders Field

2011-05-30T07:18:00.000+02:00

I will make this short and sweet today and want to wish everyone a safe and wonderful Memorial Day! We took the time to honor our fallen at Flanders Field American Military Cemetery in Belgium. I had never attended a Memorial Day remembrance at any military cemetery, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect.

I was humbled by the care and precision that went into the ceremony and touched by the local townspeople and even a representative from the King of Belgium (yes, we have one of those) who took time out of their weekend to honor Americans. Please click on the video below for a short tour of the highlights and consider going to a ceremony in your area today:-)

Podcast #8 - Visiting Fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle (5/28/2011)

2011-05-28T07:00:00.013+02:00

Okay, stay with me here....someone gave me an idea to talk about visiting a variety of sites around Europe. You know how when you go somewhere...and then come home...you say to yourself....I wish I had known that before we went....or, you spent too much money or whatever....I'm going to try to make trip planning EASY for you. If you've never been or want to know more about a location, then listen to one of these podcasts.

Today I'm going to be talking about Neuschwanstein, probably one of the most visited sites in Germany and the inspiration of Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle. Listen in on Podcast #8 to learn more.

Of course, since this is my first podcast on visiting a site, I forgot to mention a few things, plus let me expand on a few more!

Photography or videotaping is not allowed at all in either Hohenschwangau or Neuschwanstein castle. Every time I go there, some foreigner (never seen a German do it) will either take photos openly, acting like they didn't hear the guide or will sneak photos. In my opinion, this is just disrespectful. Buy the interior postcards and follow the rules. Again, just my advice and in the end, do what you are comfortable with.

The other two King Ludwig castles nearby I mentioned are Linderhof, which is between Garmisch and Neuschwantstein. This is a wonderful castle to visit and just the gardens alone are fantastic. Kids also love the Grotto (which is man-made by the way but looks just like a real one). The other castle most folks have never heard of. It is called King's House on the Schachen, and is King Ludwig's former hunting lodge. It can only be reached by about a three hour hike and most visitors overnight there at the nearby lodge. It is a great experience I highly recommend!

>If you have the time, a few years ago, I also wrote a blogpost on Neuschwanstein, so check that out too! If anyone else has any tips to share on visiting any of the King Ludwig castles, please post here. We'd love to hear them!

What I Wish I Knew a Year Ago...

2011-05-26T07:00:00.038+02:00

Do you ever wonder like I do....what if I knew a year ago what I know now....what would that be? Not the "machts nichts" unimportant stuff that goes in one end of your brain and out the other...I'm talking about the good stuff...the stuff that is going to help you again and again....what is that stuff? Are you willing to share? Here are some that came to the front of the line in my life at the moment...

Horse sausage has a distinct smell, look and feel to it....and even though I was suckered into eating a donkey sausage and a monkey sausage in Paris....I think I would fall over if I ate a horse sausage...just...can't...do....it.

Realized that European banking is WAY more secure than what we have stateside and I wonder all the time, why our system hasn't changed to the European system. Not only do I need a username and password on my banking website, but I have to use a little electronic PIN generator for EACH transaction. The flipside, is that without this PIN generator, that churns out a unique really long number for each transaction you want to complete, your online account is worthless to pay bills. Don't head back to the US or on a trip without it if you need to pay bills while you are gone (or set up a future payment instead).

That I can survive without buying more Polish pottery. Yes, I was a junkie. I used the excuse that my tour job had me going back to Boleslawiec, Poland again and again...and I had to take the free pottery and also buy a few more pieces here and again there. I haven't bought a piece since last Spring...and haven't missed it. Moderation in anything is key, and you CAN stop yourself from overspending/buying!

I am glad I did not buy a new car coming to Belgium. One word, the roads SUCK...okay, they suck badly! I've never seen so many ruts, potholes and deep ditches in my life. No wonder most cars (older than a few years) are required to have yearly inspections by the Belgians at their inspection (CT) stations around the country.

Belgium is more expensive than Germany and France. I love how the hoards of Belgiums cross over into France to do their grocery shopping here. We are about 20 minutes from the border and 30 minutes from shopping heaven...that is much cheaper than here. Of course, get stopped by the police, and you could end up paying for the privilege.

As I suspected, being 2-1/2 hours to Paris is a real treat! I've got it all figured out now....best ways by train and car from this direction and where to stay around the city supercheap:-) Even day trips can be done very easily. Or how about taking a ferry or the Chunnel to Dover and shopping at the big favorite, TESCO...the British version of their Walmart. Who said Belgium was a speedbump? It is more of a gateway!

I know more about Estonia, Poland, Finland and a few other countries I've never been to. It's great being stationed here with all the internationals....learning about their home countries...visiting them and their families and getting ideas on lodging and what to see and do that not every tourist knows about! Ten thumbs up!

Belgian fashion is not known for it's..well...fashion-sense....I've honestly seen some of the dumpiest fashions right here.....I don't know if it's because we don't live in a metropolitan or hip area....or if Belgians just don't like dressing like nonsense? Maybe I am missing something or our stores don't have much. I end up shopping at the German and British branded stores we have in the area...C&A and H&M are my favorites:-) Is H&M British? I don't know...but I like it.

Like Germans know their crepes and pastries, Belgians know their waffles and pastries. The pastries are not as good as the Germans'....but they sure are prettier...in fact, the food is prettier...where the Germans go for quantity...the Belgians go for....prettiness. Just look at all the Michelin starred restaurants Belgium has compared to Germany AND France....hmmm...but I hope you are not a big eater and just like pretty food. It is tasty though. Just memorize the word for horse, ie "cheval" and you'll be okay.

Do you have any enlightenment you'd like to share?

Final Push for Votes!

2011-05-25T05:00:00.000+02:00

I feel like I am running for office...I never realized how hard it would be to garner peoples' support! The voting ends today at 5 pm PST, and I thought I would ask for a final push for votes on Circle of Military Moms! I am still hoping to end up in the Top 25 Military Family blogs when all the dust settles. If you have time time, please stop by and click the "thumbs up"!

Feeling the History in Bastogne, Belgium

2011-05-24T07:00:00.043+02:00

This post is in honor and remembrance of the fallen. Please take the time to check out commemorative events in your area to pay your respects and give thanks!

The birds were singing beautifully, and they knew it. As we observed a moment of silence for the fallen men of the 17th Airborne in WWII, I wished they were here to listen to the sounds too. This was going to be our first WWII commemorative walk. Apparently, there are quite a few, the largest in Belgium being the big event in Bastogne held every December. This particular march, only in its third season, was to remember those who fought so bravely during the Battle of the Bulge with the 17th Airborne, 101st Division.

The mayor of the town of Flamierge, which lies only 20 min from Bastogne, stepped up to thank the Americans for saving the town, and as I scanned the crowd of hikers, walkers, a few families with children and the large number of WWII re-enactors I realized that before the march was over, the men who had fought here were going to leave a mark on all of our lives. The guest of honor was a veteran of this battle, Robert Patterson, who right before the march, signed autographs like a rockstar and then did a pass and review of the re-enactors; inspecting weapons, uniforms, shaking hands and patting the men on their backs. Even though I could see he was getting tired, he posed endlessly with anyone who asked and was very gracious and kind to anyone who spoke to him. A grandson of a veteran, also a US Army soldier, was in attendance.

After the solemn ceremony and the wreath laying, we lined up for the march. We were given a sheet of the unit history, a bio of Robert Patterson and a map with our route clearly marked. Anyone could sign up for the march ahead of time and pay the 5 euro per person fee. This is what we did via Belgian bank draft. We also noticed that many participants showed up on site and paid then. We could go either 6 or 16 km. The fee covered organizer costs, a completion certificate and a drink.

The march started off quickly, as everyone was anxious to get started, especially the three dogs who were pulling at their leashes. As we settled into a rhythm, the two columns started to spread out and everyone seemed to enjoy the rare Belgian sunshine and blueskies. We passed by farmers' fields and old stone homes that must have been here during the battle and were showing their age. As we turned the first corner (and marker) and headed uphill, some of our lot started to slow down, but that was okay. We had two Army medic re-enactors bringing up the rear. It was amazing to see the authenticity of the uniforms and equipment and the great care that was put into the details. One three-man team even carried a 30 caliber machine gun with its tripod and barrel - a real team effort. There was also a re-enactor who was a military photographer as it said on his helmet, looking the part with his high speed camera. I personally liked the family of five, fully dressed the part including a different weapon for each person in the family. This was serious business.

After the walk and feeling exhilarated, we spoke with some of the other walkers. There was an American family of four that was also stationed in Europe. I believe we were one of only a few Americans present this year. Mostly, I talked to French and Belgian families who felt it was important to never forget what the Americans did. I was humbled when an older man came over wanting to shake my hand and to thank me and my country for what we did for them that day. In a reflective mood, and with our certificates in hand, we decided to visit some of the other military highlights in the Bastogne area.

To highlight the ones you absolutely should not miss, read on. As you travel through nearby Bastogne, you can already see Mardassone Monument, rising out of the trees on the eastside of town. Standing on top of this five-pointed granite monument, listing all the Allied units that fought, as well as all the US states listed across the top, you have an absolutely expansive view of the town of Bastogne below. This is the closest the Germans would ever come to capturing the town. There is also the Bastogne Historical Center right next door, but keep in mind it is closed for the next year and a half for renovations sorry to say. You can visit the special exhibit "I was 20 in 45" in town if you have time or follow this route below.

Using a map or GPS, follow the small road from the Mardassone monument East towards Bizory. Once you get to this small hamlet, turn West towards Foy. About halfway between the two, on this one lane road, slow down. Right after you cross the bikepath, you will see a monument on the left side of the road, commemorating Easy Company, 506th Infantry Regiment (from "Band of Brothers" fame) and all those who died from the unit during the Battle of the Bulge. One soldier listed was killed afterwards, but since there is no commemorative plaque, he was included in this one. This used to be a railroad line and railstop and was a major part of Easy Company's fight. Continue on towards Foy. You'll see a forest road off to your left with an open area in front of the trees, probably full of mud. Stop here and walk into the woods on the westside of the forest road. Those depressions you see in the earth under the trees are Easy Company's foxholes, or what is left of them after time and scavengers have gotten ahold of them. You get a real sense of emotion standing in one of these holes and reflecting on the quiet-as-a-church forest with its carpet of pine needles.

As you drive on towards Foy, you'll see some buildings with pockmarks and bullet holes, and you will swear that nothing here has changed. This was also a major engagement for Easy Company. Cross the N30 towards Recogne and turn on the first road to your right. You'll immediately see the marker that shows where the Allies buried our fallen heroes from the Battle of the Bulge.

They have all since been relocated to other cemeteries now, but the site is still sacred. If you go down the road towards Recogne and the interesting bison farm there, you'll see a German military cemetery to your left. Be sure to stop and take a look.

Since we absolutely wanted to see more, to include memorabilia and items from the battle to make our visit complete, we traveled the 20 minutes cross-country on forest roads to the wonderful town of La Roche-en-Ardenne, which sits down in a valley, surrounded by cliffs with a river running through it. There is even an imposing 9th century fortress overlooking the quaint storybook buildings that were all but destroyed by the end of the war.

Stop at the Battle of the Ardennes Museum which has three floors of wonderful dioramas of both Allied and German soldiers, vehicles and all their belongings tastefully and thoughtfully presented. Especially popular are the metal artifacts dug up from the battlefield, from both armies, as well as a room filled with weapons and the hard-to-find German Enigma code machine.

Coming home that evening, we certainly had a new insight into the battle and also enjoyed some of the what the Ardennes Region has to offer, only a short two hour drive from SHAPE. If you like the outdoors and want to experience history beyond the dusty pages of a book, then these commemorative marches and the Ardennes are for you! The Stars & Stripes will frequently list these events, as well as the veterans' association pages of the units who fought there.

Make and Take a Meal

2011-05-22T07:00:00.012+02:00

You know, I still have a very fond memory, of when I had our first little one...and the tater tot casserole someone brought over to me after my son was born. I don't think I'd ever heard of tater tots before I had kids...seriously, I am telling you the truth! I remember being so entranced with the dish and how everything was in there....I want to say all the food groups or should I say all levels of the pyramid...I don't know, that sounds dumb but you know what I am driving at. Anyway, our unit used to rally up whenever someone had a baby. A schedule was put together, and the mom had meals taken care of at least for the first few weeks after coming home...it was great. I enjoyed it, and I tried to make sure that happened in every unit I was in after that!

Do you do something similar in your unit? Would you like to share what you do? I know you can make this as easy or as time consuming as you want it to be. There was a time where I would have a homemade dessert, maindish, homemade bread, salad and even drinks. Now, it's more like a maindish that'll have leftovers, still homemade bread and salad....but mostly storebought desserts. I've found that it's great to add some kids' drinks and grown-up soda....one of the items most likely not to be found in the house of a new baby.....along with toilet paper, papertowels, wipes and diapers. Of course it was like that in our house! Always running out of the staples!

I think I have some good recipes that deliver well in my Cooking section. Keep in mind that casseroles and lasagnas work best. Try to find out what they had the time before. It'll work even better if one spouse volunteers to maintain a list of volunteers and what they are bringing...and when. I sometimes even assemble the casserole, and if I come over early enough, I leave heating instructions. There's something to be said about a home with the smells of home cooking as it gets closer to mealtime! I also recommend using disposable dishes....tin and tinfoil for the hot stuff and those plastic containers for everything else. Even something as simple as pork chops baked in Campbell's mushroom soup and a container full of mashed potatoes can be filling and appreciated. You don't always have time to make a meal from scratch, but I can tell you, any meal will be appreciated....it's the thought that counts most of the time and speaking for myself...I'll eat almost anything if I don't have the time to cook it myself. I am not picky and seasoning powder and salt can do wonders for just about anything!

Nostalgia aside, if you have any great recipes to share that are perfect for taking over to someone's house, I would love to hear them!

Podcast #7 - Tricare Dental & Security (5/20/2011)

2011-05-20T07:00:00.000+02:00

Ooops, should've said this was the seventh podcast and not the sixth. I didn't realize I've been blabbing so much on here!

Listen in as I talk about Tricare Dental overseas and how to get dental care. Listen in to Podcast #7. You'll get information on the Tricare Dental Program. I had received an email from a brand new military spouse who wasn't sure how to get care overseas. Of course, I neglected to talk about her husband, because she asked about that too. To add to the podcast, her husband will automatically get care on post. Our servicemember spouses actually get a status rating on the health of their teeth and mouth! You can actually be in a non-deployable status if your mouth needs some work, so don't worry about him and his care! The military is already on that!

I also talk about OPSEC and some things you may not have thought of when it comes to making sure our spouses stay safe and you don't get yourself in a heap of trouble!

Confessions of a European Hotelroom

2011-05-18T07:00:00.002+02:00

I don't think I'll ever forget this one customer I had once....who had an absolute FIT when he went to his room and saw his double bed....woe is me did I get a tongue lashing...the front desk too! Before you blow a few steam valves or just get surprised, check these things out.

The bed or should I say double bed. If you stay at an American branded chain like Marriott or Hilton (more money), you'll typically see queen sized beds...there are even a few kings to be found. Otherwise, you are looking at two twins pushed together with a crack down the middle. In fact, you let your hotel know if it's two singles or a couple, and they will pull them apart or push them together. It's a European thing, so don't fight it and accept it.

Sink in room. Many of the older style hotel rooms will have a sink in the room rather than in the bathroom. You'll even find some houses that still have the sink in the bedrooms...it's just different. So go do your thing in the toilet located in the "water closet" (WC) and then come out and wash your hands or brush your teeth.

Smaller rooms. Most newer construction has smaller rooms. Check out the Tune Hotel chain (from the Far East), with their first hotel in London....can you say shoebox? Let's see if it catches on.

Continental breakfast. Look, most hotels will not have big American buffets or even English or Irish breakfasts....but if they do, they will advertise it! I've seen "continental" mean anything from a day old roll w/some butter, jelly and coffee....to nicer spreads with fresh breads & rolls, meats, cheeses, fruits, sausage links and hardboiled eggs. Some of these hotels you can find on Trip Advisor, so be sure to see what they say....or read the description carefully or just ask. Most hotels serve something in between what I mentioned. Always check to see if breakfast is included. Many times it is not.

What the heck is a bidet? It sort of looks like a toilet and it IS in the bathroom. Many Americans think it is for feet washing...and it can be...but really, it for washing your...how should I say....privates....get refreshed without having to take a shower. Believe it or not, not all Europeans bathe or shower every day...or even use deodorant. Get used to it and move on and wash yourself in the bidet if you are so inclined.

Porn channels. No, there are no blocks and you might come back to your little ones surfing the porn channels. You don't get charged til you've been on one for a certain amount of time....so conceivably, your little ones could be very slick and just surf from one porn channel to another. The Europeans are more "free" with body image and looking at nakedness. You'll see kids running around naked at the community swimming pool or watering hole...sometimes women topless...even tv shows during prime time and commercials show the occasional winky or boob. It's just not a big deal over here.

No AC. Honestly, it's going to be pretty rare to see a hotel with it...although more seem to be getting it. Even some of the nicer ones don't have it. Germany is not known for hot summers...but ask any American living overseas, and they'll tell you otherwise!

Elevators. Not many to be found in the smaller hotels. It is not unusual to walk up three flights of stairs to get to your room....travel light! Small hotels will also use every available space, so don't be surprised if you are on the top floor, under the eaves and having to duck down to get to your bed.

No top sheet. Europeans sleep with duvets. I use these at home cause I hate tucking in sheets. Of course Marriott and some of the others will have duvets AND top sheets!

No internet. More and more hotels are trying to catch up with offering this. Many who do offer it will only offer it in the lobby...some wifi signals just won't get to the top floors or through some of the thick walls if it's supposedly hotel-wide. Try to find your hotel on Tripadvisor to find out.

A different level of customer service. Or maybe I should just say different.... period. Many times Americans want to call Europeans rude (and don't get me wrong, there are some rude people over here) but being ignored at the desk and not being asked 20x if you need anything or is everything okay is mostly the norm here.

Parking can be an issue. When I book a hotel, knowing I'm driving there, I always check out their parking situation. If it's too expensive for our tastes, I'll look elsewhere nearby for public parking. I do this all online before we go...I calculate it into our room cost, cause who wants a cheap room and then have to pay out the wazoo for parking? Some of the garages may also have trouble accomondating big American cars, so we usually travel with our second little zip-zip Eurocar.

Bathroom/toilet down the hall or strangely located. Check that price for that hotel room. Some of the smaller hotels and hostels will have one or the other down the hall...to share with other hotel guests. If you've ever shared a toilet with a guy...and you are a girl...at least for me...that is just NOT going to happen with anyone but my husband. I recently learned what a "hero dump" was and never want to repeat that experience again! Please also remember that hostels and B&Bs nowadays sometimes DO have the facilities in the room...read carefully or ask! What do I mean by strangely located? We once stayed in this wonderful old villa in Berlin....the landlady had lived there since before the war...the place was full of Persian carpets and beautiful furniture....wonderful high ceilings and a mezzanine...our room....great, except for the one piece shower that was two steps from one side of the bed...it looked so out of place, and I tripped over it more than once on the way to the toilet at night, which was down the hall.

Thankfully, over the years traveling throughout Europe, I've grown my collection of nice hotel rooms, B&Bs and hostels. But, I am always up for adventure, so always comparison-shop on my two favorite sites, booking.com and hostelworld.com. I love that they both have honest reviews and that only people who have stayed at those hotels can write up a review. Don't take one review at face value but try to read a few of them to paint an overall picture. For the reviews not in English, use Google Translate to get the gist of the message, especially if it's a negative one.

All in all, you are going to experience some amazing hotels and their owners and learn a few tricks and tips along the way. You may even stay in some dives and dumps and have some great pics to show for it! If you'd like to share any of your gems with my fellow readers, please post them below! You know me and funny stories/photos....would love to hear/see those too!

These people took NO BAGGAGE on their 90 day trip around the world!

2011-05-18T04:00:00.013+02:00

I've blogged before about my favorite vest but check out this couple who went around the world without a single piece of luggage....nothing...nothing at all!

It's interesting to listen to what they have to say about their experience and some tips to help the rest of us in keeping from overpacking! If you want to check out all the different pants, short, shirts, jackets, coats and even hats and underwear with multiple pockets and secret places to squirrel away your stuff, be sure to check here!

Podcast #6 - Top Ten Travel Secrets (5/16/2011)

2011-05-16T07:00:00.001+02:00

As we start getting into the height of travel season, I thought I'd talk about my favorite travel secrets.

Of course there are many ways to have a successful trip, but this are the Top 10 thoughts that came to my head first.

Podcast #6

Please add any of your own below if you like!

Visiting Bruges, Belgium

2011-05-14T07:00:00.003+02:00

I thought I would share a few tips about visiting Bruges, Belgium, one of the top tourist highlights in Belgium. Even people outside of Belgium have heard of this beautiful almost untouched Flemish city. Okay, so wait, in Dutch/Flemish your going to call it Brugge. Yeah, simple right...the French say it one way, the Flemish another...easy when it sounds and looks almost the same. Try that with the city we live in, known as Mons in French and Bergen for the Flemish. It always cracks me up that as soon as you cross the border from Wallonia (French) to Flanders (Flemish), even the billboard governmental highway signs...exact same drunk driving photo or "be careful driving" graphic, immediately have a different language as soon as you cross over. But I am getting WAY off topic today. I wanted to share a few easy tips in getting to and getting around this top favorite of mine!

If you're coming from the direction of the SHAPE NATO base near Mons, it'll only take you about 1-1/2 hours, pretty much all highway driving....yes, bumpy....that's Belgium, so watch the potholes and construction. At this time in April 2011, they were still building that monumental traffic circle right before you hit the city, which caused traffic to back up onto the highway to a standstill. Please try to arrive at least before 10 on the weekdays and by 9 on the weekends or you will have missed the chance for smooth sailing. I always take the first turn off that traffic circle into the city....easier to get to the trainstation, which is where we are going. Watch the video below for tips on where to park for dirt cheap AND how to get free roundtrip bus tickets for everyone in your car. Now of course, I can't stop you from buying all the neat chocolates, beer and lace....but I can at least save you some in the transportation department.

I'm going to caution you to not go on high peak travel times...Spring and Fall are best, but if you MUST go in the summer, go ahead and go on the weekdays. The city is just PACKED with tons of tourists on the weekends, and they come from all over, not just Belgium and the surrounding area. While I was there on a weekend before Easter, I saw tons of river cruise tourist folks walking around....interesting.

I can recommend:

Just walking around the city center. There are some cute shops, albeit touristy, but nice things to windowshop. There are also so many historic buildings, and who ever saw so many buildings dressed in gold except maybe in Istanbul?
Checking out all the canals. They make their way in rings around the city....reminds me a lot of Strasbourg, not so much like Venice....very nice.
Chocostory. This was a great kid thing. The story itself wasn't that exciting, except I did enjoy the 18th century hot chocolate pots and appreciated that women were hired just to make hot chocolate for the nobility...it was a noble drink and not for the masses til much later. The best part is of course sampling the stuff after watching the test kitchen chocolatier explaining what he was doing step-by-step when he made some beautiful and tasty chocolates with hazelnut center.....perfectly understandable in French, English and Dutch. The best part is that the place smelled of chocolate...not only from the kitchen but also from the larger-than-life chocolate statues adorning the halls....mmmmmm. Kids gave it a thumbs up.
Going up in the belfry. But only if you are not cheap like me. I had to ask someone else about the view...it's 200+ steps, which would've been okay, but I wasn't paying 5 euro for that, but I encourage you to. I bet there is a nice view.
Lace shops. Just be careful. 85% of the stuff is Made in China, and the good shopkeepers will tell you which ones...but by the time you hit your second lace shop, you'll know yourself by looking at the price. If you're not paying 30 euro for a hankie, then it's not genuine Belgian lace. I'm not knocking the prices....an unGodly amount of hours goes into each piece, so if you were to pay that lacemaker per hour, your are getting her (or him) dirt cheap at that 30 euros.
Sitting in a Cafe in the mainsquare. My favorite part....and everyone seems to love those chocolate cubes you get on a stick and then stick it in your hot milk to make chocolate....another mmmmm. Try to go at an off hour...not at lunch time, and I like the snack place down the side from the old post office...on the end....cheap but good fries and excellent view.
the City Tour folks. It's a little bit like a hop on hop off bus but not quite. It is a large colorful van that makes a circuit in 50 minutes and stops at all the major points...great if you don't or can't walk the distance. It's priced right also at 14,50 euro for adults and 8,50 euro for kids.
Favored goodie store. My husband, the beer expert, almost died when he walked into 2be shop with their 780 types of Belgian beer mind you in their cellar, along with every chocolate, goodie and everything else you can stick in your mouth!

Now why did I not recommend one of the many boatrides? Cause all it takes is one look at those low-in-the-water overloaded boats where they pack you in like sardines....nope, not for me....it's also cooler and I have a better view sitting on the stone railings. There is also a french fry museum and a diamond museum that has one demonstration a day around noon. If your time is limited skip all that. Diamond museums and demonstrations are a better deal in Amsterdam and Atnwerp...the grandmother and grandfather of them all.

You'll find many guidebooks out there about Bruges. But Bruges will be bundled together most likely with Brussels and possibly Antwerp. That's okay....it's hard to fill an entire guidebook with it. We mostly get done what we want to get done in a half day and then leisurely drive back to Mons with the car packed of chocolates and beer. If you want to stay, please find something outside the city limits. Bruges is a prized Flemish possession and the prices to stay overnight inside the city reflect that. There are PLENTY of nice B&Bs outside the city.....in fact, you are only 20 km or so from the coast at this point, so if you are planning to stay overnight, how about finding something in between Bruges and the coast? Again, use my favorite lodging planners hostelworld and booking.

Oh, last tip. My husband always likes to buy beers from pretty much everywhere we go in Europe. You'll see beer in half the tourist stores in the city and then some. Take your time on the way home and plug the nearest grocery store into your GPS, as you get away from the city center. That's where you should buy your beer (and even chocolates, as long as they are not gourmet) from the local grocery store where the locals buy their stuff. Oh, and the beer labes? He is working on a huge collection of beer labels, plus he just likes to drink beer. At a later point, or maybe when we start the project, I'll have to say what we are going to do with those labels....it'll be a fun reminder of our latest European tour I'm sure.

If you have any tips to share on this wonderful city, please be my guest below!

Ask VMW: What's it like on a US Army post?

2011-05-12T07:00:00.001+02:00

I've gotten this question a few times and thought I'd better answer it now. It's nice to see that some blog readers are not affiliated with the military and are interested to know more about what goes on here.

"Hi, I watch Army Wives every week and I always wonder what life is like behind the big fence. Could you tell me what can be found on an Army base?"

Ahhh...the sounds of the bugle playing reveille in the morning, retreat being played at 5 pm as the American flag is lowered, taps at "bedtime" and the etiquette that goes with it....that sure brings back memories for me (We are on a NATO base right now, so none of that!). That's the first thing that came to mind! Thanks so much for your question! Life behind the gate can certainly be different than civilian life...but then again, you'll see a lot of similarities. I think everyone who has ever lived, worked or visited there knows this. I'd like to clear up that Army posts are called "posts". You'll only find bases in the Navy and Air Force...and of course the few Marine bases. There is some historical reason for this......just know that it's different.

Army posts are scattered all throughout the US...I believe every one of our 50 states has at least one Army post. Just ask your Congressman or Senator...they are always fighting to keep bases and posts from being closed....every few years, our government goes through a Base Closure & Re-alignment dance, and all the states usually sweat it out before it's all said and done...overseas too! Bases beef up the economy and bring jobs and money into the areas they lie. No one wants to have their bases or posts closed.

A base or post is like a small city. The mayor is actually the base commander...an officer in the rank of Colonel usually to even a General for some of the super-size bases, changing every few years. He or she is charged with running the infrastructure of the base and keeping in touch with the local civilian community and government...providing a link between the two and making sure he is being supportive in the decisions he makes.

Almost all posts, or in the case of overseas, a collection of small posts in an area, will have basic services to keep things running smoothly. The military provides legal and administrative services on post through some of its military units. For example, a large post will actually have an Army Finance Battalion (a few hundred soldiers) providing financial and pay services for their military members. A smaller post may only have a company-sized unit there. As far as non-military units, you'll also find a commissary, run by DECA, which has commissaries world-wide providing the food and supermarket products we are familiar with. I always joke about some of the "special aisles" we have in the commissary. If we have an aisle with ethnic foods, like German or Asian...it is because servicemembers married a lot of spouses from those areas....it's not racist, just true.

The PX or "the Exchange" as it's now called is run by AAFES. You will find them on all the bases too. They used to provide products at great prices, back when we didn't have the big box stores and Walmart...but these days, especially overseas, I see them carrying expensive Coach purses (yes, they are discounted some) and higher end stuff, when I want the comfort things from home and just highly consumable simple products like printer paper! They can never seem to keep that stuff in stock or deliver it to a PX location near me. Some PXs will also have a gas station attached to their shopette...a kind of 24-hour convenience store. An interesting fact, is that their gas prices stateside must be in line with what is being offered outside the gate. Overseas, they use a formula to give us discounted prices less than what the Europeans are paying...much less.

In the US, where segregation was an issue in our country's history, you'll still find schools onpost...mostly elementary schools. All overseas posts or collections of posts in a geographical area will have schools from Kindergarten to 12th grade in order to provide an American education. These are run by DODEA (used to be called DODDs). BTW, DODEA teachers overseas get some great pay...easily 4x what most stateside teachers get paid. If you are a teacher and looking for work, be sure to check it out but please don't just do it for your "European vacation"....we have a few teachers who do it for that reason rather than the kids and education unfortunately.

You'll see gyms and fitness centers....many state-of-the-art....even some indoor/outdoor pools. They are all mostly free. I've only ever had to pay for aerobics classics and signing up for organized sports. Sports teams, competitions and sports programs for children of every sport you can think of have some registration fees involved but are many times affordable.

Youth Centers on post are very popular with tons of programs for kids along with after school and summer programs at reasonable rates...these are not free, although spouses of deployed soldiers can get some costs reduced. The childcare center on post also allows for this too. It is called the Child Development Center. Here is an example of one of the larger ones. We do have many dual military couples with children who get priority for their children at the CDC but others use it as well. Many times unfortunately, there is a waiting list and some take their children for off-post care or they use one of the home daycare providers that are licensed by the government who live onpost and sometimes off-post (FCC providers). Some spouses make extra money by running this out of their home. Yes, it involves lots of inspections and some say it's not worth the trouble, but just as many enjoy doing it and like that they can always find work wherever they are stationed. There is ALWAYS a childcare shortage on post I have found. It is one of the top issues complained about by Army families every year.

Many posts will have a movie theater run by AAFES...not first-run but in today's age, they do show movies a few weeks after they hit the civilian megaplexes at a lower cost. Of course bowling alleys along with their short order kitchens are plentiful on military posts....and don't forget the foodcourt, also managed by AAFES. I always found it strange that I can find a Burger King, Anthony's Pizza or even Frank's Franks pretty much worldwide at any AAFES foodcourt. Remember, eating at the foodcourt and buying at AAFES is tax-free. The commissary is tax-free as well, but they do put a small surcharge on your total which goes back in to maintain their system.

Ask any retiree about golf courses, and you'll see some of those. Not on every post...but many do have them. In the old days, you had the Officer's Club and the Enlisted Club....they used to socialize separately. I still remember going with my parents to once-a-week Happy Hour at the O'Club, loading up on the free appetizers and snacks every Thursday and then playing on the playground while they hit the slots (yes, they had slot machines...some still do) or socialized with their friends. Nowadays it's called a Community Club and all military and civilians and their guests are welcome. They typically have a bar there...a snackbar and fine dining and a variety of special events throughout the year. I don't know if they still do stateside, but sometimes there was a cash cage where you could cash checks. BTW, the PX will cash personal checks for you too.

Overseas, you'll also find a Car Care Center. It's usually small, but you'll find some of your favorite stateside car care products and also some parts. They have mechanics that can work on your vehicle...sometimes the wait can be long for an appointment, but I am thankful they do offer that, especially if you come over with an American car that is difficult to service on the economy. Yes, they have American dealers & service centers over here but many times they are not familiar with our American models....so I've had to have some parts shipped from stateside for my Honda the few times I took it to a German Honda dealer. Where would we be without the internet and APO shipping overseas? And if you are mechanically inclined yourself, you'll find an auto craft shop where you can work on cars with maintenance bays and tools provided...very handy! I even had one of the shop personnel, many years ago, show me how to change the oil in my car...they do things like that.

Of course don't forget our religious service centers...used to just be called chapels. We have military chaplains of every denomination on post and if they don't for some reason, the chaplains there will provide you with the resources and equipment you need to follow your faith. At my basic training post, we did not have any chaplains of the Muslim faith, but they made arrangements for our soldiers to visit with their civilian counterparts and also provided a room, Korans and prayer rugs...whatever they needed. You'll find multiple services on post as well of all the major faiths. They also have a variety of programs for single soldiers, families, religious education and fun kids' programs...whatever you can think of!

Now what did I leave out? Oh, laundromats...most posts have them....sometimes car washes too...plenty of parks and running/walking trails, playgrounds too. I've even been on posts that have stables and lakes with picnic/camping facilities, boat rentals and fishing possibilities. Of course you'll see onpost lodging, used mostly by people moving in our out of the post...but also soldiers and civilians on temporary duty there and some vacationers. Many of these lodging facilities have been nicely renovated or are new and are much lower in cost than their civilian counterparts...imagine staying close to Disney World in Florida, or Key West, Hawaii or in the foothills of the Alps in a military lodging facility....yes, you'll find those. And, I almost forgot the on-post housing areas scattered around the post. Most of the administration of these are contracted out and many can be small and cramped...but other than your phone and cable bill, you don't have to worry about utility bills (although this has been changing), maintenance costs...but do have to worry about keeping your grass cut and keeping your area neat. Just ask the highest ranking officer of your neighborhood, who has been appointed as a "mayor" of your housing area.

One of my favorite places to go though when moving to a new location is Army Community Service (here is an example of an ACS). The other services also have equivalent offices by different names (yet another thing you will learn...they all name things differently a lot of the time and with more and more posts/bases having all four services stationed there....being called "Purple Communities", know that you can go to ACS or whatever regardless of what your husband's service is - Army, AF, Marines or Navy..even Coast Guard). ACS has new daddy and mommy programs...can get you in to see the WIC nurse, has mommy/child playmornings, a variety of free classes, programs and events...even job and resume training. They also have a lending closet where you can get pots pans and the things you need right after arrival....lots of newcomer resources and counselors through their Military Family Life Consultants who are free and don't keep any records...but help you get pointed in the right direction.....plus lots of friendly faces.

Sometimes, you get the feeling you are part of a special club, especially when you hand over that ID card as you enter the facility and leave the civilian world behind. Going "on post" is like "coming home" at least for me. I know what to expect once I go through that gate and know exactly where to go for what I need!

Lastly, you'll find the buildings housing the military units who are actually stationed on that post. They'll have their own infrastructure to an extent...also single soldier barracks and facilities for them, such as community rooms and kitchens. You could find rows of motorpools if the unit has lots of vehicles. Military police units are on each post, providing their services....yes, they have the right to search your vehicle on post, and you can get a speeding ticket from them...they do the same things civilian policemen do, just on post. If you have pets, there is usually a vet clinc...yes, the military vets are also tasked with food inspection and taking care of any military working dogs and other animals on post (don't laugh, some units have mascots)...but they can also provide lowcost care on a space available basis (here's an example).

I'm sure I've forgotten something....like the banks that have a contract to be on post and the Red Cross, which you will find on every post or even the community thrift shops (like Goodwill)...even the housing office which manages the onpost housing or helps you find off-post housing, but those are the highlights. I realize there are a lot of them......I have unfortunately droned on about this topic, haven't I, but if I did forget something, please post it below:-)

Podcast #5 - Autobahns & Schnitzels (5/10/2011)

2011-05-10T07:00:00.001+02:00

I'm back to my email inbox again today! I've gotten some questions about the autobahns and driving, schnitzels and shopping and of course where to wash your clothes before you have your own place. You'll find the answers and a few more tidbits....

below!

Podcast #5

Ask VMW: Uggghh...help with jetlag overseas!

2011-05-08T07:00:00.001+02:00

Can you share what you do to get adjusted to time changes below? I received not one but THREE questions last week addressing jet lag. I'll share what I do, and then it would be great if my readers shared what they did:-)

"I am pulling my hair out! I have a 10 year old, a 6 year old and a cat. The kids are driving me crazy, waking up at night and not getting rest. I dread every night since we moved to Germany. How do you handle jet lag??

Ohhh...those time changes and jet lag....you get a taste of what flight attendants go through but worse if you have kids in tow! Going from West to East is always the worst, as you are going backwards in time. Most planes arriving in Germany from the West arrive early in the morning between 0600 and 0800...and then you have your whole day ahead of you, fighting the sleep monster. Your best bet, once you get to your final destination (which usually involves a busride, a car ride where hopefully your sponsor picked you up, or even a train ride) is to STAY AWAKE until early afternoon. I do this by staying outdoors....walking around to get familiarized....even if it is just on post....fight the urge to go lie down in the bed and "rest" cause in seconds you will be sound asleep and definitely snoring from your exhaustion. Once you have been up and eaten some lunch, take a 2-3 hour nap at most. Set your alarm to wake yourself up! If you let yourself sleep until you wake up naturally, you'll wake up right before bedtime and then fight the vicious cycle for the next few weeks of waking up in the middle of the night...often..., not being able to get yourself to sleep and just generally being in a bad mood from lack of proper sleep.

If you do it this way, you may have only one or two restless nights as opposed to weeks of it! As for your children, that's a bit harder to control. Let them take a nap as soon as they fall asleep but don't let them sleep all day. Take them out to a playground or to the foodcourt play area if it's not nice weather....eat a bunch of small meals and snacks rather than big ones. Make sure you have a bedtime routine at the usual bedtime, and if they do wake up at night...you can sit with them but make it absolutely BORING and keep lights off and interaction low....this can be difficult but a few nights of difficulty will make many weeks of blissful nighttime sleeping! Resist the urge to be a nightowl or let them go wild! As for the cat, if he's like ours, he's nocturnal and will figure it out. I've actually kept our cat awake during the day by waking him up when he takes his little catnaps...and then playing with him. That helped us. Oh, and welcome to Germany!

Podcast #4 - Newbie Questions about Moving Overseas (5/6/2011)

2011-05-06T07:00:00.064+02:00

Okay I have an admission to make. I am one of those anal retentive people who needs a clean email inbox. I get a little stressed when I have not "done something" with an email...either read and filed it or answered back. Somehow, I let the email questions get stacked up...I usually like to answer them as soon as I can...but lately, haven't done a good job of it. I thought I would use the podcast to answer some. I unfortunately only got to a few questions before my time was up, but at least now I know how long-winded I am and can only answer a few "on the air"! Without further delay then.

Please click on Podcat #4. I tried to answer questions newcomers might have coming over, so there you have it. Please do continue to send your questions. I don't always think of things that people might be interested in, and I would love to help.

Would anyone have the time to vote for me?

2011-05-05T13:51:00.001+02:00

Hello all,

I was hoping you could find the time to vote for me, if you think I belong here! It would be for the Top 25 Military Family Blogs:-)

I would LOVE to be included in this group!

Ask VMW: How does overseas banking work?

2011-05-04T07:00:00.084+02:00

I don't think I've ever walked anyone through the process...the things we take for granted! Here's the question:

"I LOVE your blog and can't wait to come over. I don't understand though how we are supposed to do your banking if we get paid in dollars and then have to pay bills in euros? This is stressing me out!"

Thank-you! You may have to get a cup of coffee to machete your way through my answer. Rest assured, once you have been here a few months, this will all become second nature, so bear with me as I try to explain!

I can only tell you how we do it and what I recommend. Hopefully, some spouses over here will chime in with what they do. We always keep our stateside bank where my DH's paycheck goes...NEVER mess with that account is my first tidbit of advice as Army Finance is notorious for screwing things up, so try to mess with it the least you can! How many times has someone told you their pay is screwed up? It just took us months to get our corrected W-2....that's just the way it is for whatever reason. Those finance folks work hard but sometimes their systems even they don't like to deal with...or can't....not their fault a lot of the time.

We always open up a local bank account, even in the US...this is mostly for ATM access and having a "friendly face" in the neighborhood where you can do transactions in person (that's just me). Overseas, you'll deal in euros except on post. The PX and commissary will be just like stateside with stateside products (and the usual international commissary aisles). The PX will have some local candy/chocolate, a German gift section and some 220 volt appliances...don't get me started on that...you can use your US credit cards, checks and cash. AAFES even has their own credit card, the Military Star Card. Back at customer service, you can even cash personal checks and get the money in Euros or Dollars. In Germany, Bank of America (Community Bank, they call it) has the current contract for however many years...meaning, they are the Dept of Defense bank overseas for now...at least in Germany (here in Belgium, on the NATO base, a different bank won the contract and it is a European bank). Banks bid every few years (5 or 10?) to get that contract to be on our overseas posts and bases. I've forgotten...anyway, it is NOT the same bank as in the US as my MIL found out. She still had to pay ATM fees for using her stateside Bank of American ATM card, but somehow went there in person and got the charges taken off...she's like that. Even though it says Bank of America out front, it is somehow a different bank...maybe someone else can explain it.

But anyway, there is always a credit union on post too, but I've found they have less services and it's not as easy to transfer back and forth euro to dollars and vice versa. One example is Andrews Federal Credit Union. As with any credit union, I think their loans are cheaper. We used Bank of America for ease of use and their online banking choices. We would write a check from our stateside account and deposit those dollars into our account there. Then we would pay our German bills from Bank of America. When I got my bills in the mail from the German company (cable tv/phone, cause we were living in housing, so no rent, but this is also where your rent money should come from)...I would take the little orange payment slip to the bank, fill it out along with a withdrawal slip like any US bank...go to the counter. They would then tell me what the current $/euro rate is and would say okay for your 60 euro bill, that's x amount of dollars. I would have them add the fee (think it was $2 per bill to be paid), so I would have ONE transfer out of that account OR one check to write in dollars. They would do the bill paying for us, which typically took a few days to get to the biller...so don't wait til the due date. Get it done before that!

Now here in Belgium, since we pay rent, we also chose the bank with the current contract on SHAPE...it's an Italian bank operating in Belgium. They have online access and a little pin # generating machine....so every month, I write a check from my stateside account, go to the military finance cash cage, get the dollars in cash (for example $3k, which is the max you can cash per week)...hand carry the stupid cash to our Italian bank which is on the other side of the base and deposit it. We chose this bank because it is NATO friendly and it didn't charge any fees. Most Belgian banks charge fees for anything they do for you. You can see it is a bit more of a hassle here, but that's what we chose to do.

Let me remind you NOT to get euros from the military cash cage. Why? Because their exchange rate is typically lower than what Belgian banks will give you. You can deposit dollars at your Belgian bank...they will give you the dollar to euro rate and 100% of the time, it is a better rate than the cash cage.

Then, to pay our bills I go online at my convenience and before it's due and pay from our euro bank account...I can also set up automatic payments and recurring payments. The European banking system is much more secure than ours and for each transaction, after signing into your account w/your user name and password, you also have to use your electronic pin generator (it looks like a small calculator) to generate a pin for that ONE transaction....you can only use one pin one time. Without the pin generator, you can't pay bills online, so if you go back stateside on vacation and need to pay a bill, you've got to take that with you...strange huh? I can also make any payments in any country that is a member of the European Union (EC) with no additional fees. So, go ahead and book that French villa you've been wanting to book (we did) and pay your deposit with no hassles! And speaking of fees, I can use ANY bank's ATM in Belgium to access our Euro account with no ATM fees! So far, in France and Ireland, we also did not have any ATM fees...from either bank. Don't you wish you could say that for the US too?

So, that's how we do it. Some people get euros directly from the cash cage and go to the company that generated the bill to pay or the landlord's bank....but, that's even more hassle IMO, plus the local banks have BETTER euro rates than the military cash cage as I mentioned before.

You'll figure out what works best for you...I just didn't want to be tied down to payday and have to pay bills then, cause the lines can be extra long at both the banks on post and the cash cages, so I write my checks and deposit our monthly money whenever I have the time and am going that way...you just can't forget to keep replenishing your local account! It's easy to check that online of course.

In both Belgium and Germany, there is one other way to pay your bills...the local post office! Yes, even the post office has accounts you can open and use....or, you can take a copy of the orange billpaying slip and your euros to the post office, and they'll take care of paying the bill for you.

Last note...keep EVERY SINGLE receipt and scrap of paper from your bills and bank! It is not unheard of before you PCS, while outprocessing, to hear from a biller saying you did not pay such-and-such bill...without that receipt, you might as well have never paid, and you won't be allowed to outprocess without showing proof OR paying it again...uggghhh.

Do you have any banking or bill paying tips to share?

The one and ultimate moving list that supercedes all previous lists

2011-05-02T07:00:00.000+02:00

When we moved from Germany to Belgium last summer, I revamped my "to-do" list to make it less stressful. I think I finally hit the nail on the head and got something together that worked. My big worry was not did I get something done before the due date, I had my regular pocketbook calendar for that....my bigger worry was, "did I forget something really, really important?". Here's something that will help you make sure nothing falls through the cracks!

Please see the attachment and adjust what's on there for your own family's needs! If you'd like to share your own, please click on the "Ask Veteran Military Wife" (on my homepage, middle left column) to send it my way.

Oh, and can you believe I had someone send a virus attachment to me a few weeks ago? Thankfully, I have software that scans all my email attachments. Just want to throw that out there....be careful with any email attachments, even from trusted sources and either invest in an email program that scans that stuff OR a stand alone program that does it for you. Thanks again all for your added content!

Ask VMW: Freaking out about our overseas move!

2011-04-30T07:00:00.000+02:00

Here is a question for the day:

"We are PCSing to Germany with the Army and I am freaking out! I am reading your blog everyday in between my kids naps. I have a few questions for you. We are told we won't have housing available so we are to find a home on the "Economy" any tips of what to look for? I have heard people say that things like toilets/cupboards are not always included? Basically what do I need to know so I don't get screwed over by a German landlord?"

Thanks for your question! Many German homes in the American housing office system for each area, have already been "Americanized"...what I mean by that, is that many will come with kitchens (most Germans renting will put in their own), and you'll have toilets, baths etc....you may have to spring to install some light fixtures and will get Army wallockers if there are no closets (see my blogpost on the subject)...as for lights, many rooms may just have outlets and not even a connection for a light to hang...newer houses will have attachments...you'll find old and new construction. Many new homes have electric heat...easy to manage, set and take care of but very expensive...you have to weigh the benefits/negatives of just about anything. You'll get tips from your housing office too, and they'll make sure the contract is in order to protect you as well. Don't go looking for an agent unless you get authorization in hand that the US govt will pay for that service...it's typically two months rent so nothing to sniff your nose at! And the person renting pays this, not the landlord, so I caution you with "hiring" one of them if/when you get frustrated w/the housing office.

Podcast #3 - I'm Overseas, Now What? (4/28/2011)

2011-04-28T07:00:00.003+02:00

I know your sensory inputs are exploding just about now! You've just flown overseas to a new country you've never been in before (maybe), and you have had a chance to look at your German surroundings. Maybe you've been on base a few times and got some food at the commissary (yes, they have chitlins and Mexican food) and looked to see what the overseas PX, or the Exchange as they now call it, has. So now what?

Listen to Podcast #3 then.

Podcast #2 - Arriving Overseas (4/26/2011)

2011-04-26T07:00:00.050+02:00

Congratulations! You have arrived overseas!

Be sure to find out what happens next!

Podcast #2 - Arriving Overseas (4/26/2011)

I'll be talking about how to choose your hotel and what you need to be doing before and after arrival:-)

Ask VMW: I didn't account for this long overseas hotel stay before we get housing, help!

2011-04-24T07:00:00.100+02:00

Sometimes there is a reason why soldiers get deferments on having their families join them overseas initially. This just means that the servicemember goes overseas first and then his family joins him once he gets housing. I received a question the other day regarding the long hotel stay in Germany and the isolation being felt as a newcomer.

"We have been over here for a month in the hotel and were told that it could be another 1-2 months before housing has an opening. Also that since my DH is enlisted we cannot live off post. About a year ago it changed is what we were told. So since there isn't any on-post housing available and we aren't "allowed" to live off post, we are stuck in the hotel. Do you know anything about the housing situation? Is this normal? I feel isolated and do you have any advice on where I can go with my baby to connect with other wives? No one has welcomed me either from our Family Readiness Group. Please help."

You are absolutely correct. We were still in Germany when this policy came into effect of not allowing E-5s (Sergeants) and below to live off-post. This is why orders are automatically deferred to assignments in Germany for the most part...now you see why this can be such a problem...being in a hotel months on end with family is not a fun deal. Unfortunately, since you are already there, you may have to stay in the hotel for a bit longer. But with that being said, here is what I would do in the same situation cause I would try my darndest to make lemonade out of those lemons I was dealt.

Contact the housing office and get a better idea of where you are on the waitlist. A two month wait is not unusual. We were in the hotel for five weeks, and we even had designated command quarters. I have friends who waited two to three months, so this is absolutely in the normal range. During the summer months, the wait could be even longer, especially now as they shift the officers off-post. The reason being given is that they can afford the higher cost of off-post living (this article explains the new policy). Officers are not being asked to move, it's just that enlisted personnel who are incoming will take that housing instead of another officer. Obviously, there is much debate among servicemembers in Germany on whether this is right or wrong...there may be no one correct answer.

I would not have my DH go to his 1SG or commander unless the stress is starting to affect his working ability. Most leaders don't know what their soldiers are doing in their home life and how things are going...but they should. At one point, someone in the command should've sat down with the soldier, just to find out how inprocessing is going and how the adjustment is going...if not, he should ask to talk to his command...just don't whine.

Many posts have temporary housing when there is a long wait for regular housing...ask about that if you don't mind moving to it...it looks just like the regular stairwell housing, may not be renovated yet, but everything is in there furniture-wise with loaner furniture. You can get loaner dishes/cutlery, baby stuff like highchairs, etc from the lending closet at your on-post Army Community Service (ACS) or equivalent for free.

Speaking of ACS, you should go there and just see what programs they have. They should have a lead into baby/mommy mornings...most ACSs have this...most also have a trip where they take you on the economy...show you how to use local transportation and a familiarization class off-post, even basic language classes...you and your DH can sign up together. They may have other free programs as well....even job search assistance and resume classes.

See if there is a MOPS chapter...it is religious based but non-denominational. Check with your on post chapel to see if there is one there. This was a lifesaver for me, as it's a place for mommies and their little ones to get together....moms do fun things and crafts and eat while someone does fun stuff with the little ones...it gives moms a much needed break, and you will find more and more of these chapters overseas on military posts.

As for the Family Readiness Group, see if there is a monthly FRG meeting at your husband's unit. There should be one. It is mandated by Army regulations. Both you and your husband should attend at least one (coerce him if you have too...it's important for the both of you....many guys just don't like to go). Many FRGs have welcome gifts and introduce new people. Some FRGs are stronger than others. It's a shame really, as it is a commander's program and the commander dictates how active/important this organization is. We looked out for each other at every duty station I've been to and helped the new folks adjust. Find out who the other wives are in your husband's squad and team....one of them should be reaching out to you...and if not, get DH to get your contact info to the ladies or vice versa and just call one of them and ask to meet them at the foodcourt...say you are new. Sometimes, you just have to take the initiative to get the floodgates open. I know it's not easy, especially when you are new, but some wives have honestly forgotten how difficult it may have been for them when they arrived. I know when things are rough, my brain sometimes tends to forget too. Go into it, knowing you have done all you could to try to connect with others, and I know something will come out of your efforts!

Please continue to get support from your friends back home, your family and also the many wonderful Facebook pages and message boards online. I have met a few of my readers in my travels, as well as here in Belgium, and I count many of them as my friends. It's all about helping each other out and extending out that Army family. My favorite saying that I wish the Army would adopt somehow is "Keep the family, then keep the soldier". It is SO important these days that the Army realizes that if they don't care or provide for the needs of a soldier's family, he will eventually get out of the military, and the military will lose a valuable asset they might have kept had they done this in the first place. Sorry to get on my high horse....my little vent in the big picture of things! I'd like to welcome you to our Army family and feel free to stop back by and let us know how it is going if you like!

Podcast #1 - Moving Overseas (4/23/2011)

2011-04-23T12:43:00.001+02:00

I'm giving this a try, so bear with me. This is my first podcast, and I am hoping to do more. I've received lots of email from folks who are getting ready to PCS (move) overseas the next few months, so I thought I would leave you with some tips!

Podcast #1

If there are any other subjects you'd like to hear, please let me know! I don't know what you'd like to hear if I don't hear from you:-)

What's the deal with the European shopping carts?

2011-04-22T07:00:00.241+02:00

Ever notice how nice and orderly a European parking lot is when it come to their carts? Find out why that is!

My teenager said she is NOT moving overseas! Now what!

2011-04-20T07:00:00.032+02:00

Obviously you have a typical teenager! I can't think of any teen who was happy about moving! Think about what it was like for you at that age....obstinate, feeling like you are the only one feeling this way and still believing you should be the center of all attention. Honestly, that's what I was like as a teen, and you'd be hard pressed to find many teens who don't exhibit at least some of that behavior or mentality. So what do you do?

Many overseas schools now have a sponsorship program called, S2S (Student 2 Student). Email or the call the new school and find out more about it. Not all DODEA (overseas and a few stateside) have this program in place, but it is worth it to ask. If they have it, they will assign a sponsor to your child...someone they can correspond with of their own age. They may also send you some local materials if you ask. Be sure your husband contacts his own sponsor and asks for some local tourist brochures too. My kids loved leafing through them before our arrival.

Since I am over here in Europe, I'm going to talk mainly about Europe. Europe is not such an overprotective society like in the US....kids are more free to do the things they like...to go out with friends on the metro and drink coffee...you can drink beer at 16 over here...maybe not things you want to hear as a parent, and you still have to set your own ground rules of what you are comfortable with....but while I was in Stuttgart, many teens there would take the trains downtown and hang out in the cafes and beer gardens and go shopping on their own. They just had more freedom...maybe that will get her interested? Plus, the schools have so many programs where you can travel all over Europe with other kids...whether it is for sports, a club or just during the school holidays, where Morale, Welfare & Recreation (MWR) or the schools will plan chaperoned trips to exotic locations....all this can not be done in the US.

Yes, she will miss her friends. We all miss our friends at every duty station. But look at the opportunity of meeting MORE new friends....friends you can correspond with for life on Facebook, Skype, through email or however! It took my boys this last duty station to recognize it. They are in 6th and 8th grade and have had some amazing experiences this last duty station (we've been here almost a year). They also have new best friends here and Facebook with their friends from Germany and even our last duty station before that, in Florida. One great thing about being with the military, kids at every duty station are in the exact same boat as your children and will be more receptive to making and accepting new friends.

My boys made friends mostly at school, during the school day...and then inviting their friends over to the house as we don't live near any Americans. If your child plays an instrument or is in a club or plays a sport, there are even more opportunities there. We have a weekly group that meets at the chapel that has some great fun and games...and they get fed. Our sports teams also go all over, even flying to the UK for games, so lots of moments for bonding and creating new friendships. We even had a group going to the United Nations in the Hague for a week to do their own mini United Nations and meet some of our current United Nations personnel. It was very interesting and empowering I was told.

All in all, you've gotta convince your child to "give it a try", just like you tell them that when they get a plateful of food they don't want to eat. Our policy there has always been to try one bite, and if you don't like it, you don't have to eat the rest...but rest assured, once you get them on the continent and through some growing pains, your kids will surprise you.

Oh, and one last thing that will help.....try to get on summer PCS rotations. I know we started out on a winter rotation before we had kids and quickly realized this made life so much harder in the end. We were able to extend at one duty station to get us on a summer rotation cycle, and the rest of our tours moved along like clockwork. Yeah, you compete with moving companies, leisure plane travel and everything else, but to me, it's worth the less hassle and stress when it comes to my family!

If you have any moving tips to share for teenagers, let's hear them!

Joining Real Military Wives TV!

2011-04-18T07:00:00.003+02:00

Woo hoo! I am excited to be joining Susanna, Crystal and others at Real Military Wives TV. Forget Army Wives on TV (okay, maybe don't forget it), but this is REAL military wives TV for and about military wives. So, if you are just curious what we do everyday or you want to join us with your own musings, come join us!

Follow the link below and be sure to leave a comment on my own recorded video. You know how I am about video...not a big fan to see my mug on film...but I am learning and forcing myself to try to be a ham in front of the camera.

I would love for you to join us with your own video...and if you have a blog or website, please be sure to add the graphic below to your site and link back to Real Military Wives TV to spread the word!


http://realmilitarywives.tv/

Tell us what you think and stay tuned for more happenings and ideas that will come rolling out of that site!!!!

Ask VMW: I have questions about the German radiators, heating and some other things

2011-04-17T07:00:00.020+02:00

I recently received a question from an American renting a home in Germany.

I have a couple questions about saving energy in German homes. I’ve asked my landlord this, but there may have been a language barrier,and she didn’t quite answer my questions, so maybe you can help. Underneath my kitchen sink, there’s a little tank and a water heater. I keep it on all the time. Is there much savings to shutting it off when I’m not home during the day? Should I be shutting it off when we’re on vacation? Also, during this time of year, I shut off our home heat during the day, and turn it on in the evenings. Also, each radiator has a dial that starts with a snowflake, then 1-5, an infinitely symbol, then a 0 (zero). What’s the difference between the snowflake and the 0? And if we want to take a vacation during the winter, what setting should it be on so the pipes don’t freeze, but yet we’re not wasting energy?

And here's my answer...

Thanks for your questions! Yes, you can still find German homes with the separate water tanks wherever you need the hot water! I remember being at my German grandparents' home and turning on the big water heater to the tub about four hours before you wanted to take a bath....so you had to plan ahead...forget to do that, then no bath. Of course this only filled up the tub halfway...used to hate that. Anyway, yes, they do draw electricity when you don't need them. If it's a small tank, I'd go ahead and leave it on during the day. Yes, it'll take some money to heat it, but in my opinion it would be worth it. As you can see, it can be a hassle turning it on and off all the time and just remembering to do it before you need it. Is it just the regular tank or one of those instant on tanks? I am assuming regular. If it's an instant-on, go ahead and turn it off. Those will have hot water immediately as soon as you turn it on, or some have a setting where it won't draw electricity until you use it. Otherwise, if it's not, you'll be sitting there, waiting for the water to heat up before you do dishes or whatever.

Onto your house heat. Make sure your house thermostat is set at a reasonable amount. Germans like to keep their homes cooler, by closing off doors and wearing sweaters in the winter inside...that's how they save. You'll notice electricity is much more expensive over here. And, if you have oil or natural gas, that can be pricey as well. Americans living in Germany tend to have higher heating bills, cause we crank up the heat, leave doors open and walk around in shorts and flip-flops inside in winter. Many Europeans will shut off their radiators , or rather set it to the snowflake setting at night and also when they leave the house. This is too much work for me, so I just keep mine at 2 or 3 unless I am in the room, where it'll be at a 4 at most if we are really cold. The difference between "0" and the snowflake setting on your radiator, is that there is still a small amount of circulation on the snowflake setting...just enough so no pipes freeze. NEVER turn off ALL the heat in your home in winter. There is too much potential for pipes to freeze and then bursting. Your landlord will have a fit if that happens, and you'll end up paying for that damage I'm sure. If you decide to close off some rooms you won't use in winter, then keep them on the snowflake setting as well.

I hope this answers your questions! BTW, the heat registers are called "Heizkoerper" in German. If you feel like playing with Google Translate (or whatever you like to use), here's a site that talks about energy saving, http://www.strom-magazin.de/

You mean I'm in the WRONG Frankfurt??????

2011-04-15T07:00:00.006+02:00


The townhall of the "other" Frankfurt

I am only telling this story because it has happened to at least two of my friends and it is worth mentioning, because not only were they terribly embarrassed...they lost a lot of money when they missed their flight and were in the wrong city. How could this happen you wonder? It helps to explain how the Germans name their towns and cities.

You know how in the US, you might have a Springfield in Ohio and another one in Virginia and so on? The Simpsons TV family is always making jokes as to where the actual Springfield from the show is located. We usually don't get confused when someone mentions Portland or Richmond or Arlington, because we typically say the name of the city and then the state...so there is absolutely no doubt.

Well, Germany is split up into "Laender" or lands...kind of their version of states, but they don't say Stuttgart, Baden-Wuerttemberg...in fact, since Germany is barely over 100 years old, they didn't even have that as an option back then when you had all these dukes and princes with their own little territories. So, how did a person know exactly which city they were referring to?

Simple....the Germans attach the name of the river that goes through the town to distinguish it from another town with the same name and a different river going through it. Back to our story.....I had a friend taking a plane out of Frankfurt. Hey everyone knows Frankfurt, right? Well....most Americans are familiar with Frankfurt am Main...that's the Frankfurt on the Main River. That's where we had the big American airbase and where MOST flights arrive internationally. Now Ryanair flies out of Frankfurt, but they fly out of Frankfurt-Hahn. Now it's not named after a river, but I want to point out my friend drove to Frankfurt am Main to try to catch her plane, when she should've driven to Frankfurt-Hahn...Ryanair has a way of naming the two-bit airports they fly out of after major airports "nearby"...in this case, I think over 100 kilometers away! Obviously, she missed her flight and her vacation. So why did I mention this? Because she also could've driven to Frankfurt an der Oder....which is in the former East Germany on the Oder River. So you see, look carefully at the town name....we see it here in Belgium too, although they don't use rivers a lot of the time but regions, such as La Roche-en-Ardenne, showing this particular town lies in the Ardennes Region of Belgium.

Are you confused? I hope not. I just want you to be sure and look carefully at any itineraries, hotel reservations and tickets before you head out that way or really, before you even book it. It could save you some money and disappointment. Do you have any stories to share?

The European way of giving directions

2011-04-13T07:00:00.009+02:00

You know how you can be anywhere on the East Coast in the US, and say "go South on I95" and depending on where you are when they say that, you know exactly which way you are going and pretty much when you will get there? There are also those familiar red, white and blue I95 signs that even glow in the dark...guiding you along the way, North or South. Try that in Europe, and you'll be eternally confused as route markers change as much as you change your mind. Ask someone where to get to route this-and-that going South, and you'll get hit with a blank stare. You see, they give directions here totally differently. Here's some enlightenment along those lines.

Way back when people didn't travel much and pretty much stayed around their villages, they would get infrequent visitors passing through who knew they needed to follow a goatpath or semblance of a road...but al ot of times didn't know which direction. So, they would ask which way. The villager would point and respond to take THIS road in the direction of Paris....cause he knew that this trade route eventually got to Paris, and this is the way everyone went to get there.

Nowadays, it's the exact same thing. Even here in Mons, Belgium, if I want to tell someone how to go to the Mons Mall, I say get on the autoroute (our version of the highway) towards Paris and take the second exit. There is no North, South or anything else...and everyone knows what you are talking about. If I want to go to Cologne, I'll say go on the autoroute towards Brussels and after Charleroi, head towards Aachen.

How's that for a trial by fire in European geography? It's like this in every European country. You'd better know which cities lie in which direction and don't worry about the cardinal directions. You won't use them here! And when you get out into the sticks into some of these small villages, I hope you are familiar with the larger towns around them. Yes, you've got your GPS, but the GPS sometimes takes you on some other-than-worldly goatpaths that sometimes end in dead ends or are so narrow, you can stick your hand out one side window and the other and span the entire width of the road. I won't even talk about the 6 foot roadway ditches and farm machinery you see at every turn.

As a small caveat, I think I know where we got our US route and highway system from, as some areas in northern Europe and England WILL have major autoroutes clearly marked. But, that is not how the majority rolls over here. Be sure to study your maps and memorize which big cities lie where in Europe! If anyone has any driving stories to share that involve directions, I would love to hear them!

Ask VMW: How many cars can I ship overseas? Fuelcards?

2011-04-10T22:06:00.000+02:00

I don't think I've ever gotten a question about shipping cars and fuelcards....definitely something you need to know if you are moving overseas!

I was wondering does the military ship one or two vehicles and I read something about a fuel card how does that work?

The military will only ship one vehicle on its dime. Some folks do ship a second vehicle, which would cost anywhere from 500-1000 euro typically. You have to make all those arrangements on your own though. Most folks buy a second beater-type car to get around in instead. Each post usually has a lemon lot, and in the summer it'll be full of vehicles...everything from American cars to European-spec cars that can only be driven in Europe. Most of the little cars are stick-shift, so if you haven't learned, it's about time that you do:-) It'll broaden your options. And no, it's not called a lemon lot because there are lemons there...it's just called that.

You get authorized a certain # of liters of fuel for one vehicle. This just means that you can buy a special fuelcard at a special price on post. You can also buy more fuel, but it will be at regular off-post fuel prices. Fuel in Europe is priced very high (which is why I don't even fret over American fuel prices...they are so low in comparison!). I believe it is because fuel is taxed very high here. Here in Belgium on post, you can buy 200 liters of regular unleaded for about 140 euro...actually the prices have gone up since I bought a fuelcard, so it is probably a bit more. I buy one every few months unless we travel a lot by car. Remember, in Europe it's priced in liters. In the US, we pay per gallon, so to figure out the price difference, you have to do a little math. We also can only use the fuel card at the Belgian Total gas stations. As I said, you can buy gas anywhere, it's just that we have the contract with Total for our fuel rations.

You get a fuel ration card, typed up on cardstock paper when you inprocess. For us, we get 400 liters max a month. If you have a gas guzzler and use it to drive around a lot...you could run out and then have to buy gas on the economy. You bring your ration card with you to the rationed items store on post to buy your fuel card...regular, super or diesel is available. You can also buy these fuel cards from the PX. If your non-military spouse also works full-time, you can request to get more fuel rations if you need them. Once you use up that particular fuelcard, you have to buy another one.

If you travel into France and other European countries, your fuelcard is useless, and you will pay regular fuel prices like everyone else. If you have a leave form, you can visit the MP station in Germany and get a fuelcard to use in Germany....I believe also in the Netherlands and Italy....possibly Spain....all the countries where we have bases. It's an extra hassle, but if you spend a lot of time in that other country and have the time to stop by one of our bases there, it may save you lots of money.

If you are PCSing to Germany, the process is a bit different, but you will still have a fuelcard. They don't use fuel coupons anymore. Your fuelcard is tied to that particular vehicle, so your buddy in another car will not be able to use it. In Germany, you'll have more rations as well. I have never run out while stationed there! Super is the only available gas choice if you buy gas from AAFES, as many AAFES stores have their own gas stations (at the shopette). You just pay with your regular American dollars. Diesel is only available off post. If you get a Military Star card (AAFES version of their credit card), you'll get 5% back on your purchases. You can obviously also use your own choice of credit card with its own collection of bonuses and incentives. If you want to gas up off post, you can use your fuelcard at Esso gas stations only IF you put a money advance onto your fuelcard. So for example, you can put $100 on your fuelcard and then fuel up at Esso. You won't pay the going rate posted on the pump, but our special discounted rate. Once you get your receipt, you'll see how many liters you have left to pump on your advance, and you can also check this online. Add money as needed. It's kind of a pain to keep track of, and at any time if you pump OVER the amount on your fuelcard, you will pay the full fuel price for your entire transaction. What I like here in Belgium, is that you can never go OVER what is on your fuelcard. Once it's done, it's done....and you have to buy another fuelcard.

I do want to mention a quick word about American cars over here in Europe. Most of us do have American brand cars that are not sold in the European market. You'll see Ford and some others over here, but they'll have model names you never heard of and European car models are much smaller than ours across the board. Keep this in mind when you are thinking of shipping your extended cab super-size truck over here!

European roads are narrower. Here in Belgium, they are absolute goatpaths unless you are on a major thoroughfare between major towns and cities. I have a minivan and frequently have to stop or get over on country roads...and we have some big ditches along our roads! Parking can be a pain. Yes, the spots are a bit shorter, but worse, they are narrower. I've had to squeeze out of my driver's side door, or go out the back and many times, I choose to park farther away so I have no other cars around. Of course, practice your parallel parking, and when we drive downtown somewhere, we usually take my husband's little European specs car with us that fits in tight spaces. Some parking garages will also be tight, not only in the spaces, but as you navigate around inside the lanes!

Yes, I've heard Americans say they love the room of a large car and that's fine....just be prepared to deal with a few hiccups. Be prepared to stand out too as an American. In light of recent world events, we are no longer allowed to wear military uniforms off post, even if just going home. A regular sized car would make our footprint not quite as big. We made the decision to take our van over here because we had a huge dog at the time, kids and had lots of visitors we would take on our travels...that was our choice....and it works fine I think. Anything bigger I would've felt uncomfortable having over here. Do what you think is right for your family and your situation!

Ask VMW: I have four dogs & a parrot and want to move overseas, advice?

2011-04-08T21:23:00.000+02:00

Today I received a question that deserved a really long answer...read on!

Hi so I don't really know where to begin. My husband is up for reenlistment and we have heard rumor of there being some openings for his MOS in the Netherlands, I think Schinnen or Germany. We have a baby, 4 dogs and a parrot all of which we could not part with. We are unsure how this tour will affect us financially. We both really want to go overseas but are not sure how this will affect us bringing our pets and vehicles. Will I be able to take my pets? My husband is an E4.

Schinnen is actually a very nice place to be stationed...centrally located and a nice base in the NATO environment (which is a bit different than everyone else over here at US bases). We are at a NATO base too and just love all the international interaction!

Wow, you have your hands absolutely full and spilling over! I'm going to be honest with you, as I don't beat around the bush. I blame my German ancestry...again, there is never any right or wrong answer when I respond to people's requests. Four dogs and a bird will be a HUGE challenge.

Some things to think about....the flight...you will have to get them all health checked within 10 days of travel, and since only a certain # are allowed per plane, you gotta make sure they are listed in your flight record (I always recommend United Airlines) and if you fly in the summer you could be faced with travel restrictions. You didn't mention the size of your dogs...you'll need to purchase the correct crate size for EACH dog (that can get pricey if you don't already have them) and look at spending about 100-200 euro PER dog to travel. You would be flying into Amsterdam (for the Netherlands) and could possibly face more fees, as sometimes people are charged for extra items, such as vet checks and "holding" the pet while they wait for the vet and that kind of thing...plus you could be waiting around all day. It usually doesn't happen, but I've seen it happen. The good thing is that if you go to a military vet for the pets 10 day check up, it'll be free...otherwise, you'll pay for that. Read my article on that whole process. Also read this quick post on pets and being in the military.

I''m not sure what the lodging facilities are like on Schinnen. If they have onpost lodging they will probably not have pet rooms or will have limited pet rooms (our lodge only has six I believe and they book up fast). On post, Army-wide, you are only authorized two pets max....so, if you have anything over that, you'll be looking off post. The Netherlands is a pricey country...housing is also the smallest out of any of the European countries....plus, just so narrow with steep stairs and small yards. As an E4, you could face some challenges finding something large enough, close enough to post (the farther out, the cheaper usually) AND finding a landlord that will accept that many pets. Please visit Head Over Heel's blog. The author chronicles her journey from Germany to the US in a PCS move with four large dogs. She shipped three at once I believe and the fourth one at a later date. She prepared herself as best she could and still hit quite a few roadblocks. But, I think she was able to finally work something out where she and her dogs...and her soldier husband are happy. So, it can be done if you are persistent and patient. The Europeans, particularly the Dutch LOVE their dogs, and you'll see them just about everywhere, so that is a good thing!

As for your parrot, I had a friend who had birds, and she would find a home for her bird before PCSing overseas. Birds are just so sensitive and many don't handle the stress of going by plane. Don't even get me started into talking about the baby birds they bring from outside the US to sell as pets...meaning the ones not hatched in the US...it's criminal how many die on the journey. I personally would not want to take that risk. Your bird would also need the necessary health certificates, and you'd need to find an airline or pet shipping service that even handles birds. You'd also have to check what the import requirements are for the Netherlands for birds. I don't know them. Obviously you can see I am biased on birds...sorry.

Bottom line, you would have to have a lot of research and paperwork...and money set aside if you plan to take your animals!

As far as being an E4 living overseas....sometimes it can be daunting at NATO bases, because most tend to cater to higher ranking officers and E4s sometimes get lost in the shuffle! But, that doesn't mean we don't have any. I have a few friends whose husbands are E4s......one is struggling a bit....one is not. It is much more difficult to find housing off post in your price range, that is a fact. Check Schinnen's housing office online and see if E4s can automatically live on post, and if they even have on post housing and also what is the wait time to get into housing. You need to know this stuff before you and the rest of the family comes over. Deferred orders may be better. He could come with half of your animals, while you come later, when he finds a house and gets settled in with the other half as an example. If you live on post and only have two animals, perhaps there is a trusted friend or relative who could watch the other half while you are overseas. Overseas assignments don't come as often as they used to, and they can be such an enriching part of your life...I would obviously do it over and over again if given the chance:-)

I just checked and an E4 would get 1250 euro per month max for housing. Go to ahrn.com and using a .mil email address, see if Schinnen lists their rental housing...I know our area here at SHAPE just went online there. You will get an idea of what is even out there. You'll get 613 euro for utilities, which will mostly go to cover gas/oil, water & electric. That should be enough if you get an energy efficient house.

Sorry I couldn't give you an easy answer, but you are on the right track, researching and asking questions ahead of time! We need more military spouses willing to take responsibility to look out for themselves and their family! Good luck in whatever you choose to do! Talk it over with her hubby, and see what will work best for you!

First Impressions of Dublin & Ireland

2011-04-07T07:00:00.103+02:00

You always hear people talking about wanting to make a trip to lovely, green Ireland...especially Americans...something about going back to the homeland. About 10% of American men can claim Irish ancestry...little less for women. Anyway, I have no Irish ancestors that I know of....mostly German and "other". No one ever guesses, so I keep them guessing for fun...you too. But I am SO off topic. So, I book the tickets thru Ryanair, cause I just can't resist those cheap seats. And from that point on, after people ask me where we're going, and I say Dublin..they say, "oh, Dublin is ugly. Nothing to see there." How's that for encouragement? Of course, I don't listen as always and go about my merry way, researching and dutifully putting an itinerary together for my family.

Well, I am back. We were there a week before the craziness of St Paddy's Day. We are back happy, refreshed and wanting to see more. Here's what I have to say about what we saw and did.

They don't do Pounds in Ireland, even though it is next to the UK. If you didn't see this, you may be as confused as I was. Come prepared for Euros. I almost planned for the wrong thing. Many Irish sites online will have things priced in Pounds, and now I realize they do this because their big market is the UK...not because their currency is in Pounds!
They drive on the "wrong" side of the road...of course I knew that...but the hardest part for me was not driving but the looking RIGHT before crossing the busy streets!
I was happy I had my vest and found myself taking many more pictures than ever before.
Found out that Dublin=Guinness and vice versa, and there isn't one without the other.
Kids loved the FREE Paddywagon day tour which came with our apartment rental in the Temple Bar District (center of the action). I found it and it's review on Hostelworld of course! There were no gimmicks, just pure fun and learning and not only historical stuff but one of our favorite things to do, to scout out movie locations. In this case, we saw scenery from "Braveheart" and "PS I Love You", as well as a few others within Dublin (even in Kilmainham Jail).
Speaking of the jail, it is a MUST see, and if you MUST bypass some of the cheesy tourist stuff to get there, then do it. Learn what the connection is with Abraham Lincoln and our American history too.
I learned (cause I had forgotten) that potatoes don't come from Ireland.
Maybe cause it was before the holiday, but I believe I saw some leprechauns, and I could've sworn that TONS of people (not just tourists) were wearing kelly green! In fact, I read some article while I was there that said that leprechauns were being paid up to 1,000 euros A DAY to come and be a pub fixture.
As always, I recommend the hop on/hop off bus...either company has the same price and similar schedules...this can take up a whole day of hopping on and off and visiting some of your favorite sites (because you can't get to all of them I'm going to tell you right now). The companies' tickets are also good for TWO days instead of the usual one day you see in most European cities (or 24 hours).
Dublin has some of the CLEANEST European streets I've EVER seen. Not because us tourists and locals are clean, especially in March. It's because they have a HUGE army of automated street sweepers and people cleaning the streets and sidewalks at all hours. On the morning we left, as the sun was coming up, we saw some broken bottles and random trash but that was about it! I think I only saw one pile of doggy crap the entire time...highly unusual for Europe!
The Irish are some of the proudest and friendliest people I have EVER met over here. I felt totally safe, although I never ventured to the Northside (opposite of most cities, as most have the Southside as being the rougher side). This is why Colin Farrell likes to say he comes from the Northside to bolster his bad-boy image (and you thought he came from the Southside didn't you?).
Loved that the National Museum of Ireland is free. It was worth it, but I had a nightmare of the bogmen (yes, they were dug up) in the Archeology Museum. The architecture of the building itself was impressive, and you gotta like the Viking stuff there too...did you know Dublin was founded by Vikings? If you have Viking fever, the company that dug up one of the earliest Viking settlements around, set up its own exhibit, so check that out (I guess they had to do something to keep on building, huh?).
Go to pubs for food (cheaper) and get away from Temple Bar area for shopping, pubs and food (again, cheaper).
Check out the iWalk Tours on Dublin Tourist Bureau's website...they have about 12 of them in all parts of town. Follow along in their guide as you listen to the podcast. My favorites are of course the Guinness Walk and the walk with the Georgian doors. I think I took photos of about 20 different Georgian doors.
Speaking of Georgian, don't miss the House #29. If you want to see what a rich family lived like in this era, stop here. Too bad there wasn't a slum to view to see how the other 97% lived in those times.
Kids were ecstatic to be coming to an English speaking place with English bookstores. Yes, the Eason's chain is the biggest in Ireland I think, but we loved Chapters, cause the entire top floor was ALL second hand books. We had to beat feet before we spent an entire day in there!
Kids and hubby flipped over an all-you-can-eat Indian/Italian/Chinese place for 7,95 euro a plate....yes, there is such a thing and yes, you'll find it in Dublin on the corner of Henry Place and Moore Lane near O'Connell Street. There is also a nice foodmarket in that area...actually there are markets all over the city on the weekends. You can find some other cheap eats here. There is a famous Paddyjack sandwich I read about here and here (also info on the markets), but by the time we got there in the late afternoon, he just had horsemeat left and was selling them as Paddyjack on a spit and not a sandwich!
Do bring your raingear. It rained/drizzled the entire time we were there, plus it was windy! Wait, we did have sun for a few hours when we were out in the countryside and Kilkenny, but it was brief.
I regretted not seeing the ocean, or should I say Irish Sea. It's not like you can walk down along the river and see it. It's quite a distance from downtown Dublin and the actual port area is ugly with big container buildings and crane, but there is bus service out to Howth Cliffs. There are hiking trails and beautiful ocean views to see....sigh.

Now that we've gotten a taste of what Dublin has to offer, we would love to go back and spend some quality time in the countryside. We only got a day's taste of that which only makes us want to come back for another trip! The Irish countryside is just beautiful, and we drove miles before we would see another car at one point. Even in winter, we got a real sense of the green and beautiful landscape. Of course, I promised the kids we'd get to Scotland before we go back up North....so many destinations and so little time! If you are on your way to a European tour, let me suggest you start sooner rather than later to visit all these wonderful locations!

Ask VMW: Is it easy to get a job overseas?

2011-04-05T07:00:00.006+02:00

Here's a question I recently received:

I have been reading the blogs about Germany and I appreciate all of the insight! I am a newly married military wife, and we just found out our next assignment will be to Germany. We are ecstatic to say the least but besides the bagillion questions, I have one really important one.....jobs for spouses, are there any? I am beginning to feel that knot in my stomach known as "anxiety" so any insight you might have would be greatly appreciated.

Jobs....not as easy as in the US, but if you are persistent, you'll find something...eventually...the easiest to get are AAFES retail and commissary baggers/cashiers and such....office jobs are a bit harder. Your first stop should be Army Community Service (ACS) at your new post, as they have the leads for all kinds of jobs in your area, to include contractor jobs and those obscure jobs that aren't really listed anywhere that you would find them. Since you will fall under the SOFA agreement, which was made between the US and Germany after the war, there will only be certain jobs on post you are eligible for and no jobs off post if you are a US citizen (unless you get hired by a company from stateside). I did have a friend who worked under the table in a German restaurant, working back in the kitchen. She loved it, because she learned how to cook German dishes, except for the special sauces they made...they made those before the hired help came in! Another friend who had a horse taught lessons to American kids at a local stable. ACS will also help you with your resume and get you in the system to look for jobs...many people think there are just government jobs, but you'd be surprised what you'll see offered. I know the government is trying to get rid of some of these contractor jobs, as many get paid beaucoup bucks when they could pay a government worker much less. Good for the country, not so good for the worker....but, I still see a lot of them out there, and if you have a security clearance, you will move to the head of the line. As a sidenote, I got a job once by volunteering. I always volunteer anyway, but had I not volunteered, I would not even have been offered this job. The amazing thing is that the agency went through the process of doing other interviews, but since they were so happy with my work and I was known entity, I got the job in the end....right or wrong, it pays off to volunteer and network I think. Good luck in your search!

Reading between the lines...

2011-04-03T07:00:00.000+02:00

I'm a big fan of reading travel reviews. I read them on airlines, hotels, destinations, cruise ships...let's see...even destinations within a destination, such as major tourist attractions. I'd read one on myself if I could...might make me a better person. Funny, you get some that are just about as negative as you can get....then you get the ones that are so glowing, it makes you wonder if someone's grandmother wrote it about their own place. Then you get the fluff in between. Here are some recent reviews I've read and my own translation of what they really meant.

For a hotel:

Centrally located and in the middle of all the action. Noisy and you won't get any sleep if you are a light sleeper. There will also probably be college age drunk kids running around.
Close to public transportation. The buses/trams run REALLY early...and late, and you'll hear every one of them, as they go by.
Staff doesn't intrude and is seen only when called. You'll be hard pressed to get maid service or a late night snack. I've actually wandered the halls of such a place, looking for someone who could find me an extra blanket...yes, it was late, but there was a night desk and no one to be found. I never did figure that one out.
Quaint farm B&B. You'd better have a car, because it'll be close to absolutely nothing. If you don't mind bugs, cats howling as they hump each other all night and cows and roosters playing alarm clock, then this won't bother you at all. We recently stayed at a B&B, that had all of the above.

On the beach:

Invigorating surf. Yeah...invigorating it was all right....as the riptides tried to carry us out to sea. We ended up playing it safe on the sand. Research what kind of beach area it really is. With kids, I just like having lifeguards nearby too...interesting thing in Europe, you are mostly held responsible for your own kids' safety while in water. You will find many hotels without any kind of lifeguards as well. Know before you go.

Airlines:

No frills or fuss and efficient. This was about Ryanair....and they weren't lying either. This basically means bare bones. Let the nickel and diming begin!
Friendly and knowledgeable. Have you ever had a tourguide who gave you a headache? Knowing everything about everything is great, but you have to balance the talking with just letting the people drink in the scenery. He was also overbearing to the point that I would run the other way if he headed my way during our rest breaks. His wearing of the lederhosen also scared the children and for some reason formulated some disturbing images in my mind...maybe it was his knobby legs and not the lederhosen...per se...I digress.

Rental Cars:

Super fuel-efficient. That and the size of a shoebox. Tall people need not apply. Even the kids had to stuff themselves into the backseat. Always know the model make and name beforehand...specifically. There is a reason why that shiny rental car you saw on the website is so cheap...."objects on screen are smaller than they appear" or something to that effect.

Wonderful back-to-nature hike with a mountaintop picnic with champagne and all the hearty offerings. Well, once we hiked up the big hill, not mountain, we did get champagne, but also day old bread with some old stinky cheese, bubbly water and when we weren't swatting the little bugs (or eating them), we did take some fascinating photos. Take note that a European picnic lunch is not what we envision as an American picnic lunch.....always have plenty of water (the still kind if you so desire), and if you don't do the European thing and drink fizzy water like 99% of them do, write that down again for future reference. It's also good to have snacks along if you are not going to indulge yourself in the local sausage, pate or whatever.

What about you? Do you have any reviews to share?

The Money Hazards of Living in Belgium

2011-04-01T07:00:00.002+02:00

On the one hand, Belgium is a land of rules that don't get followed. Why? Look at all the different rulers they have had through the years....all with their own set of rules and laws...constantly changing. They've had Austrians, the Spanish, Germans, the Dutch and the list goes on. It's no wonder that not until 1967 did you need a driver's license to drive here or that a Belgian official will tell you "it's not possible" and the next day it is. Today I'd like to talk about how to save yourself thousands of Euros or from making a dumb mistake.

For one thing, Belgium and the US have a different Status of Forces (SOFA) agreement with Belgium than we do with Germany. Germany is very generous when it comes to exempting us from sales tax, other taxes and giving us certain privileges. In Germany, you can buy a stack of VAT forms and use them for ANY purchases, which pays off on total purchases over 50 euro. I used to love getting that tax back in cold hard cash at the Real (like a Super Walmart) customer service counter. Not so in Belgium. Remember, Belgium didn't lose like Germany did, so of course they didn't have to give a lot of concessions. I will touch on a few ways that have lost people money.

As a sidenote, these rules do not apply to all Americans in Belgium or expats. These rules only apply to American (possibly NATO) military personnel or civilian personnel assigned to NATO or American Forces in Belgium.

For example, only certain items are sales tax exempt, such as furniture. The process is also a little more complicated, at least on SHAPE, where you have to get a receipt or bill of lading of the item/items you are buying, then take that to the VAT office, and the Community Services Center on SHAPE. Many stores, like IKEA, don't give you the money back right away, but request that you fill out some paperwork, including providing your local bank account number, and then a few months later, you'll see the amount show up in your bank account. As in typical Belgian fashion, you may see one person asking for the VAT from the VAT office get tax relief, whereas another person wanting to purchase the same item, does not get it. I don't have an answer for that one. I've just seen it happen. Read here for my step-by-step process of getting your VAT back.

Also, be careful how you register your vehicles! You have one vehicle that is exempt from Belgian road taxes...only one. Road taxes can be expensive, depending on how large the engine is in your vehicle. This is why you should register the vehicle with the largest engine first. Vehicles with larger engines can run you over 1,000 euro a year. Vehicles like my husband's little diesel that gets 50 MPG only costs just under 200 euro a year, so you can see the big savings. We registered our minivan first. I talked to one person who, while waiting for their vehicle to ship from the States, bought a second vehicle, which they registered first. Now they are faced with owing roadtax on their larger vehicle that has not yet arrived. I don't know if they worked it out or not, but I just caution you to check it out. We received our roadtax bill, through my husband's work address about two months after he purchased the vehicle. You can then pay the bill at your local Belgian post office or through your local bank account. I will talk later about recommendations on getting a bank account over here, as most of your bills and purchases will be in Euros and not Dollars.

Be careful about buying a vehicle from a non-Shapian (a person without a SHAPE ID card). You will end up paying sales tax. Again, I overheard a person in the inprocessing building lamenting that he had to pay a few thousand euro tax on a vehicle he purchased for 10,000 euro. He said if he had known this ahead of time, he would've never done it! I'm guessing that's why you don't see all the car lots around post like you do at any German US Army base or post.

My point with this post is to advise you to be careful and research things thoroughly before you do them....the consequences can be costly! Please also do not take my advice as the Gospel. Some of what I have written may be inaccurate, as I have not checked the laws and regulations myself, and like I said, sometimes it is not crystal clear what the law even is. I am only speaking from my own experience and the experiences of the people around me. Take it for what it's worth to you! Do you have any Belgian experiences that are related to this post?

Easily add minutes to your Belgian pre-paid cell phone (any provider)

2011-03-30T07:00:00.010+02:00

I know it's easy to run by the grocery store or wherever to "top up" your minutes for your prepaid phone. You just grab the little papers from your provider at the check-out and get the code on your receipt. Well, I am constantly forgetting to do that! I mean, I don't have to add minutes that often, but more often than not, I NEED the minutes at an inopportune time. So, I've found a way to add minutes online...any provider.

Go to:

Becharge.be

Follow the links for your provider to add minutes and get the code within seconds....very handy...

Confessions of a European tourguide, Part II

2011-03-28T07:00:00.000+02:00


Europeans have a festival for everything, here the "cows are coming home"!

I've shared some confessions of a European tourguide before. I can see from the emails I received that I hit a nerve with some....a sense of nostalgia with others. So, I thought I'd share the second part. Again, I am sharing these tips in case you should ever take a tour in Europe. These are obviously my own experiences...yours may be different....take them however you see fit. Know what to expect before you go!

It is a custom on European buses for the tourguide to pass around a hat or envelope to tip the driver at the end of the trip. Putting a few Euros or up to 5 euro per person in there is recommended. I've seen busdrivers bust their butts packing and then hauling hundreds of boxes of Polish pottery (we love our Polish pottery? Me too!).

Tipping local guides is also customary in Germany at least. The local guide (not your tourguide) will typically stand by the exit of wherever you are leaving...you can give a euro or two there. If no one from my group gives, and if I didn't plan ahead and collect from you (also with a hat) before, then I give. It's a tradition, cause they don't make much money either, sorry....

Yes, bathrooms do cost money in mostly Germany...which is also why they will be superclean and sometimes attended. They cost anywhere from 1 to 2 euro and many take exact change only. Even McDonald's charges and Starbucks will give you a code on your receipt if you purchase something. In Belgium you'll find pay toilets at the entrances of restrooms in trainstations and other public places (airports are still free and relatively clean, thank God)...even Venice and some Italian cities have pay toilets. The free ones are usually the dirtiest around....stopping in France to use the restroom can be a big shock to anyone! Those are free along the highway. Now you know why.

Make sure you take the items you need with you to your bus seat....and put it in the overhead. I can't tell you the number of times my tourguides have had to dig around underneath the bus because someone forgot their camera or coat down there...oh, it's with my suitcase. Also, don't overstuff your overhead ledge (it's not a bin)....it'll cut off airflow, so the heat in winter or A/C in summer won't get to you at all. In the summer, you can even draw the curtains near your seat, so when you get back on, the bus has less to cool.

Bring raingear with you....European weather can be rainy. We had a tour where half the bus had no raingear (we left in beautiful, warm sunshine). Some sucked it up, some bought overpriced umbrellas and a few missed the tour because they refused to get off the bus. Our cute local guide in the local peasant girl's dress had her umbrella and was ready to go. I'm still sorry that family missed out....because they missed a wonderful tour.

Wear sound walking shoes and dress for changing weather. I've seen high heeled shoes turn ankles on cobblestone. I've also seen people sweat in the AM in the high Alps and then freeze their tushes off and miss all the action when the sun started to go down and started casting its cold shadows.

Bring changes of clothes for your children...I'd even recommend bringing one for you. I am amazed at all the spilled drinks and "accidents" that can happen. In fact, I used to have extra shirts along, because it happened so often.

Recognize that a child may have never had motion sickness in their life...but will have it on this bus. I try to put those folks in the front (if you tell me). Always have Dramamine or an equivalent, just in case. I remember an older German I had once with his 4711 cologne (a German classic that has a fresh lemon scent), give a young child who was getting queasy....a handkerchief full of cologne to inhale (it worked).

Realize that sometimes, we can not always accommodate your regular mealtimes. Bring snacks, especially for little ones. Most buses will have drinks for sale at a nominal fee (1,50 to 2 euro)....but feel free to bring your own. You can always leave your non-valuable items on the bus. I would never leave anything expensive on the bus...not because we are thieves but because we don't want the responsibility or liability.

It's okay to dress comfortably on that bus...bringing a pillow or blanket is okay too. You can leave it in your seat.

Singles, you did not pay for two bus seats...just one. Realize that if the bus is going to be full, I will move you with another single (if you don't do it on your own), so that a family can at least sit together.

Most bus companies will not sell that single seat in the back, so if you are a family of four, you can get extra room in the back...the downside is that you can't recline, it can be louder (bus engine is underneath you) and it can be colder in winter months (my kids don't care...they always head to the back).

The front two pairs of seats are usually reserved for the tourguide, a local guide (when you pick them up), gear...basically for the company's use....please try to sit in the second row. Yes, there is a jumpseat up front, but we typically do not sell those seats behind the driver....being in an uncomfortable jumpseat can be compared to torture when it is for long hours. This is why we do this in case you wondered.

Many buses have a sleeping compartment across from the potty door (yes, most buses DO have toilets). If your tour involves a lot of driving and the math does not support having one driver that whole time (remember breaks and driving time), a second driver must be hired or brought along. They each use that compartment for sleeping/rest breaks so they can continuously hopfrog drive (this is ideal). Why don't we do this all the time so we don't have to have all these breaks? Because then we'd have to charge you more for your tour price.

When we figure out the cost for your tour, yes we do have a profit margin (believe me, it is not as big as you think)...the biggest chunk though will be the cost of your butt in that bus seat. Premium tour buses are very expensive, especially double deckers which can cost up to 1 million euro each! Yes, that's euro....so most double deckers are actually leased. We do get some discounts on group entry tickets to castles and just about anything....but, we are not being exhorbitant in what we charge. Remember also, we decide the price by figuring the MINIMUM people we will take on that tour....so take more, we get a bigger profit...sometimes we take the risk and take less...and either lose money or magically get the right amount of people to sign up last minute to at least break even!

Speaking of last minute....on some tours, we need minimum numbers of passengers before a certain date. Many specialty tours, special dinners and other planned activities may have minimum participation. I've done gourmet cooking classes and taken people bobsledding with Olympic caliber bobsledders as well as taken a large group to the 65th Anniversary in Normandy, France to hear President Obama and other European leaders speak. Many of those types of tours require lots of early planning and commitment by us. That is why we encourage you to sign up early....it helps us, and it helps keep costs down if we know we will hit the right numbers more often than not.

Watch the alcohol! European beer has a much higher alcohol content than American beer, and if you forget this...you will pay both that day and the next day for that mistake...and then some! Moderation is key!

And those are my top tips. I have some thoughts on European hotel rooms as well...but will save those for another time. Suffice it to say that European hotel rooms are not American hotel rooms and learning to recognize the differences can put you that much ahead on your travels. Well, it's off to the dog and pony show...literally, at our local expo center. Hope I don't have to touch any goats...

Take advantage of commissary early bird shopping

2011-03-26T07:00:00.009+01:00

I think this program was rolled out a few years ago when commissaries began installing self checkout counters. Double check your closest commissary before you head out, bu the gist of the program is that you can shop one hour before the store officially opens. If you don't like crowds and can check out your own groceries (as it only works for self check-out), then this is for you! Many commissaries also have limits to the number of items you can buy...usually not more than 20 or 40 items, so double check that too before you try it.

I know at our last duty station, I used to do it all the time. Even on paydays, it was a ghost town. I don't know about you but guaranteed parking and not having to navigate among all the parked carts in the aisle is what sold me on it! You also tend to be a bit more selective in your shopping choices and not impulse buy, knowing there is a limit.

Oh, one more thing that you probably already know...but just in case....coupons are valid 6 months after the expiration date on your coupon if you go to an overseas commissary...so don't throw that old stuff away just yet! You can also donate your old coupons...I believe to ACS, if you no longer need them...those of us overseas will still squeeze money out of it. If I'm not mistaken, there is also an organization out there that sends expired coupons overseas. I'd post it here but am momentarily too lazy to look it up!

Do you have any commissary shopping tips to share?

More on Kindle and FREE Internet Overseas (plus another cheap tip at the end)

2011-03-24T07:00:00.040+01:00

I've posted once before on the Kindle. While Amazon continues to support this free internet feature while you are on the go, take advantage of it. What am I talking about? Do you mean I can use my Kindle while I am backpacking through the Alps without a wifi connection? Yes...and here's how....

If you've looked at your newer model Kindle... I think this is only on the last few models....you can see there is an Experimental link in the Main Menu. Click that and then go to the web browser.

Type the web address you want to visit....use the symbols key to type in @ and other symbols beyond the "period". Yes, it took me a nanosecond to see there was such a key, as I was about to panic about not being able to type the @ symbol!

The web browser is kind of funky and some full featured websites will have trouble coming up....or will come up slowly, so try the mobile version of a site. For example, instead of Yahoo.com, go to mobile.yahoo.com.

I had no issues checking email, tweeting or using Facebook...the main things I used when traveling this first time with my Kindle in wireless mode (usually I just keep that off...cause it scares me). I also made sure I read the US headlines and frankly, that's how I found out about the earthquake and devastation in Japan...while enjoying a restful holiday in Ireland, up in the mountains and on the trail of "Braveheart", I decided to take a little snack break and read the news....sorry it wasn't any good news but glad I was able to stay updated on world events without a Smartphone (which I refuse to get until we are back in the US)....most plans are much higher than what you would pay in the US, and I am just too ultra-cheap to pay them....although, if you can't live without your phone tweeting and texting and just plain using it for data, try the favorite mobilevikings.com. That's what most folks use around here who want the cheapness of prepaid AND lower-cost data capability.

Do you have any Kindle tips to share?

Kids and the top 5

2011-03-22T07:00:00.018+01:00

www.internetclipart.com

Your kids do what you do. Have you ever noticed that? We obviously play a huge part in who are kids are and will be on their own...when no one is looking. I've talked kid stuff before. I have not always followed my advice, but this much is clear.

After all our child rearing...which continues on of course....these are the top five things I try to drill into our kids' heads:

Setting the example. I know I'm honest and hardworking. I don't have a problem with that. It's the little things that get me....like leaving dirty dishes in the sink (I have) or not picking clothes up from the floor (I have too). I don't care how much you preach to your kids...if you don't do it yourself, you might as well go and talk to the wall.
Consistency. Same response every time. I don't like this one. I get lazy sometimes. Sometimes I am just too tired or I don't want to get up, or I have a secret desire for all of us to play a little hookey while dad is gone. I try to stop myself....a lot....this is your bedtime, this is when you do your homework, this is what happens when you don't do your homework and so on.
Chores. Gotta have them. I had them, my parents had them, and I'm pretty sure my grandparents had more of them. I hate the chore chart. I always forget. My older son fills it in sometimes for us...how accurate is that? I am a firm believer that if a child feels like they are contributing to the household, they will be a more active and caring individual in that household, plus it helps me with my next point.
Punishment and Rewards. We've grown out of the star stickers...but, I still track their chores vs. what they earn. I don't spank....but I sure do take things away. So does dad. Now that they have laptops, I have more choices of things to take away. I see they are more attentive now and realize the whole "action/consequence" thing. I don't know if it's because I have more to take away or because they have more stuff.
Doing what's right when no one is looking. That's a mouthful. When they finally get that (they haven't completely), then I feel I have done my job as a mother and parent...it's a beautiful thing to see it happen the first time. To get to this point, you have to follow the points above.

Do you have any points to add along these lines?

You'd be surprised who qualifies for WIC overseas

2011-03-20T07:00:00.035+01:00

I say this not to draw attention to yourself or some other reason....nope...I knew a WIC nurse in Germany who gave me a few minutes of enlightening. She told me to send as many ladies as I could to her, who were pregnant, had recently given birth or had young children. I was our unit's FRG representative, so of course, I knew many mommies out there. She dangled that carrot and told me I'd be surprised who qualifies for the WIC benefits overseas....hmmmmm.....

So, she told me that she even had some officers' wives able to take advantage of the program. Free food and free money for food among other things. Apparently, the program has different requirements overseas than stateside. Perhaps there is a bigger bucket of money for us here? And this is not just for military and military spouses...DOD contractors and civilian employees can also take advantage of the program.

Well...what are you waiting for? Make an appointment TODAY with your local WIC nurse at your post or base overseas. If you can't find your WIC nurse, be sure to check Army Community Service (ACS) or whatever office provides community services at your base. Be sure to let me know how it goes. If you hear of any other programs out there that people may not know about, please post it here!

Arrghhhh......Where's my purse???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-03-18T07:00:00.009+01:00


Kilkenny Castle, Ireland - me & my vest

I am a creature of habit..most of us are I think. You know how when you make that decision to do something completely different? How it REALLY throws you off and into a panic, over and over again....after the first day, I hit a moment of enlightenment and never turned back! Here's what I did.

I have a relative who works for an airline. Every time I see him, he brings up the darn jacket. This magical jacket has something like 20 pockets, and he breezes through security among other things...not having to take off his "no metal" belt, slipping out of his smooth-as-butter slip-on shoes and not having to worry about any kind of bag going through the gauntlet. You see, he has this special SEV all-weather jacket....that has been around the world I would say...at least three times.

I finally broke down and bought one about a month ago. I got tired of him bragging about his and frankly, I got tired of being a packhorse every time we went on vacation or on some day trip somewhere. I just hate having something in my hands, especially now that I have a digital camera and an IFlip camcorder.

After the initial panic, thinking I had lost my purse...unfortunately it took my brain a bit to wrap itself around this new concept...I noticed a definite change. Once I had myself convinced that there really was NO purse or bag, something strange happened. I felt free, became more relaxed and could focus more on my surroundings....I took more photos and videos than I ever had! I held my kids' hands and skipped down the sidewalk. I could shop using BOTH hands and didn't get paranoid when strangers stood close to me. Freeing...there's that word again and the perfect description!

I am positively sold on the lightweight travel vest. I chose the vest (order one or two sizes larger), because I figured I could wear it in the winter under a coat (which is what I did this last time around to Ireland)...or in the summer over a short sleeved shirt. My particular model vest has 22 pockets. I admit, the first day, I had trouble remembering where I put what...and caught myself digging a few times when I tried to find my camera or wallet. The manufacturer puts a little laminated card in EACH pocket, giving you ideas of what to put in there. I initially left the cards in there, so I would know their recommendations...they designed it after all. In a few of the pockets there are also hidden inner pockets as well as keyrings, clips and snaps. I also liked the see-through pockets with side zippers and that most of the zippers are on the inside of the vest for safekeeping. The vest also has perfect velcro snaps and openings to run your earphone cords or any other kind of cord. There is even a strap that will hold your waterbottle upright in either side pocket. >

I went through airport security with only my suitcase...without a carry-on bag or anything else. It was freeing to just whip off the vest and put it in the bin. The guy behind the machine even asked if he could look at my vest, cause he had never seen anything quite like that:-) He ran it through the machine again just to show his buddy how everything was laid all out.

The best part is that you don't feel like a packhorse. I was amazed that it wasn't heavier with all my necessary crap in there. Speaking of crap, here's what I carried around on my trip. I think anyone would've been shocked had I emptied all my pockets and lined it all up!

I carried:

wallet
cell phone
collection of pens & pencil
walking map and brochures
Kindle (a HUGE pocket in the back that hangs just right)
magazine
two packs travel Kleenex
small bottle hand sanitizer
sunglasses
small bottle of lotion
small first aid kit
sandwich; energy bars
bottle of water
mp3 player w/headphones
passport; plane tickets
digital camera in case
IFlip camcorder in case
small stuffable shopping bag
GPS in case

"Think Outside the Box" FRG Fundraising

2011-03-16T07:00:00.003+01:00

We all know the rules...or we should...Family Readiness Groups are not fund-raising organizations. That's fine...I had to laugh at friends, who 10 years ago were hob-knobbing with the Tennessee Titans and raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars in concession sales and corporate sponsorship...yes, they did. That's why we have these new rules...that we all now have to follow. Things were obviously out of control. We can fundraise, but we can't solicit donations and the money has to be pegged towards something your FRG is planning in the future. So, we all end up doing bake sales...something unique to Germany, I think...brats burns, basically selling hotdogs at lunchtime...but else could we do that was something different? Here are some ideas to revamp your FRG fundraising.

Purchase a discounted rental quality Santa Suit (about $200-300 at a variety of stores on the internet) and then rent it out every year to the multiple organizations who are always looking for a Santa suit to borrow for whatever event. Charge $35 per rental, and book it multiple times for season, and you can see how it can make you quick money.

Get a porcelain Christmas Ornament made and have them available at your yearly holiday party for a suggested donation. We were able to use our unit crest and the name of our unit in fancy lettering underneath on white porcelain ornaments with red ribbon from CafePress. With a bulk and seller discount, plus coupon codes, each ornament cost us about $4. If we sell it for double, we'll make a nice bit of change there as well.

Giftwrapping at AAFES. Check with your local community to make sure this is allowed. People are amazingly generous here. Most people hate giftwrapping. Since a dozen other organizations want to do this to, get the name and contact information of the AAFES manager EARLY in the season and tell him what dates you want right off the bat.

Since you can't raffle anything off, how about selling "opportunities to win" for a suggested donation for whatever you want to "give away" at your next event? Your item doesn't have to be something tangible. How about the Commander's parking spot, or the use of his office for a day or something like that? Be sure to check with your unit Legal Section though, as some of these things are illegal in some States and even in some military communities. In Germany, since the parking spot was government property, that idea was shot down....but I bet you can be more creative than that...beyond throwing a pie in the commander's face I'm sure.

If your community has a yardsale or flea market, get a booth for your FRG. In the months before, have someone give up some storage space so people can donate small items. If they have large items, have them bring those the day of the sale. You'll also need volunteers to load up a minivan or two and people to collect the money the day of the sale.

A cookbook. Do a google search for "fundraiser cookbook". There are tons of companies out there that do this. Some will even ship to APO (ask first if you are overseas). It also gives you a nice memory of your time at the unit. I have quite a few of these, and I have fond memories, finding a recipe in one of the books, and thinking of that person and their contributions to the unit while I knew them.

What do you do in your unit to raise funds for your next event?

What you need to know about mail service overseas (APO & local)

2011-03-14T07:00:00.069+01:00

Actual customs label listing contents as "unknown"!

Being military overseas or affiliated with the military, allows us to use the services and have a PO box through the Military Postal System (MPS). This is a HUGE benefit, as we pay the same costs you do in the US, to mail stuff stateside....You walk into an overseas Army Post Office (APO), and it's like walking into a stateside post office...down to the posters on the wall and what we pay for stamps and such. Yes, we also have a Belgian or local mailbox at our home. Even if you live on-post, you will still have a local national address where you can get mail through that country's mailing system. I'll show you how to use both. You're going to need to use both, so pay attention.

Basically, here in Europe, our mail gets flown (by First Class or Priority) or by goes by ship (all the other methods). I've gotten letters and Priority packages within a week from the US. Amazon.com, as an example, is really good at getting things here the fastest out of any of the online retailers.

I sometimes get asked, well, how can you tell online retailers that you are STILL in the US (and with US postal rates) but that the package will go overseas? Many online retailers have updated their zipcode databases to figure that out. You see, in the old days, our addresses looked something like this:

14th IAD Box 221
APO, NY 09128

All post coming and going to Europe gets processed in New York somewhere. This is also where it gets handed off from the USPS to the military.

Nowadays, the addresses look a bit different:

CMR 230 Box 21
APO AE 09128

So now we've got these community mailrooms (CMR) where all the units for that particular post have their mail delivered. APO still stands for "Army Post Office" in place of the city and then "AE" stands for "Armed Forces Europe"...those bases/posts in the Pacific and other areas will have different designations, such as "AP".

Online retailers should mostly have the new database, where you can actually choose "AE"...if not, you can still choose "NY", and it'll get processed. The only different handling they will have to do with your package is to make sure it has a customs form attached. I've rarely had a retailer charge me extra for that. I have had some retailers though refuse to ship to APO or overseas. In that case, you can either take your business elsewhere (which I always let them know) or if I REALLY want that thing, then I have it shipped to a relative and then over here (which can sometimes be pricey, especially when you add on insurance) or you can use one of the many secondary shipping services, such as Ship It APO. They will will give you a pseudo stateside address and then ship you the product for a fee. They will act as a third party. I've noticed that Amazon refuses to ship many of their electronics, appliances and household/pet items to APO...something about not being able to guarantee a warranty or something to that effect....or at least that is the excuse. I once had Dell computers try to tell me the same thing when I ordered online, but when I called their customer service line and got passed through four different people, I finally reached a salesperson who not only gave me a huge discount but also added an additional year warranty (which was required for overseas shipments). It ended up being cheaper than the online price, even with my beloved coupon code. They said to call them at anytime in the future, so keep that in mind when trying to order online or even through their government or military sales. You can probably talk them into a cheaper price by talking to a live body. The computer took exactly four weeks to get here, but I was VERY happy to finally get a Dell All-in-One!

Some APOs customer mailboxes are co-located with their actual post office...some aren't. At our previous location, we had to go one place to pick up our mail and another place to actually mail it, which always entailed a kind of ballerina dance as we figured out which one to go to first. At SHAPE, we have a beautiful modern post office where everything is co-located inside with very generous opening hours for both the actual post office and package/registered mail pick-up...thanks guys!

Mailing letters is the same as in the US....you slap on your postage or have them do it at the window, and it'll shortly be on its way. As I mentioned before, packages need customs slips. I try to be as accurate as possible. I guess retailers don't....I'm sure you saw my photo above...that one said "unknown" on the customs slip! I had to laugh at that. They'll also measure your box dimensions and weigh it and each class has certain restrictions...you'll find those on the USPS website. I have noticed that sometimes, if I pick one of the slower methods (and pay for that), if the box is a smaller size, it'll somehow get sent with the Priority stuff, and it'll get there in a week. I envision some guy with a truckfull of packages, picking and choosing which ones fit in the aircraft and which don't...I don't know how they do it, but I like to think my package must have looked just right to fit on the aircraft instead of the ship....I also feel they must be pretty generous and accommodating during the holidays, as I once got a fairly large package from the US, in a week, that was paid for to go by ship....hmmmmm.....

The best part about APO mail though is that it is FREE from APO to APO...not only letters but packages too....so if you go to Poland and pick up a bunch of heavy Polish pottery and package it safely...go ahead and send it to your friend (me for instance) in Belgium for FREE. Send packages downrange FREE. Just don't send flammables, pork products and pornography downrange...don't laugh...there are certain restrictions as to what you can send downrange to certain countries. I even sent a huge package from Germany to Australia for FREE via APO....it took about 6 weeks, but it got there eventually! Now if you want to insure anything, you'll still pay for that extra service.

Now with your local mailbox....don't ignore it! Yes, you'll get sales circulars and junkmail if you live off post...not so much on-post. I used to love to sign up for German catalogs to see the latest gadgets and just was curious as to what German housewives were buying in Moderne Hausfrau (Modern Homemaker). Some of my other favorites were Quelle and Otto...and for some reason I used to like getting the frozen food (and ice cream) delivery catalog, Eismann. You can find out more about German catalogs, here. I also ordered things from the German Amazon site (free shipping of course), which were delivered to me onpost (our German mailman knew me by name to the point of him bringing things to my office on post when he knew I wouldn't be at home...I miss him and my doggie loved his dog treats). If you have any German bills, such as your electric and water bills...they'll come there too. As a sidenote, the German Amazon also ships to Belgium for free. Thanks Bro for the torch for my now-authentic Creme Brulee. He said it was cheaper to buy it from Germany at their Amazon site than from the US....go figure.

This next part is important.... if you send a letter or something to a place on the German economy or another European country, SEND IT THROUGH THE GERMAN POSTAL SYSTEM (or whatever country's system you are currently in). Why did I write that in all caps? Because I can't tell you the number of times I've seen people send important documents through the American APO and have that letter go back to the US and then back over here again, returned to sender or sometimes making it into the German system cause a sympathetic American or German clerk along the way knew what the original intent was. Only use the APO to send mail back to the US or to other APOS please.

And to wrap this boring but necessary subject up...I don't think I can think of anything else to say. There was something that was on the tip of my tongue...got interrupted...and there it went...sigh....ah well. Anyway, I hope that was somewhat helpful! As always, if you have something to add, please add it below!

Ask VMW: Which electronics to I take overseas (and ALL your electricity questions answered)

2011-03-12T07:00:00.001+01:00

Many times, we realize we should have more information before making an informed decision. Here is one wife who wants a definitive answer:

"I've attended our PCS briefing, and I am still confused. They told us not to bring alarm clocks overseas. I think I understand the difference between 220 and 110 but then I talked to this other lady, and she told me she was not going to bring her standmixer and then couldn't explain to me exactly why? Can you?"

I am absolutely no technical expert, but I will try to explain the best I can. I think most overseas assignments in Germany have both 110 volt and 220 volt electricity ON POST. Off post it is still 220 volt as before (and will stay that way as Europeans will tell you it is the superior system). In government housing you'll see your familiar 110 wall outlets (usually one or two sets per room) and then a few more of the 220 version.

The first thing you have to do is look at your appliance....either on the bottom or if it's an electronic item (and not an appliance) it'll be written on the converter halfway down your powercord...at least I think it's called a converter. If it gives a range up to 240 volt, then you can use it in Europe. All you need is an adapter plug to plug it into the round outlet holes. Pay attention to that outlet...the newer ones will have two holes and a prong to handle the grounding. Older adapter plugs (which are made out of plastic) will only have two holes and no room for that prong in the outlet. Sometimes, when you buy them second hand (like the thrift shop on base), they will have the older ones, and then they won't fit in the wall outlet. You can always make a hole with whatever tool, like my husband did....but you're better off buying the newer ones. I just feel safer that way!

If your appliance or electric item says up to 120 volt, then you cannot plug it directly into the wall, even with an adapter plug! You will permanently fry it and ruin it. You'll hear a loud pop, spark and then some smoke and your thing will be history. If you have a desktop computer, many of the older ones will have a 110/220 switch on the back. Make sure it is switched to 220 first! Rest assured, if you do fry your computer, your hard drive in most instances will still be safe. I took my hard drive out of a fried computer and used it in this.

I could've also bought a new computer powersource with a plug for it, but the computer was so old, I just wanted to start over.

Now what about the standmixer? It has something to do with the cycles...something about the megahertz....even though a transformer will step down the voltage for you to plug in your appliance or electronic item, it still cycles at a different rate. This could cause your appliance motor to run hotter or less efficient, damaging it in the long run. You may not notice any problems at first but only later. This is also why a 110 volt alarm clock will not keep time, even on a transformer.

As a sidenote, I once asked an electrician who was working on something in our government quarters, how they do the 110 outlets, and he said something about actual transformers....obviously larger and more powerful, in our housing...inside the walls or wherever...so technically, anything plugged in there is running on a transformer too....just a much bigger one than you are used to.

If you need to buy transformers, which you probably will if you are off post, be sure to check local wanted ads on post as well as your thrift shop. People are always moving, and there are always transformers as well as 220 volt appliances to be had.

Yes, the PX has them as well, but you will pay a premium for them there. They also have all the plugs and such. Local stores such as Media Markt (like a Best Buy....in Germany and Belgium too) has TONS of different appliances and electronics too and everything to go with it. Many times items are on sale there. I like to get my European surge protectors there (I would get them for your computers, TVs and expensive electronics)...yes, the PX has usually one model (European style)...but I like choices. Also remember that European surge protectors protect at a much higher level than the American ones, so don't just interchange plugs and use your American surge protectors. They are not strong enough.

I also mentioned in one of my other blogposts, that if you have a USB cord for your item, you can charge it through your computer or laptop. We do that for all our MP3 players, Kindles, handheld gaming systems and such....a few are not 220 volt adaptable, and it's cheaper (although takes longer) than charging them through transformers. Transformers take a lot of juice, so when you are not actively using one, actively UNPLUG it completely or else it will still drain electricity. Electricity is much more expensive in Europe, so I try to cut it down where I can! I believe the charge through a USB connection is something like 5 volts, so it is safe for just about anything you can find a plug for!

I am sure I have left something out. If you think of anything else regarding electronics, please add below.

The Gathering in the Driveway

2011-03-10T07:00:00.034+01:00

I just talked with a friend of mine who moved into a suburban civilian community in the US. It reminds me of how long I have been out of the country. It also reminds me of what I did, when I moved into my last US suburb....as I sat and listened to her talking about her non-friendly neighbors. This is what I told her to do and what worked for us.

Since we had nice weather when we moved....thanks to those summer rotation cycles...within weeks of unpacking my boxes....I made up a little flyer and got my little secret squirrel plan up and running.

The flyer was really simple.

I picked a Sunday afternoon and invited everyone to my driveway. I told them to bring their chairs and a dish to share. I told them a grill would be on-hand, and that I would provide the flatware, plates, napkins and jugs of lemonade and water.

Since I put the flyers out a week before, in everyone's screendoor, I kept my fingers crossed and waited. I didn't put a phone number on the flyer...just an address.

Sunday morning came...we started dragging out our tables, and some chairs, set up a canopy for some shade, got the tunes going, poured us some drinks....and waited. We didn't wait long....one by one, the neighbors came....a few stopped as they were driving back from wherever they had been (after seeing people sitting around) and said they'd be right back. Pretty soon we had about 60 people laughing and eating in our driveway and kids running around on the front lawn. We even had people who had been neighbors for years, and this was the first social event, other than HOA-business, that they attended together.

It was such a success, that we did it all summer long and continued it into the next summer. I sure miss them and these lawn parties....later, especially for Halloween, we graduated to movies being projected onto the garage door and a few backyard events. I honestly think it takes one spark to get something started, and a low-stress party such as this...in the front, where everyone can see, is the best way to get things going. It was great!

I'm hoping my friend will give it a try. Is there anything you do in your neighborhood to bring neighbors together?

Do a passport photo for free from home

2011-03-08T07:00:00.000+01:00

I know there are passport booths all over the place. Even overseas, sometimes you'll see a booth at the PX....but, I have TONS of photo paper at home and a perfectly good printer that can print photos. So how about doing your photos at home for free?

Just stop by the site below and take your photo and then print it out on your own photo paper.

EPassport Photo

Off to the "Kur" again

2011-03-06T09:24:00.000+01:00

I just talked to one of my German relatives. Yet again, she is off to her KUR. You'll hear Germans talking about that quite often. Can you imagine your doctor writing you a prescription to spend a week relaxing at a health spa and your health insurance paying for it? That is a KUR....literally translated "cure". Gotta love the Germans and their social system. Look what other benefits they get that we don't.

Before you get all excited though and want to move to Germany, let me preface all this, that Germany has a very high tax rate....just over 50%....not as high as the Scandanavian countries, but if we were taxed this high in the US, I think we would all riot! So keep that in mind as you wonder (like I do sometimes) how the Germans can be so super-efficient and orderly, have all this time off and then STILL get their work done...when all is said and done at the end of the day or week.

Here are some things that I find quite nice:

37 Hour Workweek. Or less! Many offices get this done by closing early, or having a break in the day between noon and 2 pm on Fridays. It's rare to see overtime and unions are very strong in Germany, always pushing for less hours.
Minimum 4 weeks paid vacation. I don't care if you work at McDonald's...you are entitled to this as a German worker. Also don't forget to add the 12-15 legal holidays to that and if you have good seniority, your vacation time is typically 6 instead of 4 weeks. Germans also like to take their vacation all at once, unlike us Americans who do weeklongs and four days. This is why many shops will close for a month, mostly in the summer. Of course, ski week is popular too...a vacation that typically happens in March. The schools are even out for that one...and of course around two weeks for Easter.
A Kur visit every two years. Didn't you ever wonder why Germany had so many health spas? Yes, to handle all these Germans going on Kur.
Six weeks paid sick leave. Yes, you don't have to use your vacation time as sick leave like we sometimes do. Health insurance can also kick in up to 90% of your pay after that period, until he/she recovers or retires...wow!
Generous maternity & paternity leave. Yes, both parents! Before you even have the baby, moms can take six weeks of fully paid leave and then eight weeks after the birth. Then on top of that, you can take three years of unpaid leave, knowing your job will still be waiting for you when you return.
A 13th month salary. Companies typically also pay housing subsidies, travel to and from work...also subsidized or free lunches in the company cafeteria. The government also provides Kindergeld (for each child you have). All these extras are sometimes called the 13th month salary because it many times equals one months' pay and gets paid at the end of the year.
Many social benefits. The government gives tons of unemployment benefits, assistance...pensions and even allowances for certain industries. Can you believe the government will chip in and add to your salary if your company has to shorten your work hours? This is the shortened work hours benefit or "Kurzarbeitergeld".

Wow, huh? Are there any readers in another European country willing to share what they do?

How to I get to Brussels South (Charleroi) Airport for my Ryanair flight?

2011-03-03T07:00:00.000+01:00

Many Ryanair Discount flights and a few vacation charter jets leave through Charleroi Airport...which the airline industry calls "Brussels South". I had to laugh at that...makes it sound like it's just around the corner when in actuality it's about 30 minutes South of Brussels. It is also 30 minutes East of Mons, which makes it in the middle of nowhere. So other than driving and paying about 60 euros for a 5 day stay in their outside parking lot, what other choices are there?

My first recommendation is going to be scratch your back if you scratch mine. Many of us take each other to the airport. I let people park by my house (hey, I'm not going to go get you in the middle of the night, which is mostly when Ryanair flights leave....so late evening or early morning)....and I'll take them on over...and then go get them again. I can have someone do that for me too...and watch our cat...nice.

But, if you don't want to deal with the hassle of that or driving yourself...and you don't have a large family that would make it cost prohibitive, cause they charge by the person mostly, then try the service below.

Charleroi Transfers

Unfortunately, there are no train stops at Charleroi Airport...wish there were...you still have to take a city bus from downtown (so that's another alternative).

Do you know of any others?

Confessions of a European tourguide, Part I

2011-03-01T07:00:00.158+01:00


a tourguide in traditional garb

I've mentioned before that I used to plan tours for a company that provided tours all over Europe, mostly for Americans. In those two years, I learned a lot about the European tour industry I'd like to share. Knowledge is power and maybe by going through these comments, you can better understand why your tour is the way it is...or why it isn't....or even head off any tour disaster before it happens.

Tourguides don't get paid SQUAT....period....we all do it for the love of travel! I managed about 30 tourguides and ALL of them did it because they loved it and also wanted to show others what they loved.
Going back to the first point, this is why many tourguides get kickbacks from the stores they take you to. They'll either get a percentage of what you all buy, a set amount of money or goods to take home for free. This is all done very discreetly of course. Don't begrudge them this, and if you don't want to buy, then don't feel obligated. It's just a nice perk in our job.
Please pay attention when the tourguide gives you your marching orders on what is going on. Many tourists just do not want to take any responsibility for themselves or their children. I know it's not you I'm talking about....but just keep in mind, you are an ambassador of sorts for all Americans. You're going to make it or break it for the rest of us. Be pleasant and follow directions. I also played tourguide and not just tour manager myself, and I could write a book on what happened along the way. I've searched for a few lost children, a lost adult who had passed out under a hotelbed, talked a drunk guest off the roof of a 10 story hotel, questioned busriders on a disappearing camera when it was just us on board, and I once had to bail one of my charges out of a Spanish jaill! That is just the tip of the iceberg of course. Please give us a break and enjoy the tour, making it pleasant for everyone.
Please don't tell the busdriver to go faster or to skip a break. Believe it or not, each busdriver has a little disc thing that goes into the dash of the bus. This measures their speed, time driven and a few other bits of data. European rules are VERY strict as to how many hours a driver spends non-stop driving, when his breaks are, etc. They regularly have to show their "books". The fines are so hefty for not following the rules, no bus company will risk it. I'd like to go faster too....not gonna happen.
When the tourguide directs you to a potty break....please go ahead and relish in it. Get it done even if you don't have to go. We are always amazed when we need to interrupt a walking tour, because someone has to tinkle (emergencies are okay obviously).
When the bus toilet is full, it is full. The owner of the bus company I worked with used to joke that only Americans can fill up his bus toilets as fast as they do. This can be a real problem for those longer express (overnight on the bus) trips.....no toilet emptying is scheduled as it is too time consuming and expensive. Why do they get full so fast? Because we drink a lot more than Europeans do throughout the day. That is why we expect you to get off the bus when we do take a break for the driver....use the opportunity...don't be lazy and sleep thru the stop or use the bus bathroom because you don't want to walk the 50 feet to the reststop or restaurant. I saw it all the time and always tried to be nice as pie in coercing folks off that bus.
Which brings us to the next point. The bus driver should not be leaving the bus unlocked. When we stop for a rest stop, please vacate the bus, so the driver can also take a break (they like to smoke rather than anything else it seems) and then lock up.

Stay tuned for Part II...I have many more tips on the subject of course. I can honestly say that European tourist bureaus, mom and pop operations, restaurants, venues and such....are more than helpful and really do want to show their visitors why you should come back for a return visit. So, let me plug the tourist bureaus before I end this. I always visit the tourist bureau website before my own personal travel. Many will send kits, brochures, catalogs and free stuff or just answer any questions you may have. I have never seen a more friendly and accommodating industry, at least here in Europe. I've had people all over, bend over backwards to help make our tours a success! One of these days I'll have to mention my favorites......there is just so much to see and experience in Europe beyond our beautiful cities and festivals!

Do you have any tour stories to share?

Hilarious "history lesson" on explaining difference between UK, Great Britain, England and More

2011-02-28T07:57:00.000+01:00

I absolutely love this "tongue-in-cheek" history lesson on the British Isles. If you didn't understand it before, you sure will understand it now!

Living in a World War Battlefield

2011-02-28T07:00:00.115+01:00

Sometimes it's easy to get lulled into the daily comings and goings of our routine life. I do this, until I see the British battlefield tour bus coming down the street or I take a walk by a beautiful commemorative marker in front of our house, always bejeweled with faux wreaths and banners. You see, our house sits smack dab in the middle of a battlefield. We didn't even realize it until the day we moved in and saw the first of many British tour buses pull up and a group of elderly gentlemen with matching polo shirts all crowd around our front door as the movers tried to move in our stuff!

We did know that our house was a cafe before the Great War. The previous renter did tell us that. I remember walking through the front entry, imagining the tables and cafe chairs that must have been there. I wondered what those rings and metal things were, sticking out of the bricks in the front...for horses maybe? I also envisioned how our kitchen building, attached to the side of the house, must have been a bustling place for the lunchtime crowd.

Walking around inside our house, it's hard to envision what it must have looked like though, as it has been totally renovated. We have freshly painted white walls, gleaming marble tile, parquet floors that don't squeak, modern bathrooms....the only clue of our home's age, other than the outside, are the wonderful architectural details scattered throughout the home and the marble fireplace which we fell in love with from the first moment we stepped into the living room.

So, living in the middle of all this history, I have decided to make myself, especially our children, more aware of what happened around us. Belgium is not just chocolate, beer and chateaus. Being such a small country and kind of in between so many others, Belgium many times was a speed bump for conquering armies...or rather armies that just used Belgium as a stepping stone to get somewhere else. I say Belgium...yeah, I know Belgium has barely been around 100 years...when I say Belgium, I'm talking about this whole Lowland Area.

Once I started reading a bit, I realized that there were soldiers from this area who fought bravely...and often...my God, the Battle of Waterloo that caused Napoleon to race back to Paris with his tail between his legs took place a mere half an hour from our house...and it shames me that we haven't even been there yet.

Although I never did New Year's resolutions...I am doing one now or a semblance thereof.....to visit and honor some of these hallowed places and the men (and sometimes women) who fought there. Waterloo is already on the calendar. The kids and I are also signed up to do a commemorative walk near Bastogne to honor the men of the 17th Airborne....looking forward to that one and hoping to meet some veterans as well. I've got a bead on the battles of Ypres, which we passed on our way to the Belgian beaches last summer....the first place the Germans used poison gas with disastrous results....and of course, thanks Marisa for the wonderful chateau recommendation near Mont St Michel and Normandy for a wonderful trip we have planned there this summer. I am looking forward to the ghost stories from the duke and just getting a wonderful overview of the area. The times I've spent in Normandy before were always way too short and filled with Army stuff while I was on active duty. I'm looking forward to going there as pure tourist!

As a last point, for those of you about to come on your overseas tour...or maybe you are already here. Use those weekends and just go....go and see the history that surrounds you at every turn. I've seen many a time, military folks (including myself), scrambling to try to cram in those last few trips before PCSing....start your traveling early....in bits and pieces, so you can get a good cross section of what is out there. Don't be afraid to explore and just go without a set itinerary. City and town information bureaus are a great help in finding you a place to stay last minute, or use Booking.com or Hostelworld.com to find something before you go. Many places can also be reached by daytrip. Get ideas from the books "Never a Dull Moment" and "All Aboard...Europe!". The first book is a collection of places to go recommended by tons of military spouses and families....and the other, an account of a military wife who traveled all over Europe with her very young children in tow.

If anyone wants to post their most memorable trip below or wants to share any of their travel tips, please do. I would love to hear!

Pizza for everyone!

2011-02-26T07:00:00.000+01:00

I want to thank whoever it was on Facebook's "SHAPE Families" who posted this. To think that even here in Belgium we can order our pizza online...we are coming out of the Dark Ages, baby. Even in my small town, there was one listing....wow!

Check it out here.

In the area where you live, is there also a database of more than one restaurant, where you can order take out or delivery?

Car & renter's insurance overseas

2011-02-24T07:00:00.014+01:00

This is a never-ending debate around here....in Germany and everywhere overseas in Europe. Do you go with a trusted name you know....from the US, or do you pick one of the many discount companies that line up and down the streets accessing our bases and posts? I'll throw some things out there to help you decide.

We all know that USAA is a very popular company with us military peeps...not just banking, credit card and investments but also with renter's and car insurance. Yes, I said renter's....don't get lulled into a false sense of security thinking the military, or should I say, moving company will pay you the full value of your stuff. Plus, you'll need insurance should someone break into your home and take your stuff or God forbid you suffer through a fire. Renter's insurance is peace of mind, and you'd be a fool not to have that...especially when it is relatively in-expensive. Just IMO.

Even though I am cheap, I do not skimp on insurance. I know from experience and the experiences of people I know, that if I file a claim with USAA, it'll be processed quickly, no questions asked, and I don't have to have serious documentation on every shred I own....I also know they have great customer service, speak very good English and will be there for me should I get in an accident. Of course, our insurance here in Belgium is about 4x what it was in Germany (I believe because they have to go thru a third party company)...and that Germany was more expensive than what we paid in the States....I don't care....I want peace of mind again and am therefore willing to pay the higher premium.

Many also use Geico for insurance. They are available at most bases in both Germany and Belgium too. I don't know how good they are on claims (you might want to research that), but they are cheaper than the rates you would get thru USAA.

Now there are also about four local companies here in Belgium that offer insurance....also in Germany you'll see quite a few choices....most outside the frontgate, although here, I saw a portable building on SHAPE that housed one of them....don't ask me how they were able to finaggle that one.

I can tell you though that I spoke with two people who had local Belgian insurance and both of them had terrible claim experiences....that dragged on for longer than you would think. Another who posted on a message board said he had recently switched from USAA due to the cost difference and was so sorry he did, as he had to jump through hoops to get any value back for the stuff that was stolen from him in a robbery....they cleaned him out, and he had almost nothing left, even taking furniture. He said that if he didn't have a receipt for it, they weren't going to pay him for it and that the process was just dragging on and difficult.

Now I don't want to spread any gloom and doom here....and I bet each person's experience will be different...but what I want to get across in this post is for you to check out the company you want to hire....not just what they charge but research their claim process. How quickly is their claim turnaround? What is the process? Go with whatever company, local or otherwise, that answers all the questions and gives you a warm fuzzy.

Do you have any overseas insurance stories to share?

The surprising thing about USAREUR overseas libraries

2011-02-22T07:00:00.008+01:00

In case you haven't been to your overseas library....please go and check it out! Yes, you can check out not only books (and they are not the old dusty things that were here in the 1970s)....yes, bestsellers too...but also DVDs (at our local SHAPE Library, you can rent both European and US region DVDs), Blu-rays and many games for whatever gaming system you have at home, including the Nintendo DS. We are also lucky to have a nice library at Chievres Air Base as well, and the best part is that you can check out things from both and return them to either library, regardless of which one you got it from. But wait...there's more....

Bring your ID card to get signed into the system...both Chievres and SHAPE (and all USAREUR libraries) are on the same system and card catalog online. You'll get a username and password and can access the card catalog at home as well as many online databases and resources. You can even request items through Inter Library Loan (ILL), where they will send the items from any of the USAREUR libraries, to include the ones as far away as our Italy base and post locations...wow. USAREUR also does not skimp on the latest bestsellers....you'll find those too. You'll have the ability to put all these items on hold and then get email notifications when they come in (and which library, Chievres or SHAPE, you'd like to pick them up from). Of course you'll also get an email when your items are late, and they make it really easy to renew those items on line. Best of all, there are NO LATE FEES, and the worst that can happen is you won't be allowed to PCS or move without clearing your debts from the library. I hate to admit it myself, but we lost a DVD at our last USAREUR location, and all I had to do was provide a receipt from Amazon where I had re-ordered the exact same DVD with the library's mailing address as the intended recipient (great idea actually). My husband never let me live that one down, but if that's the worst thing I lose.....then I think I'm doing okay.

One thing that I have also discovered online, is the Army Digital Media Library and also Netlibrary from within the USAREUR library catalog. It sounds like a great idea....you can rent DRM protected audiobooks, videos and ebooks....great idea...but the collection absolutely SUCKS!

I hate to say that, but I hope that they think about getting a wider selection of items. On the one hand, I watched a great documentary of a unit that fought at Normandy, but in the same shopping cart, I downloaded a horror movie that has got to be the campiest thing I ever saw about a group of folks traveling thru Texas who stay in a B&B in the middle of a killing spree freakshow basically....maybe it had some kind of artistic value...I don't know...as people died in some awfully interesting ways....or should I say were killed. You can also download the items to mp3 players and ebook readers, as long as they can read the formats listed for the items in the digital library.

All you need is your library username and password and choose "Europe" on the dropdown menu to make sure you access the correct system. Once your rental period is up (up to 21 days) the items will magically disappear from your computer, so make sure you read them...and also keep them in a wishlist on the site as there is no record (at least that I could see) of what you checked out before. I had a hard time finding a book title I didn't get to finish.

How do you like your library at your location? Do you have any library tips to share?