The Plain White T's/ Diana Gabaldon

Moving 5,000 miles, across the Atlantic Ocean, to a country I've never been to has been the most stressful time of my life. Leaving family, friends, my job, my routine, etc. was very difficult. Being a part of the military lifestyle is sometimes hard due to deployments, exercises, long work days, and I'm just married to the military. 

Despite the hardships (they can be overcome), there are so many good things about the military that I enjoy. Lifelong friendships (even if you only get to spend a small time together), housing when needed (although housing isn't always the greatest- so I've heard), opportunity to travel, and little things that they do for military and their families such as providing the commissary, base exchange, and even concerts! 

The Plain White T's

The other week, I was completely run down from in-processing as I'm sure Jacob was too. We heard from our friends that the Plain White T's we're going to be performing for the military! For those that don't know their music, YouTube it RIGHT NOW! The band is going around doing an Armed Forces tour and playing for our military away from home. 

We went with our friends, met some new friends, and really enjoyed the night. I cannot tell you how refreshing it was to just relax and unwind. Afterwards, we got to meet the band and take pictures! They were really awesome! 

Some songs from Plain White T's:

1,2,3,4

Hey There Delilah 

The Giving Tree

The Rhythem of Love

Our Time is Now

Diana Gabaldon

Author of the Outlander series did a USO tour and I was able to get my copy signed as well as a couple other authors.

Fun Times and American Follies in England

So, I know it has been I while since I gave any kind of update. In my defense, we don't have internet in the house and it's easier to blog on a normal computer rather than my phone. Anyways, we have gone on several adventures and come across differences in Americans and Brits (other than the slight language differences and driving on different sides of the road).

Peterborough

I will say, Peterborough is probably my least favorite place we've visited. Now, don't think just because I said it was my least favorite that it isn't a nice city. It is. I've just like the other cities we've visited more like Ely, Cambridge, and Bury St. Edmund's. I think my lack of enthusiasm is because the city didn't have that romanticized England look, not really even in a modern way. Anyways, the day we spent in Peterborough was pretty memorable.

Parking. To park in England you have to pay, nothing too unfamiliar. However, the pay station was different from any others we've encountered. Holly and I tried several times to give the meter our pound coins. We saw a person successfully get a ticket on another meter so we moved to that one. It didn't work (for us). Another person successfully got a ticket from the meter we had just tried. We asked for help and they showed us that we needed to in put part of the license plate THEN put the coins in! Light bulb!

So, I know that wasn't too exciting, but it gets better...

We decided to go eat lunch a the Japanese Buffet place called Imperial Bento. We reviewed the menu on the outside of the building (in England, most restaurants have menus outside to keep people from crowding inside) and decided to give it a try. The first clue that we didn't know what we were doing should have been the lack of prices on the menu. Buffet dining in England isn't like the states. Food does not line the walls with an abundance of selections and you go help yourself as you please.

Instead, a buffet consists of courses- appetizer, second course, main course, etc that they bring out for the whole table. Each person could pick their own dish from the menu. Here's the catch.. Everyone has to pick from the same course. For example, everyone had to choose from the appetizer menu first or skip to the next course. Now, you could order as much food as you wanted from each course. My friend Holly for instance, ordered 2 appetizers because she couldn't decide. We had several selections from the appetizers, duck for our second course (there were only 2 options here), and each had our own main course. It was quite a bit of food! We tried a little bit of everyone's. The center of the table had this rotating table.

We ate for a good hour and a half- which is fast by English standards. Here, dinner is like a three or four hour thing. It's what people do when the "go out". Our buffet was our most expensive meal so far (even with our discount). However, it was a fun experience. Poor Jacob kept getting the evil eye from one of the servers! Maybe because he kept making her refill his lemonade!

Yes, that may not have been the funniest story; I think you had to be there, but it gets better.

Car shopping. Now, I've been debating whether or not to include this portion on my blog. Not because I'm embarrassed or anything, okay well maybe a little. We were car shopping and had been to many car lots in Peterborough (some good and some NOT so good). Anyways, we found one that offered "acres" of cars. In this massive lot of cars, we found ONE that we were interested. We waved over a salesperson. The Brits are not like Americans and push sales or bug you by asking if they can help/show you something/talk your ear off. Anyways, we told him we were interested and he ran off to go get the car key.

In the meantime, we opened all the doors, the hood, the trunk and were giving it a thorough look. The salesperson comes over and says something to the effect, "Here you go, come tell me what you think in a bit, yeah". To us (Americans- there were 4 of us) that was like giving the green light to test drive the car. So we pile in and start pulling it out of its cramped parking space. We began driving through the lane of cars trying to figure out how to test drive when we see the sales person walking REALLY FAST towards us (we weren't really moving that fast in the car). The guy was pissed.

Apparently, the key was just to start it and see if we liked how it sounded. Also, car places in Britain DO NOT test drive cars on the weekends; only the weekdays! Also, this place wanted us to COMMIT to buying the car to test drive on the weekend. Why would someone commit to buying a car they haven't test drove? Well, we decided not to buy the car, obviously.

Please don't think I'm bashing the car salesman. It's their way of doing things. It was our lack of knowledge about how things work in the UK that caused the problem. We did apologize for the misunderstanding. As we were leaving though, several salespeople came to see the crazy Americans that tried to take off with their car. And walk of shame.

PCSing

PCSing

I just wanted to talk some about PCSing; most will be about PCSing overseas as we are at our second base. PCSing to another military base can be stressful, especially overseas. We had about a 2 month notice of our report no later than date for our next base. We had wanted to PCS overseas to take advantage of the opportunity to have a unique experience and travel, and now it was really happening! Jacob called/woke me about 1:00am and told me the news. It took a little while for me to process, (1) because I was still partially asleep and (2) because I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Once it sunk in, I was awake! I started texting my friend, Holly, who was already in the UK, our good news! Next, I began pacing the house thinking what were we going to do with all our stuff. What should we take, what should we store, what to get rid of etc.. I was up all night, wanting to call family, but not wanting to wake them. Finally, I figured I couldn't wait any longer. It was very difficult to tell my family that we wouldn't be across a state line, but across an ocean. The time between leaving our old base and getting to our new flew by quickly.

After the initial excitement/daydream state wore off, PCSing became real and full of checklists, appointments, and things to. Depending on the time frame will depend on when certain things need to be done. With our situation, everything should have been done yesterday, last week, last month.

Passports

If PCSing overseas and you don't have a travel passport, get one! However, MPS on base will help get the "military" passport needed. If you have 2 months or less notice, get the passport expedited- the MPS office will tell you how (for your sponsor to do), but essentially it's a letter from the base and  Wing Commander (I believe, it's all a blur at this point). The passport doesn't come to your home, but to the base MPS office. Then they'll give directions to complete the VISA portion.

If PCSing to the UK, their website may still be "beta testing" and to expect delays in processing. Don't let this worry you too much (I say that now) we were told and proved true that the UK will get the VISA in time before you leave. The VISA will go to your home address- make sure you bring a PREPAID envelope to the MPS when bringing in the VISA application and documents.

Also, do NOT let the personnel at MPS talk down to you. I had the unfortunate experience to deal with a rude personnel. Per the suggested timeline, I needed to get my passport in ASAP. I went to MPS with what I thought I needed. I was only told that my passport could be expedited- did not know the process. The lady (civilian) I spoke with was rude, impersonal, and talked so fast. When I repeated what I needed to do back to her to make sure I heard correctly, she looked super annoyed, like I was wasting her time and basically told me when I come back to see the other MPF lady (which I ended up doing, she was a lot more helpful and courteous).

Dental and Health

Before PCSing overseas, spouses/dependents have to be medically (including dental) cleared. If you haven't had a check up for dental or health, start making appointments! There will be a medical check-out that is mandatory for spouses/dependents. Barksdale's were on Fridays ONLY so be sure to make Fridays open.

Spouses/dependents will need to be signed off by a dentist on the condition of the teeth. The dentist rate teeth on a scale of 1-4 with 1 and 2 being accepted. If a 3-4, all work must be completed to render teeth a 1 or 2 before being medically cleared. Depending on the base, if initially teeth are a 3 or 4, but appointments are set up to correct problems, medical may still clear the spouse.

Medical screening is relatively easy, or at least for me it was. I made my appointment, the doctor took my blood pressure, temp, and looked in my ears. Then they asked if I had any medical concerns/conditions. The answer is always "NO" right?! They will look at your chart to see your history and ask about it if they render it a concern. Although, if there is a serious problem, they need to know. 

There is a "myth" (and I say myth because I've only heard stories/rumors) that if the sponsor or any dependent is asthmatic then they will never be stationed/cleared to go overseas. From the orientation briefings I've been to, that's not the case. Some overseas areas just have higher risks- England has more mold because of it's constant rain, the desert because of sand or what have you. 

Paperwork

Most of the paperwork falls into the medical and dental. Some is just for the sponsor and some for sponsor and dependents. This is the easy part!

Pets 

I thought taking our German Shepherd was going to be the easiest part of moving overseas, but I was wrong. To get our dog through customs, we had to have him microchipped, documents for vet certified, rabies vac, annex ll customs, and a UK customs filled out, and administer a worming pill (a minimum  of 24 hrs before traveling, but he had to be there within 5 days of receiving). 

Getting him microchipped and up-to-date vaccinations were easy. I recommend using the on base veterinary (and it's mandatory to ensure the dog won't have to be quarantined). The base vet provided most of the forms but the UK customs form. 

Not all airplanes are equal. Not all airlines fly pets, and those that do may not fly pets overseas. We couldn't pay for his ticket until we arrived at the airport; he just had a reservation on our flight. We used United airlines; however, our dog, because of his size, couldn't fly on just any plane. For instance, he could fly the 767, but not the 737. 

We also enlisted the help of a kennel place in the UK that would pick us and our dog from the airport and drop us off at base and keep our dog until we got our new place. The place our dog was kenneled was the Silver Birch Kennel and Cattery. The owner Dean Faulkner was great! 

TMO 

TMO was the easiest part of moving overseas for me. After moving what we wanted to store, I didn't worry about packing. The people that came to pack our stuff did an excellent job (I say this even though we haven't received our stuff yet). From what I witnessed, they took care of wrapping and packaging our belongings. They were even patient and listened to my concerns and suggestions. One does not realize the amout of stuff one accumulates until one has to move! 

Transporation

Driving

I'm sure for most Americans sitting in the "driver" side seat as a passenger for the first time can be terrifying! I mean there should be a steering wheel and foot petals, right? Sitting in the left front seat with an empty space is just an awkward feeling. Learning to drive in the UK is going to be interesting.. I really haven't had an opportunity to try (not that I've gotten up the nerve either). However, we did go rent a car so we don't have to keep depending on rides from friends, so we can get around ourselves, and help us learn.

Jacob drove off the lot with our rental, and kid you not, maybe 20 yards he hit the curb! No, no damage or injuries (calm down moms). Apparently the instinct is to hug the curb/shoulder because of the narrow roads and weird sensation of driving on the left side of the road (right side of the front seats). As the passenger, it was nerve-wrecking because there really are NO shoulders. Where the road ends, there is grass! I don't know how many times I was waiting for the car to veer off into the grass, the gutter, through a fence.. you name it. However, Jacob was very successful, and by the end of the trip, I was relaxed (a bit).

The thing I like MOST about the rules of driving in the UK, but seems like such a strange concept is the idea of roundabouts. The easiest way I can explain them comparing them to the US version of a 4-way stop. The difference is, the UK doesn't really have stop signs. They have this circular center that cars go around where cars enter the circle by going left (yielding to cars coming from the right). The cars go around the roundabout until they wish to exit- left, straight, or right. The weirdest thing that baffles me is you have to go left to get straight or right instead of automatically going either directions.

Train/Cambridge

Saturday, we took the train the Cambridge. It was quite easy to navigate. Well, I say so because my friends were navigating, but it did seem pretty straight forward. The main purpose of the trip was to get phones that will work in the UK without having to pay an arm and a leg. However, we're definitely going to have to go back to Cambridge to take more pictures, shop, and just explore! We walked quite a bit (more than a few miles I'm sure). Walking seems to be one of the most preferred method of transportation, and one I'm sure we'll be using quite often.

The architecture alone was AMAZING with old style homes, buildings, churches, etc. We walked down one street that seemed have an endless amount of colleges; the most famous as we were told was King's College. We went by numerous small shops and even a type farmer's market. The restaurant selection seemed to cater to any ethnicity of food dishes.We grabbed dinner at a place called Las Iguanas for Portuguese food. The food was really good. The portion size wasn't as big as American portion sizes, but that's great for me since I often get made fun of because I can't ever finish my plate!

After we had dinner, we went to this sweet shop called Hardy's. The amount of candy selection was unbelievable. I thought it was funny that this family of Brits were more excited over the American candy selection. They were reading off every flavor of Skittles (YUCK to the creamy flavored kind) and Runts. We purchased some chocolate and a fruity variety to try. After dinner, we leisurely headed back to train station to return back to Ely.

First Impressions

Reunited

After taking a COLD shower (even with hot on full blast, only cold came out) and a couple hours nap, we were highly anticipating reuniting with our Barksdale friends! Insert girly EEEEKK here. I really wanted to cry, I was so happy to see one of my best friends! It's great knowing I have a close friend to help ease the transition, hang out with when the husband is working, help be there through the crazy times, etc.. And commence Jane Austen tours and David Tennant stalking!

Of course, they weren't the only ones to greet us... The live-in hotel residents, little flying insects (possibly flying ants?) have made their presence known in our bathroom. Yes, we did inform the hotel. No, they did not fix the problem. Apparently, houses are not just for people here, but also for bugs and spiders.

Anyways, we went out to eat with our friends (and not the ones in our hotel) to this place called the Bull's Head. Of course, we sprung for the meal the UK is known for, fish and chips. The food was AMAZING, or maybe that's the Aspall cider talking- we had that too! Seriously though, it was good food! The fish is not like in the US, the pre-cut strips, but basically the WHOLE fish. The fries are good and salty. I even chomped down on like a salt brick- tasty

After eating, we went back to the hotel to sleep in order to be well rested for the next morning.

Ely

Thursday, we got up early and set out to accomplish in-processing procedures. We had to rely on our friends for assistance for navigating and driving as we are without a car and have never drove on the LEFT side as the Brits do. After we finished our list of things to do, we took a road trip out to see Ely- a potential town for us to live.

Words CANNOT describe the beauty that is Ely! Apparently the town was named after eels, known as the "district of eels". The Ely Cathedral is located in the centre (center for Americans) with gargoyles that have been weathered. The cathedral is  surrounded by shops- tea, books, clothes, groceries, etc. There is a foot/bike path leading away from the cathedral that leads to a big open green hill on one side and a fenced in area that is home to horse (or ponies?). The path leads to the Jubilee Gardens and down to a river. It is very close to what I imagine all English towns to look like.. lots of greenery and grown plants surrounding shops, old architecture (gothic and romantic), historical preservation, and people bustling about.

The weather so far hasn't been too bad. During the day it's pleasant that you don't always need a jacket, maybe a light jacket if it's windy or the sun isn't out. Once the sun goes down though, it can get chilly. It hasn't rained much; a few light showers, but we haven't had to pull out the umbrella yet.

On another note, Abel is doing well. He is staying at the Silver Birch Kennels which is a short distance from Ely! We are allowed to take come and visit him and take him for walks. He was excited to go for a walk, but seems to be liking the kennel a little too much! When we brought him back from the walk, he headed straight in like he was home! It makes me feel better that he is being well cared for and happy. He didn't seem phased by the plane ordeal even though I will NEVER forget that.

The start of Something New

Moving Day

First off, moving is a stressful ordeal. Moving overseas is even harder. Saying goodbye to loved ones knowing that you won't get to see them as often as your used to is almost unbearable. Thank goodness for modern technologies such as phones, internet, Skype, planes, etc. Right?

We were booked on a 3:30pm direct flight to the UK out of Houston. Our dog Abel had been checked into United Airway's PetSafe, we'd said our teary goodbyes to our families, successfully got past TSA security checkpoint, only to fail not once, but three times to take off. Mechanical problems eventually led to our flight being cancelled around 7:30pm.

While waiting in line to figure out the next available flight, I called PetSafe to check on Abel to make sure he was okay (at this time he'd been kenneled for close to 8 hours). The man on the phone informed me that Abel had been put on the next plane to the UK that was departing in 50 minutes!!!!

Panic set in. Abel was flying ahead of us and the line we were in WAS NOT MOVING!! The poor man on the phone got the brunt of all my frustrations with the move and the fact that our dog was not with us, was being SEPARATED from us. We explained to on of the United service personnel and she led us to the first class/business line which had 2 people being helped. Despite their being 2 people, we didn't reach the desk until around 8:40. We knew there was little chance of us getting on the 8:50 plane, and our fears were confirmed. Abel was on his way to the UK without us.

Crying seemed to be the theme. Our Abel was gone. The earliest flight we could get was 6:40am the next morning with an 8 hr layover in New Jersey. We wouldn't arrive in the UK until the morning after, a good 24 hours after Abel. However, we were assured that PetSafe would hold him and take good care of him.

Blessing in Disguise

After crying in the airport and having a freak out at the airport, I was exhausted. Lucky for us, United gave us a place to stay at the Holiday Inn. On the shuttle to the hotel we met some people from the UK that lived close we are now calling home. They reignited our enthusiasm for our move. They told us of the place where they lived and the Medieval structures that still stand.

The next morning we boarded our flight and made it safely to New Jersey. We landed in Newark, NJ which was conveniently located close to the Statue of Liberty state park. We set out to sight-see.. $50 cab ride later we were at the state park. We saw Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. We could see the NY skyline and Empire State Building. We walked for a few hours then hailed a taxi back to the airport to await our plane.

We had a slightly turbulent plane ride to the UK, but arrived on time. We were excited to finally be in the UK and even more excited when Dean from the Silver Birch Kennels picked us up from the airport with Abel in tow! Abel looked well and was happy to see us! We were dropped off at the base and Dean took Abel to be kenneled until we can get a home for all of us. We are currently living in the base hotel, but that's for another time....