Michael had his first C-130 Flight in Europe today and nailed it! He was nervous going in since it has been weeks since he has flown (my is it quite the task moving overseas now that I can *kind of* look back on it!) but he did a great job and had a blast doing it.

But let’s rewind and recap shall we? My father-in-law emailed me today wondering why it had been 5 days since I last posted (has it really been that long?) and you want to know the answer. You probably already guessed it… yep, NO WiFi! Ta-da! Heading into the USO tomorrow to help out with an analysis they want an outside view on so hopefully I can snag some more wifi time before I leave and get this posted.

Last week we broke down and finally bought a new TV. We couldn’t bring ours as it was not dual voltage (yes I know we can use a transformer but it can wear out your electronics and use a TON of energy in the process) so we headed to the BX and snagged one for a good price along with a new DVD player. As much as we don’t want to be “that couple” that spends their evening watching TV, it is nice to be able to snuggle up and watch a movie every so often. We borrowed some DVD’s from friends and I was even allowed to snag a few from the USO warehouse so we watched Tron together over some ice cream on our SUPER comfy (sarcastic voice) FMO couch.

Thursday I attended my first spouses social! It was called a Sip and Swap. We brought in gently worn clothing, shoes and accessories we were willing to trade and we basically went “shopping” for as many items as we had brought. I only had a few items to contribute since I only packed my favorites in my first shipment of goods, but I made out with some really cute stuff! I met some of the other squadron spouses (as in wives of guys in Michael’s flying squadron) and I even brought little mini apple pies I made from apples from our apple tree! I am in LOVE with having all these edible fruit tree and bushes around! Blackberries line our hike and we also have a currant bush in our yard!

Friday Michael was off (random Family Day) so we did some yard work together- my flowers are doing great and my little herb seeds I planted have sprouted! That evening we headed to the Landstuhl castle for dinner with some friends! It was nestled in these beautiful old ruins of a castle up on a hill with an amazing view of the towns below. It was hot as blue hades so we opted to sit inside out of the sun, which quickly backfired when the sun began streaming in through the windows. Remember 2 very important things about Germany: no central AC and beer is literally cheaper than water. Forget FREE tap water, it all comes in glass bottles and it starts at about 3.50 Euro a glass. So now we are not only hot, but dehydrated as well. I have started bringing my hydroflask with me EVERYWHERE. In any case it was a wonderful dinner with good company and on our way out the weather was perfection. We will be back once it cools off for sure.

Saturday Krista, Christy and Cassi (yes… all my new friends’ names start with “kuh”… guess I really miss my Katlin, Kriston and Kate. Now all I need is a couple B friends and my life will be complete!) came to Bosenbach and we headed to our village pool! So there aren’t really “neighborhoods” here but these small villages everywhere. And some of them have pools. Similar to our “swim and tennis” communities but take away the tennis and add beer. I am not kidding when I say you can buy beer everywhere here. Our British landlord put it perfectly when he said you can show up at a gas station that may be out of “petrol” but they sure enough have beer! Prost! So we posted up on the grassy knoll surrounding the crystal blue water and took it all in. Sun shining, kids playing, speedos abounding. I LOVED seeing how FEW rules there are. I know I know you are probably thinking “whaaat? It’s Germany, all you talked about before you left were all the weird rules!” but I am not kidding. People are just held responsible for their own actions (shocking right?!?) and there aren’t 1000 and 1 rules to make sure all the stupid people are kept in line. For example, you are allowed to do the following at a German pool: eat and drink... ALCOHOL... in GLASS CONTAINERS, double bounce on the diving board, run around the pool, smile and have fun, sit on the pole separating the deep end from the shallow end, stand more than one person at a time on the diving board, yell a little, continue swimming even when the lifeguard has taken a 30 second break to pee…. The list goes on. I could not help thinking at every turn “that would NEVER be allowed in an American pool!” I guess I am even more sensitive to it because growing up with a pool there were very few rules, so when Michael and I attend public pools I am always in awe at the list of rules and how intensely they are enforced. Anyways, 1 point for Germany in my book. It was refreshing and delightful to see everyone having such a great time. And guess what- nobody got hurt (that day at least haha).

Our Bosenbach Pool!

Soaking up the Sun!

Prost!

That evening the dance and yoga studio I will be teaching at this year was having a 6-year anniversary party including performances from the week-long intensive they just wrapped up. Michael and I attended and had a really great time meeting everyone and seeing the dancers perform. It seems like a studio with a true heart for the arts and their students and I am excited to be a part of it. I teach my first class on my birthday! A Vinyasa flow yoga class- and I could not be more excited to get back in a class and teach! After the party we headed to a great little Mexican restaurant down the street. And by “great little Mexican restaurant” I mean the best one we have found HERE… nothing could possibly compare to our American-Mexican food back home. There is no cheese dip, the chips and salsa are not unlimited, the Margaritas taste funny and some of the flavors are just… strange. BUT- it will have to suffice for now! Next time I am stateside I fully intend on eating my body weight in queso dip. And I don’t even feel sorry about it.

Sunday we experienced our first German village parade! We were doing some chores around the house when we heard a racket outside so we headed out to see what the noise was and here comes a string of tractors coming down our street! One carried a trailer with a band, another a group of teenage girls, another a group of rowdy boys, and there were children dressed up as flowers and minions walking in between! They were carrying a pole decorated in colorful fabric that I believe will be put up in the village somewhere. It was hilarious and exciting! I snapped a few shots and waved as they passed! No clue what it was for exactly, but there was some sort of small carnival setting up at the pool and we could hear them celebrating until the wee hours of the night!

Sunday evening, we went to Wiesbaden to dinner at Gwen and Brandt’s house. They grilled RIBS and made macaroni and cheese and we were in heaven! They even had YEUNGLING! I felt like I was right back at home! And of course I had to whip up another pie for the event- making it a truly American affair. We feel so thankful for having found such great friends so quickly and it is making this crazy transition feel so much less unsettling.

While each day comes with a new struggle or frustration, overall we are absolutely loving our time here so far. Of course we are experiencing the best weather Germany has to offer, and Michael has not gone away for a mission yet, but we have been surprised at how quickly this place has become our home. Of course it will feel much more like home once our furniture and home goods come, but it could still be a few more weeks, so I pray daily for stronger patience as I begin to feel more and more antsy for our belongings.

Side note- I am going to England! Katlin and Ryan have been there for a few months and I am dying to visit her! Ryan is deployed for a bit and I am still looking for a job so I figured it would be the perfect time to go! I booked the flight for September and the round trip, including a checked bag was $100! Ahhh the joys of living in Europe! I cannot WAIT! We have a few upcoming wine festivals and then in October we are headed to the Oktoberfest in Stuttgart! Then in November my mom comes! Now if we could only convince James and Dianna (Michael’s parents) to come to Germany for Christmas! So much to look forward to in the coming months!

Another beautiful walk on the trail in our backyard... Bosenbach was showing off last night, so I attempted to capture it: (click to see them larger)