A season for change

It's PCS season. For my military friends, you know exactly what this means, and those of you that don't, think of it as pure mayhem as the Army uplifts your life, spins it around several times, and lets you go. PCS stands for Permanent Change of Station. This is the time that nearly everyone leaves their current assignment to head to their next, wherever that may be. For those that are leaving, it can be a wee bit stressful, and for those that are staying, it can be tough having to say good-bye to close friends.

So, here we are in the thick of PCS season and the universe is seriously playing games with us. Our post here is closing, as is the one about 45 minutes away, and it's creating a bit of a mess for those trying to get all of the Soldiers and their units assigned to other locations. Some folks were scheduled to PCS back to the States, and those that are scheduled to stay in Europe are being sent to other posts "in theater". I'd like to say this process has been going smoothly, but honestly, it's lacking in that regard more often than not. As a result, we are all working hard to keep our heads together and just go with the flow. We are used to this anyhow, so bring it on!

For our family, we have been in a limbo for awhile. It took quite a long time for Big R to get his Orders to our new assignment, and without them, not much could be done. As soon as those Orders were in hand, he got the ball rolling and that's when we entered the crazy game.

Think of the Army as a major control freak. There are checks and balances in place for everything to make sure things are accounted for and that everyone follows the system. In theory this should make things go seamlessly, but in reality every post has a tendency to do things slightly different enough to make your world go into a frenzy. This latest assignment for us is no exception. Trying to figure out who to talk to next or what order we need to do things in is not much different than playing a game of treasure hunt.

So, orders in hand, we were finally on a housing list, and have been waiting anxiously for an address for the place we are to call home for our last year here in Germany. But that's just one of the many things that tend to happen this time of year, and it all likes to happen concurrently. Add into the mix a newborn and all the paperwork and coordination involved in having a baby in the military overseas, and you instantly have a full deck.

The universe tends to keep things interesting for our little bunch. Things like realizing that the tires on the car will never pass inspection not two weeks after having a new tire order and installed for a flat (and a week before inspection is due - yikes!). Or having our only computer die on us in the middle of our crazy schedules adding a new layer to filling out paperwork online and all those fun and games. It would also help if we would just buy a back up hard drive already. This is the second time in the past several months that our computer has crapped out, so you'd think we'd learn to protect our prize photographs. But we enjoy adventure too much apparently :)

I'm happy to report that as of today we now have housing at our new location. It's not as close to post as we had hoped, but it's in a sweet little town about 20 minutes away, and the house is much larger than the one we live in now. The extra space will be nice, and Lando and little r will really enjoy having a yard. The small porch will pale in comparison to the large deck we have enjoyed here. And we'll certainly miss our incredible views of the Bavarian countryside. All that aside, we have done the big moves before, and although there is never a lack of stress that goes along with picking up your life and moving it to a new location, it can also be really exciting. We are hearing good things about our new neighborhood and the town we'll be living in. How soon we forget the struggles we go through to make our current homes the comfort that we've grown to love.

So, things are now in motion. We are relieved housing came through so quickly. We are also now faced with the reality that the movers will be here in less than two weeks and we have sooooo much to do before they get here. I was hoping to share stories and photographs from our awesome weekend in Poland, but alas, our computer (and our pictures) are currently out of commission. Hopefully we'll be able to remedy that situation before too long. Until then, I'm certain I will be able to keep you informed with how our PCS is going. Lord knows the Army loves to keep us all entertained.

A picture of our new neighborhood

xoxo

 

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