Category Archives: international moves

international moves

Virginia

My husband Bill and I just took a very quick trip to Virginia, mainly so I could say goodbye to my dad, who is on his death bed.  Virginia is my home and I felt comforted by that when we landed in Norfolk, though that was my first experience with the Norfolk airport.  I was amazed by all the pretty trees and distinctive Virginia accents I heard over our too brief trip.

I’ve already delved into what’s going on with my dad on my main blog.  Here, I want to focus on travel.  Bill and I had to arrange for a very sudden trip, which would  have been very expensive had we not had plenty of Delta Skymiles to burn.  I can be grateful to the Army for that, at least, since we had enough for two tickets from Houston to Norfolk by way of Atlanta (80,000 miles).  Had we not had those miles, it would have cost us about $1100 to fly from Houston and over $2000 to go from San Antonio.

We live about three hours from Houston, so we were already a little travel weary once we got on our flight on Saturday.  Yesterday’s trip home from Houston was even more tiring, since we got there just in time for rush hour.  It felt like being in D.C. again and took almost an hour to get beyond all the congestion.

I have to hand it to Delta.  I was afraid Bill and I would be separated on the plane and seated in the ass of the aircraft.  Actually, we weren’t.  There was only one leg where they tried to split us up and that was easily rectified.  Naturally, I didn’t get frequent flyer miles for this trip, though I will get credit for buying Internet access.  Usually Delta’s Internet works well, but this time I had some issues with it– at least when I tried to access it on my iPad.

We stayed at the Hampton Inn right across the street from Sentara CarePlex Hospital in Hampton, Virginia.  My dad is a patient there, so it was very easy to cross the street to visit him.  We were given a nice room appointed with a shower, couch, microwave, and refrigerator.  The couch came in handy, because a couple of uncles and a cousin and his wife showed up on our second night for a visit.  Internet was free and there was a pool and fitness room, though I didn’t try either.

CBN… Pat Robertson’s empire in the Norfolk area.

I wasn’t all that impressed with the breakfast at the Hampton Inn.  It wasn’t well stocked on the first morning, which was the only time we ate it.  The hot items weren’t too appetizing and the juice and coffee weren’t very good.  Fortunately, we will soon be living in a place where breakfast at hotels generally doesn’t get messed up too much.

I wish I’d had time to stay longer, though we did enjoy a visit at Fort Monroe’s beach and a restaurant near Buckroe Beach that was right on the water.  The Hampton Inn is conveniently located in a quiet area and as long as you have a car, you can easily get to restaurants and shopping.  There’s also a lot to do in the Hampton Roads area.  I grew up there, so I don’t appreciate it the way a non-local might… but maybe I appreciate it more in other ways…

We discovered a nice pizza restaurant at the Atlanta airport on Concourse A.  It overlooks the tarmac, so you can watch the baggage handlers.  That turned out to be very entertaining, especially when the bags fell off a plane… or maybe it was a truck.  It looked like the plane.

Given the shit that has happened this month, I almost wish I could just move back there and forget about Germany.  I’m serious.  This international move shit is really getting me down.

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international moves

The process of moving is beginning…

We served notice to our property managers.  I can hardly wait to ditch them.  I started some preliminary cleaning today because I am determined to leave this house in a better condition than we found it in.  Sadly, that won’t be difficult.  This house was totally nasty when we moved in last year and we’re expected to leave it in pristine shape.  Have I mentioned how much I hate our property managers?

Bill has been looking at houses in Germany and talking to the HR folks at the company that hired him.  He’s been by USAA to talk about what insuring our car in Germany will cost.  Right now, we’re planning to take one car, but I’m thinking it might be better to bring both of them.  The reason being is that my car is tiny and we know the other one will work in Germany because we took it there last time.  I don’t want to store my car, especially since I bought it in Germany.  We would rather take the Mini on trips, but when it comes to hauling the dogs or handling guests, the Toyota is a better bet.

We’re looking for a hotel that will allow pets, which shouldn’t be too difficult… and hopefully one with free WiFi so I don’t have to depend on the library at Patch to get my Internet fix.  I think I’m going to go ahead and buy a laptop if it looks like it’ll be a long wait for our stuff to arrive.

I’m still worried about bringing the dogs, though I’m pretty sure we’ll be able to do it without any problems.  And we have to either break our cell phone contract or keep paying for services we can’t use… It’s freaking $1000 to break the contract, which sucks.  I just got my new phone at Christmas time and am not wanting to change it.

I’m about to purge some furniture, too…  I mean, I have some stuff that is hopelessly dated but serviceable.  We might as well ditch it, though.  My parents bought it for my sisters in the 70s.

This is going to be so worth it, though.  I am looking forward to trying out a few more beer spas and writing about them on this blog… I also plan more cruises once we have an idea of how flush with money we’ll be.

It seems like there are more resources now than there were in 2007, which is a good thing.  Bill has already impressed his new boss by finding the contact info for the HR lady in California.  The ball is starting to roll.

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international moves

We’re moving.

When we were in Germany last month, I told Bill that I felt like our trip would lead us back to Europe.  We met an American guy who worked in Belgium and gave Bill job hunting tips.  We saw my friend, Audra, and her French boyfriend, and they said they hoped we could come back.  Meanwhile, we couldn’t find anything suitable employment wise for Bill.  The jobs he was most qualified for were all abroad.

Even though the focus has mostly been on Europe the whole time Bill has been looking, I still didn’t want to let myself believe that we’d actually be able to go back to Germany.  I figured it was a pipe dream.

Well, the stars have aligned and Bill was informally offered a job in Stuttgart this morning.  A letter of intent is coming to him within the next 24 hours and if all is acceptable, which I imagine it will be, we will be moving back to Germany within the next few weeks.

I am feeling a mixture of elation and nerves.  I am elated because I know we’re going to a place we love.  Of all the places we’ve lived together, Germany was far and away our favorite, even though living there can be a pain.  We loved the stimulation of living near so many great places.  We liked the food and beer.  We liked the culture.

At the same time, moving back to Germany is liable to be a challenge on many levels, especially since we aren’t going there on military orders.  On the other hand, not going there on military orders is going to simplify things since I won’t have to get an official passport or a medical checkup like I did last time.  I probably could use either of those things, but they won’t be required.

I have also heard that the housing situation isn’t quite as dire as it was a few years ago, since the military is now making people live on the installations instead of the economy.  Fewer people are being sent to Germany on orders now, so there could be less competition for a home.  Last time we were in Germany, we lived in a cheap hotel for six weeks.

I don’t look forward to the long wait for our furniture to arrive, nor do I look forward to trying to find yet another place to rent.  I also don’t look forward to trying to move our dogs.  On the other hand, I know I love Germany.  We also have some things going for us that we didn’t have last time.  For one thing, we know the area and we already have some transformers so our electronics will work.  We even  know of a good place to board our dogs, though we have different ones now.

Anyway… very soon, things will be crazy again.  Hopefully, the transition will be as smooth as possible.  This blog is about to come to life in a big way… because when we live in Europe, we travel a whole lot.

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anecdotes, international moves

The Internet has made travel books obsolete…

This morning, I was in the bathroom thinking about how I planned my monthlong trip to Europe back in 1997.  I had a book about Europe written by Rick Steves.  It came with the Eurailpass I bought which, at that time, entitled me to travel 30 consecutive days on trains in 17 different countries.  I was 25 years old at the time, so I was able to buy a second class pass.  If I recall correctly, in 1997, that 30 day pass was selling for approximately $560.

I went to Europe without much of a plan.  I was going to meet a couple of friends in Zilina, Slovakia on one date, and my sister in Madrid on another.  Other than that, I was free to go wherever my heart desired.  Armed with my trusty travel book, I decided to visit Bacharach, Germany, an adorable little town on the Rhein.  It was my first stop and I probably never would have heard about it had I been left to my own devices.  Rick Steves made it seem like such a cool place.  He was right.  It is a great little town and I was delighted to get to go back there last month. 

But then, after that, I kind of quit using Rick Steves’ book.  Once I got more comfortable with riding the trains, I started getting on and off whenever I felt like it.  Often, I ended up in major cities, but sometimes I ended up in suburbs or small towns.

Nowadays, I have a lot of travel books, but I rarely take them with me when I travel.  Now I have an iPad and an iPhone.  They are easier to carry and have a wealth of information that is updated more  frequently and accurately than books are.  A travel book comes out yearly with marginally new information.  Much like a textbook, it’s a resource that can’t be easily or inexpensively updated, but must be up-to-date in order to be worth anything.  Good luck selling your used copy of a 2012 travel guide, even if you’ve never opened it.  You won’t get near what you paid for it… thought that could probably be said for just about any book unless it’s a very rare title.

With an iPad, I can research a city and make hotel reservations without leaving my seat, as long as I have access to WiFi.  I can read descriptive passages and look at photos without having to turn pages or lug heavy volumes that take up precious space in my luggage.

As someone who loves books– even heavy travel books– this realization is kind of sad to me.  However, as someone who purchased Rick Steves’ 2008 guide to Europe and realized that much of the same information was in it that was in the 1997 edition, I think this development could be a good thing.

We’re still waiting to find out if our future has Europe in it.  I’m hoping something happens soon…

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international moves

Germany is looking more likely now…

Bill talked to a recruiter yesterday for several jobs in Germany.  I think there is a very good chance they’ll present him with a job offer.  If the terms are acceptable, and I think they will be, we will probably move back to Europe.  Hopefully, this move won’t be too painful, but I anticipate it will be.  Most moves, especially international ones, are a pain…

That being said, I love the idea of going back to Germany and being settled there for a few years.  It’s a sure bet this blog would get a lot of attention.  Then we can come back and buy a house.

My birthday is tomorrow.  A job offer for Bill would be a good present…  especially if it means we can get out of this house we’ve lived in this year.

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anecdotes, international moves

All my friends are traveling to Europe…

Okay, so not all of them are.  Just a few of them that I know of are headed there.  My friend Nicole, whom I met at Fort Belvoir when I was her neighbor, went to Barcelona to catch a 12 night Disney cruise.  Her cruise will take her, her husband, and their two kids from Barcelona to Venice and they’ll be hitting some prime destinations in five different countries.

While I don’t think I’d want to sail on Disney owing to the kid friendly factor and the size of their ships, I’ve heard that the Disney cruise experience is really special.  It offers a nice experience for parents with the knowledge that their kids are well looked after.  I have another friend who has done a Disney cruise with her husband and daughter and she raves about it.  If I had kids, I’m sure I’d be all for it.

Another friend is going to France to visit friends.  I don’t know as much about her trip, except that it includes her son and a trip to Euro Disney.

I have a cousin who just went to Italy, where she’ll be studying all summer.

Bill is angling for an overseas job that he might very well manage to get.  If he does, that could mean we’ll be flying over the big pond again before too long.  If not, it may mean we’re headed for the poorhouse.  I’m only slightly kidding.  I think things will work out, though.  They have a way of doing that.  Hard to believe we were just in France and Germany a couple of weeks ago.

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anecdotes, international moves

Texas or Germany?

I have a feeling that once Bill retires, we’ll end up staying in Texas.  But really, we could end up anywhere.  For the first time in our marriage, our next station will largely be our choice.  Well, it’ll be our choice to the point that we can go wherever there is appropriate work available.

Bill has contacts in several places.  We could conceivably end up in North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, or even Germany.  Bill found a job in Stuttgart that he’s a very good fit for.  He hesitates to apply for jobs now because retirement is a few months off.  I say he needs to circulate his resume now.  It takes time to find work.  That was true even in the dark ages when I was looking.

I don’t really want to go back to Virginia because I have spent most of my life trying to get out of there. It is my home, though, and living there would put me close to friends and family.  On the other hand, I kind of like not living so close to family.  North Carolina would be okay, though we would probably choose a different area than where we were living before.

Texas is okay except there are so damn many people here.  Just driving around this city, you see so many houses on zero lots, packed in so tightly.  Yes, there’s work here, but it’s not a place that feels like home to me.  Nevertheless, we’re looking for a place that might be a good place to settle.  Texas offers some really nice benefits to Texas veterans, including home loans.  Given that Bill’s ex wife screwed him out of his VA benefits, this is a great opportunity for us.

So we’ll see…  But given my ‘druthers, we’d move back to Germany for a few years and save up some money so we can buy a house.  I don’t feel ready to buy a home now, even though it’s supposedly a good time to do so.

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international moves

Moving abroad with pets…

Back in 2007, Bill and I moved to Germany for two years.  We took our two dogs, Flea and MacGregor with us.  Moving with pets was stressful and a little scary, since I had read a lot of horror stories about what can happen to pets on airplanes.  At the very least, we knew it could be expensive to fly with the dogs, since we had to buy tickets for them and travel crates.  I also knew that it was possible that they could suffer an accident.  Some animals have died on airplanes.

Fortunately, we were able to move our dogs with no serious problems.  It cost a few hundred dollars to pay for their passage.  We flew from Washington, DC to Frankfurt and when we landed in Frankfurt, we could actually hear Flea’s indignant barking at being stuck in a crate for so long.  A customs animal inspector came over and inspected our paperwork, then sent us on our way.  We picked up the dogs and they happily adjusted to life in Germany.  When it was time to go home, Flea was ill with prostate cancer.  But he was strong enough to make the flight from Stuttgart to Atlanta and was with us for about two more months before we had to have him euthanized.  Flea charmed people on both ends of the travel, despite being so loud.

Lately, with the prospect of Bill’s Army retirement looming before us, we have been thinking about where we’d like to live next.  If you have read my main blog, you know that I’m not wild about the house we live in and would really like to live in Europe.  Bill has found job openings in Germany, Belgium, and Ireland.  It’s likely he will apply for jobs overseas, though we don’t know if he’ll be successful in getting one.  Given our goals, I’m looking once again at information about what it takes to import animals into European countries.  I’m not too worried about a move to continental Europe, though a move to Ireland or England might be difficult because they are island nations.  I read that the regulations are less strict than they once were, but they still require planning and foresight.

I just found a very interesting Web site for people who need to move abroad with pets. PetRelocation.com is based in Austin and helps people move their animals anywhere in the world.  Likewise, PetAir Carrier also relocates pets.  I know there was also an airline specifically for pets called Pet Airways, but it looks like that concept went belly up.  I’m sure it was too expensive and too limited to be of use to a lot of people.

Moving abroad is a pain, especially when you’re traveling with animals.  But it was worth it to us, last time, to have our dogs with us in Germany.  If we move overseas again, we will try to choose a country that is pet and owner friendly.  If we go back to Germany, I have a feeling our dogs won’t be quite as annoying as Flea and MacGregor were.  Zane and Arran are a lot less noisy than they were.

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