At Last....(Sort Of)

As I write this I am sitting in one of our living room chairs. This usually wouldn't be an extraordinary occurrence except for the fact that this chair, along with all of our other furniture has been sitting in a long term storage facility in Maryland for the past three years. And yesterday, after months of waiting, our household goods finally arrived in Belgium. And because our things have finally arrived our house is feeling like our house instead of a temporary stop over in this crazy life of ours. But, as has been the case with most things involved in our recent move, it has been anything but easy.

We were lucky that we drove into Belgium with our own car meaning we had our own transportation from the moment we arrived. Most people aren't so lucky having to rely upon rental vehicles, public transportation, and the good will of others for their first few months here. We had our own car with its new temporary plates meaning we were good to go. But because this is Belgium, registering it wasn't the easy process we had assumed it would be. We had been told that all we had to do was fill out a bit of paperwork and two weeks later our permanent plates would arrive. We should have known better.

The first time we went to register the car we were told we couldn't even begin the process until we had a permanent address. No one had mentioned this small detail and at that point we hadn't even looked at any houses let alone signed a lease. Luckily in less than a week we had executed a lease and with address in hand we returned to the registry building. This time we found out we had the wrong paperwork so it was a no-go. Returning yet again we still were missing paperwork that somehow had never been mentioned to us on our previous visits. Finally we had the right forms completed but didn't have proof of having paid taxes on the car. Since we had purchased the Volvo through the diplomatic buyers program we were tax exempt and provided this paperwork. It wasn't good enough; we were told we needed a letter from the Volvo dealership. A few days later we returned with the said letter in hand only to be told that this time we needed documentation from our Embassy. Back to the drawing board we went. Finally after seven weeks of back and forth we somehow managed to have all of our papers in order and two weeks later actually received our new plates and registration.  It felt as though we were the very first people who bought a new car to Belgium and tried to register it. Somehow I seriously doubt that is the case. It worked out in the end, but it wasn't easy by any means.

And then there was our furniture, part of which I am now sitting on. It had been packed up from Washington D.C. during our worst pack out in history back in May of 2011. When we arrived here we immediately set to having it moved out of storage and shipped to Mons. But of course it wasn't that easy. Even though it would take six to eight weeks to get here we couldn't even request that it be released until we had a permanent address......and you guessed it, we didn't have one of those yet. But once we did have one, just a week later, we dutifully returned to the transportation office with our list of  items we wanted shipped in hand. Oh how naive I was when I thought we were good to go. This was the first week in February and when I didn't hear anything for a week I followed up only to find out that the shipping office back in the States hadn't responded to the email request. More emails followed and we were then into the second week of March and still there wasn't any response from the States. We were on the verge of giving a friend our power of attorney and having them go stand in the stateside transportation office when we finally received a notification that our items would be picked up from the warehouse the following week. Ten days later it actually happened so all we had to do was sit here in Belgium on our loaner furniture and wait.

But then my father-in-law informed us that he had received a letter from the warehouse where our furniture was stored informing us that we needed to remove it all within ten days since our contract with them had expired. Umm......excuse me. A new copy of our orders were sent directly to the company and we waited to see what would actually arrive in our shipment. Would it even be our things? Is the left hand communicating with the right? Talk about a lack of communication and poor customer service!

But our furniture did arrive. Most of it anyway. Somehow we are missing bed rails, a headboard and all of our hardware but we will figure out how to make do. We have lamp shades without their bases and I discovered that the packers packed my clothing inside of the dresser drawers. (This would explain why I had been unable to find a few of my sweaters over the past three years). The finish on one hand made end table is damaged beyond repair and most of the furniture has weird spots on it that with a little elbow grease, will be able to be removed. Two occasional pillows arrived covered in sticky mouse traps that the maintenance company at our apartment had used to try to quell our rodent infestation. Everything has that strange dank odor from sitting in storage for too long. 

But we have our furniture. At last, after three years of living on someone else's beds, couches, and tables, we have our very own items again. And now that they are in our house I dare say we are finally settled into our Belgian house. Well, kind of, sort of since we are still waiting for a few pieces of custom made furniture to be delivered. They are supposed to be here by July......we'll wait and see if that actually happens.

Home.....Sweet Home?

Here are a few pictures of the place we will call home for the next few months:

Our "master" bedroom

My kitchen (sob, sob, sob)

and Sidney's bedroom/our living room/dining room/study

Yesterday we arrived at our temporary (for the next two to three months) home at Chievers Army Lodge in Belgium which, from what I've seen so far, is little more than a few buildings in the middle of a whole lot of fields. Because we have a child we are entitled to a family suite which is really just a hotel room with a microwave and two hot plates. It makes me shudder to think that this is considered a spacious room and I am wondering how the much larger families I've seen are packing into their compact spaces. But we were also fortunate enough to get the key to one of the few storage cages which is allowing us to store our suitcases and other items that don't fit in our room. (Apparently these storage cages are coveted so we are lucky to get one).

No sooner had we arrived and checked in then I set to work making our space "homey." Suitcases were unpacked and stowed in the a fore mentioned storage cage. Closet and dresser space was allotted and a home was found for Sidney's toys. We made a quick run to the nearby commissary to shop for a few essentials to get us started. It has been a long time since I was in an American grocery store and I found myself wandering the aisles in amazement at what I saw. Some items I didn't even recognize and other brands had introduced new flavors that were completely foreign to me. I felt like a fish out of water. Upon reaching the checkout I was greeted with sticker shock--yes Zosia you are no longer in Albania. Our few items cost more than a week's worth of groceries in Albania.

Back "home" life took on a very normal routine. Groceries were crammed into our one cabinet, the refrigerator was immediately overflowing, and two loads of laundry were done in the stackable washer and dryer at the end of the hallway. Once we mastered the microwave, dinner consisted of Stouffer's macaroni and cheese for the little one and Chinese rice bowls for the adults washed down with tepid German beer that hadn't yet had the chance to chill completely. Following dinner Glenn washed our three dishes one at a time filling both the sink and the drainer as he did so. The routine felt like home but with the added bonus of breakfast served to us buffet style downstairs each morning and daily maid service.

Obviously we are not living in the lap of luxury but we will survive. After all, this is a part of the fun and adventure of being a military family; every few years you pack up and relocate never being quite sure of what you will encounter. Sometimes it will be fancy and other times less so; some moves are a breeze while others are a struggle. If nothing else this experience will make us really appreciate our new house once we move in. But in reality, for me home is where the heart is so as long as I am with my family that is home enough for me. So yes, this is home sweet home (until we pick up and do it all over again).

Traveling Light?

I'm only joking here.  As anyone who has ever moved before knows, it is never easy.  And trust me when I tell you that when you are moving from one country to another and will be literally living out of your suitcases for several months, it is even more difficult.  Sure, thanks to the U.S. Navy we have packers who carefully wrapped every item in our old house and movers who will deliver the boxes (298 in all) to our next doorstep, but we still need to physically get ourselves from point A to point B.  And with limited space the most difficult decision we must make is what to carry with us on our journey.

Just the few bags we brought with us during our recent move

The predicament over what to pack in our suitcases is even difficult when you live in a place without any outgoing mail service.  When we moved to Albania we had the luxury of sending boxes of necessities to our new home ahead of time.  Not this time around. But despite that, we somehow carried half as many bags with us this time as we did when we first moved overseas.  Perhaps it is because we are moving to a place where we can easily buy any items we forgot.  However, we still required two vehicles to transport us and all of our luggage to the airport when we left Tirana.  And the driver who met us at the airport in Gothenburg arrived in a mini bus and laughed when he saw our collective luggage. In broken English he asked us how three people could have so many bags.  How?  We're Americans first of all and Americans just don't know how to pack lightly.  Add to that the fact that we are Americans who are moving and will be living out of our suitcases for the next few months. That's how!  Needless to say, we were a sight at baggage claim and an even bigger spectacle when we checked into the hotel we will only be staying at for two nights.  But in the end, it is just all a part of our big adventure.

(Unaccompanied) Baggage

The movers arrived for the first time yesterday to pack up our unaccompanied baggage shipment.  In military circles this smaller shipment of the items you will live off of until all of your household items arrives is often called an express shipment. Express as in it arrives quickly or at a minimum quicker than   the crates of your furniture, electronics, and other worldly items.  I stopped calling it an express shipment after our move to Albania when the said "express" shipment arrived one full day prior to the rest of our household goods.  So much for express!  Now I am calling it by its other name, "unaccompanied baggage" or UAB.  UAB is perhaps the most important shipment a military family will have when moving since these are the items, all 1,000 pounds of them, that with the exception of the luggage will bring onto the plane with us, we are expected to live off of for the foreseeable future. In our case we are planning on the foreseeable future being three or so months in a hotel room so careful packing is essential.

So what does one pack for three people for three months when everything that goes into those boxes must be stored in our small hotel room?  What can we live without for so many months?  These are questions I pondered for some time.  Although Belgium's weather experiences none of the extreme highs and lows that we have here in Albania, we will be transitioning from winter into spring and perhaps even a bit of summer before we see our household goods again.  With that in mind, rain gear is a given in.  But add in the myriad of Glenn's required uniforms plus off duty clothing and clothes for Sidney and myself and our tiny allotted closet space is sure to be filled to capacity.  Each and every item was selected with care keeping dual purposes in mind.  (I also have no idea what our laundry situation will be but I suspect it will mean my spending many hours in a laundry mat).

Anyone whose read this blog knows I like food so the prospective cooking situation concerns me.  I've been assured that our room has a kitchenette but I am unclear as to what this actually means.  I have heard a refrigerator and dishwasher are a part of the deal but other details are vague.  I'm assuming there is a stove of some sort and hopefully there is an oven as well.  I haven't been able to get any clarity so I don't know what I'll be dealing with.  My crock pot and set of knives were the first item to get packed into the UAB but multi-purpose pots and pans were selected with great care.  I have no idea if I packed the right items but it is too late to change my mind now.

So now I sit and wait.  I've been told that our boxes will arrive in Belgium in about ten days but I've heard that line before.  I'm hopeful that this time it will arrive on time.  If they do, I may go back to calling this shipment express.

Tick-Tock Tick-Tock

Tick tock, tick tock goes our countdown clock.

Where has the time gone?  The summer flew by in a flurry of heat, work, and travel and now it is September, the month of transitions, changes, and new beginnings. This is our third September in Albania but this year is different since it is our last.  With just under five months until we move onto our next adventure I know this fall will also fly by.

The first six months of this year dragged.  We were busy, even busier than usual as we worked, traveled, and most importantly, found out where we would be heading to next.  Belgium!  It was unexpected yet welcomed and gave us a lot to think about.  This knowledge in itself should have made the time fly by but it didn't.  January crept into February then March seemed endless.  Despite the warmer temperatures of April and May it rained non-stop (a preview of our future perhaps?) so these months were just as bad.  It felt as though we were going no where fast and the fall felt a lifetime away.  And then June arrived.  She sped by in a flash as did July and August and suddenly I find it being September.

Fall is always busy.  After the long lazy days of summer the pace of life picks up.  Days are shorter but seemingly filled with more activities.  Here in Europe, where August is the official month of vacations and many stores and restaurants simply shutter their doors for weeks on end, people return to their jobs in September ready to get back to work.  I feel the pace picking up all around me.  People seem more focused at work and with the start of the schools, traffic has increased.  The fall months are also filled with both American and Albanian holidays meaning short but intense work weeks and long weekends filled with endless opportunities for exploring (or working or de-cluttering....the list could go on).  And all too soon the big holidays- Thanksgiving and Christmas- will be here with their usual madness and this will be followed shortly by the New Year.

And with the New Year we will be leaving Albania.  So all this means I have a whole lot to do between now and then.  I must be organized, efficient, and proactive.  There are preparations to be made and an all too full house to be purged and packed out.  And then there are the farewells to be had.  Throw in a visit from the grandparents and a final trip or two to complete our Albanian bucket list and there won't be a moment to spare.  Somehow I seriously doubt that these final months of the year will drag the way the first few did.  Time is sure to fly and all of a sudden I'm feeling that I have too much to do and not enough time to do it.  I'm now living life on fast forward.

And not that I'm counting or anything, but we have 140 days until we depart.  And a whole lot to do between now and then.

It Is Finally Official.....

.................or as official as it will be until we are physically there.  After months of waiting we have our next set of written orders in hand.  Come January, the Brown family will be heading to Mons, Belgium for three years. 

This is the season for the moving game, or PCSing, a.k.a. permanent change of station, as it is known in military lingo, and it is something military (and foreign service) families are all too familiar with.  You are barely settled in one location before you are putting out feelers for your next set of orders.  A friend of mine once likened the process to on-line dating.  You research what is out there and what is the best fit for you (and your family)then make your wishes known hoping someone likes you back. Sometimes it works out but other times it doesn't.  It can be an opportunity for positive change---if you don't like where you are or don't like your job, you aren't committed to it in the longer term-- but it can also be upsetting and tumultuous for all those involved.  Spouses may have to quit jobs, children may be removed from friends and schools they love, and social networks are often shattered.  When we were in Norfolk we were fortunate that Glenn was able to move from one job to another without our family having to actually pick up and move.  This pattern continued for several job rotations meaning we kept our house, I had continuous employment, and we kept our every growing circle of close friends, but most people aren't so fortunate.  More often than not, every two to three years families are packing up, house hunting, and moving half way across the country or even the world and re-establishing themselves before staring the process all over again.  This is the game we knowingly jumped into when we decided we were ready to move beyond Norfolk.

It wasn't long after we arrived here in Albania that we began asking ourselves what was next.  Sure we would be here for two years (which stretched into two and one half) but it is never too early to start thinking about and exploring what could come next.  Initially we thought another embassy tour might be in order or more likely a return to the States since Sidney would be starting school and I could return to work but the longer we were overseas, the more the "European bug" got us and we decided we wanted to stay here.  Not in Albania per se, but in Europe in general.  At first it looked like Germany was in our future and I dutifully began researching houses, school, and family life there. It all sounded good and I was getting excited.  Then we were told that it would be Belgium, an option we had never even considered but were even happier with yet I hesitated to do too much research before the move was definite.  After all, we had been down this route before and I didn't want to get my hopes up too much lest I be disappointed in the end. 

Just to demonstrate how far in advance some of these moves can be planned, the family that was set to replace us had been identified and was asking us questions about the country before we even arrived in Albania.  This advanced planning isn't always the case, however.  In fact, it rarely is.  I know several people who are supposed to PCS this summer who are still awaiting their official orders in writing. I know that in this era of budget cuts, sequestration, and all around cost cutting we are lucky to have orders in hand seven months before our move date.  Verbal orders are fine but until you have that ream of paper in your hot little hands, you can't plan the things that really matter. These orders are really your passport to your next life since you can't house hunt, register your children for their new school, or schedule your move without them.  And we now have them!

As I said earlier, it will all be real once we land in Belgium.  In the meantime, however, I have schools to research, houses to hunt for, and the next three years to plan out.  As difficult as it can be to pick up and move, the possibilities of what the future holds for us are too exciting to resist.  And I can't wait for what is in store for us.