Florida to California PCS: The Road Trip

3,100 miles, 11 days, 8 different stops, and 7 hotel stays. 

#FLtoCaliRoadTrip 

T-10 days till go time! 

So, there it is...that's the route we'll take on our 11-day journey across the good 'ol US of A. This Northern route approach will have us logging almost 50 hours of driving. FIFTY. I know, kill me now. But, we've got enough stops planned to break it up quite a bit. Here's a better breakdown of our plan:

STOP #1: Atlanta, Georgia - Here we'll be logging in another sure to be FABULOUS stay at Towneplace Suites (this hotel chain is perfect for road trip stays for couples AND families alike) and hopefully enjoying some iconic burgers & shakes at The Varsity. We've been to Atlanta before so we're not gonna go too crazy exploring, especially since we've only got maybe 13-16 hours in the city. Plus, the drive from our starting point in Florida to Hotlanta will be the second longest leg of our trip (clocking in at an annoying 7 hours). I'm sure by the time I get to the hotel, I'll want to kick my feet up and chill.

STOP #2: Nashville, Tennessee - Even though we've also been to Nashville before, we were young (hello, 11th grade!), so we're excited to get to explore a little more. We'll have a good chunk of time here in Nashvegas...roughly 24 hours, but who's counting (me, I am--we've got a schedule to keep, unfortunately!). We're still undecided on whether we just wander the city or if we should hit up a backstage tour at the Grand Ole Opry or a couple hours at the Country Music Hall of Fame (thoughts?). We know FOR SURE that we want some good southern food (biscuits, preferably) and to buy Heidi some baby cowgirl boots. Because when in Tennessee, am I right?

STOP #3: St. Louis, Missouri - Another city I've visited once at a young age, so we're not spending a whole heck of a lot of time here either. But, I do want to show D the Gateway Arch (not that you could miss it) and we'll probably hit up Delmar Loop for some shopping/eating. I would LOVE to do the City Museum, but thanks to being pregnant, it wouldn't be nearly as fun. Next time!

STOP #4: Kansas City, Kansas- This may be the stop I'm most excited about. Not because I've never been here (hint: I have...like 5 times), but because we get to spend 3 days staying with my Kansas cousins! After a few days cooped up in a car, we'll be SO thrilled to have some quality time with some super familiar faces. Plus, KC is a really fun city and D has never been! Hoping to share the goodness of KC BBQ and Boulevard Brewery Beer with him. We've also got a date with a swimming pool. Can. Not. Wait.

STOP #5: Denver, Colorado - This will be our longest, most boring drive of the whole trip (8.5 whopping hours of midwest nothingness, yay!). So once we get to Denver...a city I HAVEN'T been to before (but D has, whomp whomp), I have a feeling we'll grab a bite to eat and pass the heck out. Not much time for sightseeing, but we did get a hotel with a view of the Rockies, so at least we're looking forward to that.

STOP #6: Moab, Utah - I'm super excited to make a stop here in Moab. We'll be staying at an fun motel just outside of Arches National Park and will get to spend a decent amount of time exploring the gorgeous rock formations inside the park. No hiking for us (thank you, Heidi), but we'll still drive through & stop at all the scenic pull-offs for a good taste of one of Utah's most treasured natural attractions.

STOP #7: Salt Lake City, Utah - Salt Lake will be another fairly quick stop, but that's alright with us. Aside from eating at some cute local eateries, the only thing I really want to do is explore Temple Square. Our hotel is just around the corner from it to make visiting super easy on my sure to be exhausted body. I wish we did have a little bit more time here just so I could meet up with some fun bloggers I've gotten to know. Hopefully this won't be our only time in town!

STOP #8: Reno, Nevada - the "Biggest Little City in the World"...if you would have told me we'd be making a pit stop here, I would have laughed at you (Vegas AND Reno in one pregnancy? You gotta be kidding me!). But we had an extra day and instead of facing a third 8-9 hour drive straight from SLC to Cali, I decided we'd stop and see how Reno compares to Vegas. We're staying right on the Reno "strip" at a casino/spa resort, so while D tries his luck with the roulette wheel, I might cash in on a prenatal massage. I'll have earned it by then, right? ;)

FINAL DESTINATION: Sacramento/Roseville, California area - At this point, I'll calmly get out of the car and kiss the ground. We aren't 100% sure yet where we'll be laying our heads when we FINALLY arrive to the Golden State, but I do know I'll be so darn thankful...and ready to hit the ground running on the house-hunting front (UPDATE: staying at another fabulous Towneplace Suites for the next 8 days!! HELLO, FREE HOT BREAKFAST AND COFFEE!). We aren't buying a house in Cali (I wish I had that kind of cash flow, plus we'll only be here 2 years), so a rental it will be. Fingers, toes and eyes crossed we find something perfect for our little family of 3.

As much as I want to hit this road trip hard and make the most out of our first big move cross-country, being preggo comes with more restrictions and less fun. My sole goal is to make it across without giving birth, ya know? My doc has been on top of that and so far, baby girl and I are healthy as can be. Even so, we're going to try to make this trip one to remember. How many times does one get to road trip across America? If you're military, often...but we like to think this will be our only chance. I hope I don't eat those words later.

Because the travel blogger in me can't let this opportunity go to waste, I'll be documenting the whole crazy adventure via Instagram and Snapchat (username: Caseadilla1016), so feel free to follow along! There will be exciting sights to see along the way and likely a whole lot of delirious car chat (and singing--consider yourselves warned), so help keep us entertained! Also, if you have any suggestions for great restaurants for us to try in any of the cities above, shout 'em out! We're always down for recommendations from past travelers. It's how the travel world goes 'round.

And as always, if you've got some spare good vibes and prayers hanging around...we could still use them! We're getting closer to that light at the end of the tunnel feeling, but we've still got 3,100 miles and a few questionable hurdles jump before we can breathe again. It ain't over until I'm surrounded by my belongings in a nice home in California, amen? AMEN! Oh, and baby girl...stay nice and comfy in there for at least 10 more weeks, mmmkay? Peace out, East Coast!

**Cool road trip map itinerary planner via Roadtrippers**

From One Sunshine State to the Other...

West Coast is the best coast, they say. Well, I guess we'll find out if that's true because S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E!!! Team Cote just got orders to move to the great state of CALIFORNIA!

No, you don't need to adjust your eyes. You read that last paragraph correctly. We're moving. To California. THIS JUNE. Cue panic and shock and all of the freak outs.

Have we been keeping a secret? Nope. Was this in our plan for 2016? Not a chance. Were we supposed to move this year? Negative. Are we excited? Welllll...yes and no. Is this the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard? YES, DEFINITELY. Here's the skinny on life as of two weeks ago:

Back in January, D got word that he had been selected for a very prestigious list of 60-some top-vectored officers in his career field. Big deal, super proud, he's a rockstar (for real). From this list, a board of important higher-up, big wig-types had the task of placing select officers into spots for 26 different jobs around the world. Long story short, we thought it was a long shot that D was get chosen for a spot. I should stop thinking anything is too crazy for the Air Force because lo and behold, D was selected for a job at a base in Cali and now here we are! Preparing to move to the West Coast for the first time in either of our lives.

To say all of this is blowing my mind would be a serious understatement. In fact, I did lose my marbles the morning D broke the news to me (as one would expect from a hormonal pregnant woman). I'd really washed my hands of the idea that we might even have the slightest chance to be selected for a new job. I know that seems like I don't think much of D and his stellar Air Force performance as an officer, but there were so many other factors involved in selection that I didn't give it a second thought. Probably why I feel so blind-sighted by it all! For the record, D is a bit shocked, too. Also for the record, even though this was totally not in our plan, I'm so darn proud of that man o' mine! He's really the cream of the crop in more ways than one.

Where does that leave us now? Well, for one thing, we've got a house to sell in less than 3 months time. So, that's fun. I'll be 7 months pregnant traveling 3,000 miles cross-country...also SUPER fun. And we get to do all the other typical "moving with the military" appointments and paperwork and pack-outs as with any other move (plus a slurry of doc appointments for yours truly). Needless to say, I'm pooped just thinking of all that we have to do in such a short amount of time. BUT we've done it before and we'll hike up our bootstraps and do it again! If I can move to Europe for 3 years, I can surely handle moving to California, right? RIGHT, YOU GUYS?!

If I could drink wine right now, I'd need ALL of it.

Having an extra layer of stress because our pending bundle of joy isn't ideal, but it's also not the end of the world. I have to keep reminding myself that hundreds of women/families do this each year, so it's not like I'm reinventing the wheel here. It is, however, more than I wanted to handle during this special time in our lives. I'm slowly trying to let go of the romantic ideas of a perfect nursery, seaside delivery, and spending the next year sharing mornings by the ocean with our little beach baby. I hate the abyss of unknown that will be the last few months of my pregnancy. There's only so much we can do from here in Florida, so some important baby-related details will have to wait until we finally make it to Cali. Feeling a bit out of control (and me no likey), but onward we march. 

From the research I've been feverishly doing these last few days, I think I'm really going to like the medical facilities/hospitals in our soon-to-be new home city. I'm thankful that I'll be able to stay with off-base OB care since the base doesn't have that (much like our current base here in Florida). So, that's a bright spot in all of this. Not to mention, the base we'll be moving to is a hop, skip, and jump away from insanely gorgeous destinations like Napa Valley, San Francisco, and Lake Tahoe (yay!). We've always wanted to venture out west and explore, so the travel opportunities that are about to be afforded us are endless and so exciting! Even with a little babe in tow! Can you tell I'm clinging to all the little silver-linings I can find? I am. And rightly so. This is a major life change among some already major life changes happening for us this year, so we need all the little bright spots we can get. Is Tuck going with us? That's an issue still to be determined. He's an old fart that doesn't do well with change and I'm a pregnant fart that is slightly neurotic and we're worried how those two will mesh so far from our lifelines (re: my parents). So, we have some pros and cons to weigh out, but it's likely he'll be back with his grandma and grandpa. That KILLS me, but he'll be a much happier (and less neglected) pup living with them.

Truth be told, we are excited. I'll be even more excited once we start making big check marks on our "to-do" list, but excited just the same. If you have any California or moving cross-country tips for us, please, we're all ears! And if you have any prayers or words of encouragement to spare, we could use a few (or a lot) of those as well. While our world seems totally upside down at the moment, we continue to trust in God's plan for our growing family. His plan is always much more wonderful than ours, I just need to get outta my head and get onboard! 

Cali, here we come!

Tips for Moving with the Military: Things I Wish I'd Known My First PCS

In the military, PCS is just a fancy acronym for "Hey, you're moving!" The acronym stands for Permanent Change of Station, but as all military families know, the move is never permanent. Some families will move every 2-3 years, while others may live at one duty station for 4-7 years. Sometimes more depending on the job. For D and I, it's somewhere around the every 3-4 year time frame...and once he gets higher in rank, it'll likely be every 2 years. One thing that's for sure is military families get really good at this whole moving thing. The entire process can be super stressful (and never gets any more fun to do year after year), but after the first 2 moves, you begin to get it all down to a science. Housing office meetings, TMO scheduling, out-processing, packing, unpacking, TLF living...I feel like I could write a book about it all myself! 

{Taken at D's deployment homecoming in 2010}

Since marrying into the Air Force in the summer of 2008, D and I have moved to three different duty stations. Our very first military move was from our hometown in North Carolina to Hampton, Virginia (Langley AFB). I learned a lot that first PCS, and even more when we moved from Virginia to Germany in 2011 (moving abroad deserves its own PCS post!). Just when I thought I'd gotten the hang of this moving thing, then we up and bought a house and moved to our next duty station in Florida after 3 years abroad. Needless to say, owning a new home and navigating a transatlantic move granted us a whole new learning curve for military moves. Just goes to show, every move can be different! Now that we've covered all kinds of moving situations, there are a few things that remain constant throughout the military moving process...

Here are some basic things I wish I had known my first PCS with the military:

• Don't pre-pack anything in boxes. The movers will just unpack it and re-pack it to their liking. The reasoning behind this is because the movers are liable for any items they break during your move. If you pack it and it breaks, that's on you. It's their way of protecting you (and themselves) should anything happen along the way. If you have anything in large Tupperware bins (i.e.-holiday decorations, keepsakes, old clothes, random storage items, etc.), they likely won't re-pack those. It is a good idea, however, to organize your belongings and throw out anything you know you'll never use at your new duty station. Downsizing & simplifying are two of the perks of moving every few years!

• It's always a good idea to have a few snacks and drinks (like water, tea, gatorade) on hand for your movers. It can be a long day (or multiple days depending on your moving poundage) packing up and labeling all of your precious belongings, so snacks help to keep their energy up and crankiness low. If you're feeling extra sweet (hint: just do this anyway!), buy the movers lunch. Nothing fancy or expensive, just something to show them you appreciate them taking good care of your stuff. And after they're full and happy, I guarantee they'll be extra careful with your grandmother's antique vase. 

• Anything you don't want the movers to touch, LABEL IT! You can even go as far as placing all those things in a closed-off room and telling them whatever's in that room...stays. Believe me, if you don't tell them or show them what NOT to pack, they'll pack it all. I've heard horror stories about folks getting their household goods weeks or months later and realizing the movers packed their garbage as well. I'm sure that smelled lovely! If you're a super organized Type A-mover, you may also want to color code your boxes with tape or stickers to designate what boxes go in what room when you get to your new home. I've yet to try this, but I hear lots of good things from fellow milspouses who've tested this technique.

• Keep a watchful eye, but don't hover. It's a tough thing, watching strangers touch your personal belongings, but hovering over them and dictating what you'd like to have in what particular box is overkill. There's a fine line for helpful monitoring and nagging over-protectiveness. Nit-picking and having unrealistic packing ideals won't make them go faster and it sure won't make for a happy packing environment. I know, I know...it's YOUR stuff. You want to make sure it's packed away safe and sound (and that no one's stolen anything), but have a little faith that your movers know what they're doing. I'm sure packing your house isn't their first go-round. If you want them to take particular care of precious items or see something you rather them pack differently, then politely ask them. Or better yet, find a way to get those items to your new location yourself. We kept all of our fine china in my parent's basement for our move overseas. Just didn't want to chance it. If you do notice your packers completely disrespecting your belongings, call the moving inspector and let them know immediately so they can remedy the situation. DON'T take matters into your own hands!

• Put your bedding, sheets, curtains, pillows, towels...anything fabric (aside from clothing) folded nicely in those giant Ziploc moving bags. They are absolutely wonderful for keeping moisture out and dirty hand prints off your linens. That way, when you finally get them back, you can just pull them out and not worry that they're moldy or soiled.

• You'll have to take down everything of your walls (the movers won't do that). For all the screws, bolts, photo hangers, curtain tiebacks, mounting fixtures, etc. (the little things that help hang something to your wall), place them in labeled baggies and store them all in one box labeled "DECORATIVE HARDWARE". Then you'll easily find them all in one place ready for hanging. Such a timesaver!

• Have the movers and packers lay down moving cloths or cardboard boxes for them to roll their dollies over and pack (or unpack) heavy items on in your home. This way, you'll save your precious floors some serious scratches. If you do find any damage to your home, address it with the movers and with the moving inspector before the movers leave your home.

• Make sure to pull out any important papers, passports, bills, password sheets, medical info...anything you might need to keep your life going while your stuff is moving, don't let the movers pack those! It's a good idea to have a "PCS Binder" full of all the important paperwork you might need in one organized place, that way you won't be wracking your brain looking for Sally's shot record when you register her for school in your new town. 

• Make sure to talk with your moving inspector pre-move to find out what items the movers will or will not pack. Most moving companies will move any non-perishable food items (i.e.-boxed dry food, flour, rice, pastas, canned goods, etc.), but anything half-opened they'll leave for you to discard. I've had moving companies tell me they won't move candles, batteries, alcohol, opened liquids/toiletries, lighters, cooking oils, aerosol cans/sprays or anything that could be flammable. In our recent transatlantic move, alcohol was permitted (as long as the state we were moving to allowed for it) and they packed my candles & batteries. Proof every company is different...so ask before chucking them out! Hiding half-opened toiletries wrapped up in Tupperware bins is also a trick of the military moving world, but you didn't hear that from me! ;)

• If you're moving abroad (OCONUS locations), the second you can start making plans (scheduling movers, out-processing, being medically cleared, no-fee passports, etc.), DO IT! Don't wait until the last minute to do any important things that will help you get abroad. You know the military works on their own schedules, so being ahead of the game on your end can save you a headache later. Also, it's wise to stay ON TOP of whomever you need to to get stuff done. Don't be afraid to pester the housing office, TMO, your sponsor, EVERYONE...if you need something done ASAP. Sometimes things fall through the cracks during peak PCS season. Don't let that something be you!

Any move is stressful, but moving with the military can be a different beast of its own. You might think you're out of control, but take heart, you're not! You have many military entities in your corner during the moving process, so don't let the stress get the best of you. PCS season can be exciting, too! Moving to a new city, starting over, experiencing new places and making new friends...think of the possibilities! Take a deep breath, make lists, and go forth with minimal worries. It will all get done! And if you've got any PCS questions (abroad or otherwise), don't hesitate to email me! Always happy to help a fellow MilFamilies!

Any more tips you'd add to this list? Share the wealth!

Starting Over

Every 3 years it's the same old song and dance. We pack up everything we own and move to a new city and a new Air Force base. The typical things happen...D starts a new job, we find a new place to live, we learn new neighborhoods, shop at new stores, and find new doctors, dentists, and hair stylists. But the one part of the moving process that never ever gets easier (and people tend to forget about)? Making new friends. It's my least favorite thing in the world to do. I know that's probably a loaded statement, but finding myself as a complete stranger (knowing absolutely no one) in a new place makes me feel 30 different kinds of weird and vulnerable. Starting from "friendship scratch" will forever be a daunting endeavor. 

D and I have never really had problems making friends. In fact, I think we're quite good at it. I've got the gift of gab and D is cool as a cucumber in almost every social situation. A dynamic duo, if you will. But even with glowing social skills and lots to talk about, we still find the tasks of finding friends, all the way to building friendships, something of a beast to tackle (at least in its beginning stages). Some may think it to be "old hat" to have to start over making new friends every few years, but we still get nervous, we still feel awkward, and we still hate breaking the ice (and not every friend we meet is a friend we necessarily want to keep...but that's another post for another day!). I think it's human nature to want to retreat into a hole whenever the thought of having to put yourself out there becomes something of necessity more than it is a luxury. Having friends and acquaintances outside of just your significant other, old friends, and family members is an integral part of adapting to a new place, in my opinion at least. I know for D and myself, it's one of the first things we try to do when moving to a new city or state...or foreign country, for that matter. Even though we know we have to do it, friend making can take a toll on me emotionally, sending my nerves into overdrive until that first friend meet-up is over and done with. After the first initial social ice-breaker, we build confidence and momentum in the whole process. The nerves dissipate a bit and we remember that building new relationships is also fun and exciting! It may take time, but we know it's worth it. Friendships are good for our minds, but essential for our hearts.

That's where we find ourselves just 3 weeks into our Florida relocation. Now that we've secured the house, the jobs (for D, at least), the familiarizing ourselves with our new surroundings...it's time to venture out and make ourselves some friends! Thankfully, D's new squadron is chock-full of new faces to meet. In fact, we've already broken the ice and had our first two social experiences here in the Sunshine State! Praise the Lord! We spent Saturday night mingling with 5 super sweet couples at a backyard BBQ and then had dinner last night with D's squadron sponsor and his lovely wife. It's interesting how both D and I can be so out of our minds with nervousness before these meet-ups, but after, so pumped and hopeful as we download our experiences at home with each other that night. So far, our friend-making attempts have been positive and far from scary. Granted, as the years pass by, we find ourselves more selective with who we build friendships with (you live and you learn, am I right?), but one thing remains the same...the need to find friends who build you up, are supportive through the tough times, and who are just plain 'ol fun to be around. I've got to say, it's so nice being back in the South! Southern sweetness abounds in this city! While the art of making friends is something I might never find easy, it's definitely an exciting and rewarding part of life. As the saying goes...

"Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other, gold!"

Is friend-making something that makes you nervous, too?

How do you cope with being a stranger in a new city?

Any tips or words of the wise for those of us navigating making new friendships? 

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

So Yeahhh, Florida is HOT!

 

We're 6 days into being Floridians, guys. Holy wow. Can I tell you a secret? It feels like we've been here forever. Like we just slid right back into some comfortable, familiar type of place...only with more palm trees and salad dressing options. We went to the grocery store for the first time last night and I felt some of that reverse culture shock everyone's been talking about. I was overwhelmed by the sheer plethora of cracker flavors. I. WANT. TO. TRY. THEM. ALL! And right now. D had to reign me in from filling our entire cart with Triscuits. Thank goodness for that man. We spent almost an hour and a half roaming the vast aisles of Publix, making googly-eyes at the ice cream section and mega-huge Florida avocados. D could have cried when he saw that some of our favorite Belgian beers were in the cold beer aisle. I was the one who had to reign him in there. We have 12 crates coming across the ocean, sir...pace yourself!

 

 

We've also been to Target, and Walmart, and Starbucks about a half million times in 6 days. There's a flippin' SUPER TARGET right down the road from our house. I think it fell straight from heaven (I had no idea these existed, y'all. My squeals could be heard all through Florida, I'm sure.) There goes all of D's paychecks from here on out! I'm probably gonna have to go start working the pole to fund all the new spending habits America is going to slap on me again. I forgot just how easy it is to spend a dollar in this country. Reverse culture shock again, folks. It is a real thing! All kidding aside, Florida is grand! We have quickly fallen in love with just about everything here. Well, except the heat. Why didn't you guys tell me just how incredibly HOT this state would be???? I mean, we had an idea of the weather conditions, but we were still a bit naïve to exactly how hot and how humid. I stepped off the plane and my hair basically turned into a lion's mane. D sweats the second he walks outside. I'm hoping that over time our bodies will acclimated to the humidity, but as for now, we're two big, sweaty whining babies. Also, Florida thunderstorms are scary.

 

 

The gratuitous "D finally got his beloved Buffalo Wild Wings and then complained about heartburn for 2 days after" shot. Welcome to America! HA!

 

Since our arrival in the Sunshine State, we've been running around non-stop. Appointments and shopping and more appointments...waking up at 5am from jet lag, but crashing at 9pm from sheer exhaustion. Today was the first day we actually slept past 6am. It was a total treat, and much needed. I'll be happy when our bodies have synced up to the time difference, too. I would love to say we've done some Florida sight-seeing, but aside from staying in an oceanfront hotel in Cocoa Beach for the first 3 nights of our arrival, we've pretty much kept to seeing the insides of stores and car dealerships. Which brings me to my newest announcement...we bought a car! YAY! We're no longer a 1 car family, which makes me a very happy camper. Ok, so I lie. We're still a 1 car family for now, but only because D's car is currently on a cargo ship making its way across the pond. Once it arrives in...ahem...August (shoot me now!), we'll go back to the comfort of having 2 lovely vehicles. Many of you may have already seen our brand spanking new Nissan Murano via my post on Instagram, but for those of you who haven't...I literally bought the same car I had prior to moving to Germany. Only 5 years newer and for less money! Hilarious, right? Lord knows how we were able to make that happen, but it did and I'm BEYOND grateful to have my favorite car back in my life. I'm a creature of habit, what can I say? I cried over having to sell my Murano when we moved to Germany...so, it only made sense to get "Pearl" back (we all name our cars, right?) when we made our way back stateside. I didn't expect to get the exact same color, but it's like I reconnected with an old friend. Feels like she never left me. Sometimes we all need a little familiar in our lives. Especially after so many years of the unfamiliar in Europe.

 

 

Let's see, what else is there to tell you guys? Aside from how we're the absolute whitest and least tan people in Florida (thanks, Germany!), I'm also incredibly sorry that I haven't been able to keep up with this space as much as I'd hoped I would. You guys are cool though, right? You know how it is be displaced and literally without any normal routine for an unspecified amount of time. I like to give people this visual to describe what it's like moving back from a foreign country...it's like having pieces of your life puzzle (car, home, cell phone, job, insurance, food, furniture, etc.) just dangling above your head and each day you grab a piece of that puzzle and try to put it back where it's supposed to be. I wish I could say I was officially settled and ready to get my blogging (and life) groove back, but that'd be a load of horse crap. Our puzzle is far from complete. We have regular internet now (woo hoo!), so we're making progress towards some semblance of a settled state. Truthfully though, we're still a ways off. But the light at the end of the tunnel is there...we can see it...it's just one really big, long tunnel. Anywho, I've got one more piece of fun news to share with you tomorrow (or Wednesday, if I'm being honest)...so please come back and say hi to me then! Also, I swear someday I'll email all of your sweet faces back...as soon as I'm sleeping past 7am. You guys are just the most patient readers. I'm the luckiest gal in blog world!

 

Oh, and did I mention my sister (and parents) fly in to stay with us for 4th of July week today? Talk about not being able to wait for things! My mom would have been here Day 1 if I would have let her. We're looking forward to some family time and REALLY getting to enjoy this beautiful state! Talk soon, friends!

Auf Wiedersehen, Deutschland!

Exactly 3 years ago today, D and I landed at Ramstein Air Force Base to start our first overseas assignment in Germany. With 4 suitcases, lots of nerves, and mountains of excitement, we lived in the Army Lodge for 41 days before finally moving into our beautiful 2nd floor apartment on Alwinenstrasse, a hop, skip, and jump from Wiesbaden's charming downtown area. Over the next 3 years, we spent the majority of our time here traveling all over Germany and Europe. 28 different countries and countless new cities. I can hardly believe it myself. In between all of our travels, we made new and lifelong friends, D worked in a unique and challenging squadron (pinning on Captain at the end of our first year abroad), and we basically festivaled our brains out all over Germany...and Belgium, for that matter. We fell in love with Germany's picturesque villages, acclimated to German culture and way of life, and we navigated our way through countless language barriers, both in Germany and all across Europe. We hosted friends and family from the states when they came to visit. We parked in tiny parking spaces. We paid for water, and ketchup packets, and to use the bathroom. And naturally, we became obsessed with wine, and beer, and döner kebabs...among other German delights. Germany became a part of us, and us a part of Germany. But today, D and I find ourselves back at Ramstein...just a few short hours from flying back to the states to start our new life in Florida.

I can't even type this without tears welling up in my eyes. This place, this experience...it's beyond anything I could have ever imagined for D or myself. We have embraced every second of our time abroad...never wasting a long weekend...always out exploring...so much to see, so little time. 3 years might sound like a long time, but it flew by in a flash. Weren't we just telling our families the good news about Germany? Weren't we just packing our bags to move here? Now, it's time go. I can't quite wrap my head around how quickly good things come to an end. And I'm not sure I'll ever be able to put into perfect words just how lovely our life abroad has been. Everything about Germany has seeped into my bones. The good and bad, the strange and mundane. This country has such a tight hold on my heart. Leaving our apartment last Thursday just about did me in. I hadn't had time to think about leaving our charming little flat. Life had been so busy, what with our cruise, my impromptu trip home, the movers, the boxes...it wasn't until the movers had left and we started walking through the empty rooms that I had time to let the sadness flood in. I started mentally placing furniture and memories where they used to be. I thought of the hours I'd spent in our sun room, trip planning and blogging, reading and dreaming. I remembered the first thanksgiving dinner we hosted in our tiny dining room...with just a few friends and a whole lotta love. I thought of how much I hated our blue tiled bathroom and toilet with poop shelf when we first moved in. But also of how much I'd grown to love it (well, maybe not the poop shelf...that's a tough one to ever love). And I reminisced about the evenings D and I spent cooking dinner in our tiny German oven and drinking wine out on our balcony. Those nights were simple, but oh so perfect. With every room I walked through, the tears continued to stream down my face. D was shocked...so was I, really. I thought I'd let go of this place. I thought I'd properly grieved the ending of our Germany chapter. I thought my heart had already found its new place in Florida...but clearly I thought wrong. I've got a Germany-sized hole in my heart today. Probably forever.

Even with the sadness I carry for closing this amazing chapter of our lives, there's also immense happiness for the new one that's about to begin. We're so thrilled to move back to America. We're so thankful to finally get back into the same time zone as our loved ones. We're darn near exploding with excitement about Florida and all the wonderful sunshine and ocean breezes we'll enjoy each day. This time in our lives is bittersweet in the best way possible. We couldn't be more grateful for the life we've been given and the new adventures that await us just on the horizon. I'm overflowing with emotions today, you guys. I'm gonna ugly cry through customs, I can already feel it. So, let me leave you all with this. If you ever have the opportunity to get to Europe...whether it be via studying abroad, military assignment, work visa, or family vacation...DO IT. Don't even think about it, just go. You won't regret a single moment of a life (or visit) abroad. There's so much more beyond the USA. Get out and see the world, friends. Life is short! Don't waste a second of it with "should've, could've, would've." Just trust that I am right and Europe is awesome. Especially Germany, but I'm definitely biased. ;)

And to all of you who've followed along on this amazing European journey of ours...THANK YOU!! From the very, very bottom of our hearts. I still have lots more of Europe to share with you...so don't leave me yet! And, of course, the fun shall continue in Florida. We've got lots of the USA to explore! 

Auf Wiedershen, Germany. You've been swell. ❤

Where in the World is Casey Cote?

Granny's 80th birthday party

It feels like forever since I've typed a sentence on this page. I thought that after coming back from vacation I'd feel refreshed and ready to jump into all things blogging again, but I've literally had no time to think about this space. Well, until now, of course. Today is the first day in 3.5 weeks that I've sat down for more than 30 minutes. No joke. When I said I'd be go, go, go after the cruise, I halfway thought I'd really have a handful of days where life would be busier than usual and then a smattering of days where I could veg out and watch Boy Meets World re-runs. Turns out, when I could have used a vacation after my vacation, instead I got hopping a 9 hour flight to NC and driving a billion hours around America and vet appointments and family functions and literally no time to eat a home-cooked meal or sleep a full 8 hours. I've eaten out every meal but breakfast and haven't slept past 5am since coming home. I'm as gross and as out of my routine as I've ever been.

I guess I should back up and tell you that our cruise was AWESOME. It was hands down the most perfect way to celebrate the ending of our time in Europe. We visited Venice, Slovenia, Croatia (Split & Dubrovnik), Montenegro, Greece (Corfu & Olympia), Malta, Sicily, and San Marino...a total dream Adriatic itinerary. Our ship was luxurious, the weather perfect (warm, and no rain until the day we left!), the company most enjoyable (hi Chin & Glory!), and the views we saw...unparalleled to any other vacation we've taken. It was the cruise of beautiful vistas and charming walled cities. I've been giving myself a hearty pat on the back for booking such a brilliant sailing...and high-fiving Celebrity Cruises for, once again, giving us one of the most memorable vacations of our lives. In fact, we loved it so much that we went ahead and booked a 2015 cruise with them. This time to the Caribbean! I'm already counting down the days. ;)

In case you missed the post on Instagram, you might be wondering why I'm even currently back in North Carolina. On day 2 of our cruise, I got an email from my mom letting me know that my grandma had passed away. This is the grandma that just 2.5 months ago went through cancer surgery. She was cancer free post-surgery, but her frail 83-year-old body just couldn't recover from the strain of the procedure (and then subsequent infections from having a low immune system). Before we left for our vacation, I'd gotten word that she'd been moved to Hospice care, but they wholeheartedly thought she'd last a while. At least until our cruise was over and I was able to come home to see her one more time. Unfortunately, her body had other plans and she went home to be with Jesus just 3 short days after being moved. D and I contemplated canceling our cruise (I was pretty distraught about the thought of missing another grandparent's funeral--I missed my MeeMaw's service in 2010 because I was stuck in Cuba with D during his deployment R&R), but of course, like all loving families do, they reassured us Granny wouldn't have wanted us change our plans, lose money, and miss out on our last trip abroad (and neither did they). We reluctantly went on our way, but after hearing of her passing while sailing, I'll admit it was hard to fully enjoy our cruise knowing my family was back home dealing with grief and funeral plans. It was a bittersweet, to say the least. I attribute the lovely weather we had to my sweet Granny smiling down on us from above. She was a special part of my life and I'll cherish her always! Hence why I'm typing to you from my parent's couch. 

 

The day after arriving back in Germany, I dumped out my cruise suitcase (literally dumped it, clothes are probably still all over our bedroom floor), haphazardly packed another suitcase, kissed D goodbye (he had to get back to work--sad face), and hopped a flight back to NC to spend some time with my family and to take care of some super important moving things. Which I CANNOT WAIT to tell you about...but have to because it's just not quite the right time yet. You should know it's big, though. Big and exciting and totally life changing. No buns in the oven, so holster your ovaries ladies! They'll be time for that later. Anywho...since coming home, I've been enjoying spending time going through old photo albums, reminiscing with family about Granny, visiting with aunts and uncles I haven't seen in years. It's been nice. Incredibly busy, but super nice. This impromptu trip home also provided me with the opportunity to snuggle my BFF's new 3 week old bundle of joy (I bottled up some of his baby smell for later) and put my arms around a family member who's recently been diagnosed with a life changing disease. While I'm physically, mentally, and emotionally drained from the non-stop nature of my life as of late, I know I'm supposed to be home right now. Divine placement, if you will. The Lord knew I couldn't carry on with all I have to do with this move until I knew my family was good and my heart was centered again. Proof that His plan, once again, is always much, much better than mine.

 So, that's where in the world I am right now. Whole lotta crazzy, whole lotta busy, but a whole lotta love covering all of us this week. I've got 2 more days left in NC (quick trip, obviously), then I fly back to Germany and have 1 week to get the last few moving things squared away before the movers come. $&@*#!! Needless to say, this blog might continue to be kind of blank from now until July. I had every intention to come back from cruising and schedule dozens of posts to hold me over while we move..but Superwoman, I am not. For the time being, I'm cool with that. You guys understand, don't you? Of course you do. If you want to keep up with me, Instagram is your best bet. I can totally manage an occasional 30 second insta post of my pup or some cardboard boxes. Riveting stuff, I tell ya. They'll be time for travel posts and fun stuff when we're settled in Florida, right? 20 days!!!! Oh...and thank you, by the way, for all the love you all have floated my way in emails, comments, and tweets upon hearing about my Granny. You guys are always keeping my blog love tank full. Much appreciated. With that, I'm off to find something to eat other than Bojangles. Wish me luck. ;)

When Life Hands You Moving Boxes...

Scene from our move to Germany in 2011...

Yesterday morning, D and I had our first of 2 moving inspections. Someone from the moving company contracted to handle our move comes to the house and estimates how much crap we've got (hint: A LOT) and they plan the amount of boxes and crates and manpower they'll need to pack us up and get us out. A very simple process…we've done it many, many times before. Happy to have D home to help me deal with it this time (I typically have to handle these inspections on my own), we woke up at 6:30am…preparing for the guy to be at our place anytime between 8am and 10am. We sipped coffee, got ready, and shuffled a few of my organizational piles around to make a path for easy inspecting. We even made the bed, to keep up civilized appearances, of course. Naturally, the inspector didn't arrive until 9:55am (the frustrating timing that all people in the service industry seem to operate on)…but that's neither here nor there. He had us walk him through our cluttered war-zone of an apartment, showing him what was going, what was staying, and what things we wanted extra care and protection for (the alcohol, TV, and wine barrel, duh). He spouted off instructions for the days the movers are here…all familiar and stuff we have prepared for. As he left our apartment, we let out a sigh of relief. One more check mark off the moving "to-do" list. One less thing to worry about.

Normally during this part of the process, I start to get sad and mopey. The whole moving thing gets REAL. As if the junk piles weren't already real enough, the weight of the process becomes heavy and tangible the second strangers start entering your home with tape measurers. You see the boxes, you hear the packing tape screech across the cardboard (like nails scratching a chalkboard, that stuff), you watch your personal belongings go into wooden crates that you won't see for 60 days (or more) and you essentially become homeless. Most of the time it feels depressing to me. Stressful and depressing. During our move to Germany, I was sad to leave my family and terrified of moving to a foreign country. Although, if you ask my family and friends, they'd say they couldn't tell it. I put on my best brave and happy face and trucked through that move like I wasn't about to poop my pants. Those feelings are a far cry from the feelings I felt yesterday morning. 

It's so friggin' crazy…but now I find myself feeling happy about leaving Germany. Real happy. Watching the inspector measure our couch and inventory our beer glass collection didn't drum up those melancholy feelings I'm used to. Truth is, I'm ready to get the heck out of here. Are you guys just as surprised to hear that as I am?? The human psyche is a complex thing. 4 months ago I was waxing poetic about how devastated I was at the thought of leaving Germany and how they'd have to drag me kicking and screaming through customs that final day. I wholeheartedly expected to be crying every time someone mentioned moving, but these days, even in the thick of this process, I'm screaming inside my head--"GET ME TO FLORIDA, NOW!!" I can't quite put my finger on when this change of heart happened (because I think it's been a gradual thing), but it's definitely weird. I went from mourning the loss of travel and our unique experience abroad, straight to how-quickly-can-we-make-this-move-happen-because-I'm-done kind of feelings. It's like a switch flipped in my brain and I've somehow shut off the panic I felt. Today, I'm so dang happy to be leaving Germany. I feel slimy admitting that. But it's true.

I've noticed a big change in how I view and even live our life abroad over the last couple of months. I've become exhausted of constant travel (I can tell by the way we don't really plan out our day trips anymore)--like my body and mind have taken solace in the fact that we won't be stressing over travel plans or hopping planes so often anymore. I can see our bank accounts expanding...and our other hopes and dreams seem a little more in reach without so much focus on travel. In another way, I'm SO DONE with how inconvenient living here can be. I'm very much over street parking, frustrated with the language barrier (even though I wasn't before), and all around just peeved-off with the lack of instant gratification here. It's almost as if the American in me is slowly seeping out again, no matter how hard I try to keep my European mindset. These feelings remind me of that episode of How I Met Your Mother--the one where the gang didn't want to tell Ted how awful and annoying his girlfriend was for fear of shattering the rose-colored glasses he was viewing her through? Once that glass broke, Ted could see everything wrong about her. I think that's what happened to me. Florida shattered my rose-colored glasses for Germany. Everything I used to think was unique and special about this place is slowly changing into little annoyances. I'm yearning for the familiar. It's almost more than I can stand some days. Not to mention, I'm beyond ready to be in the same time zone as my family again. I'm thrilled at the thought of being included in birthdays and parties and silly things like game nights again. While we've had some amazing experiences of our own, we've gone through most of them alone. And we've missed out on some really sweet things in the lives of our loved ones along the way. A 2-hour flight is way more doable than a 9-hour one, if you didn't know.

 I know I'm still going to miss Europe and Germany terribly (and I hold some incredibly fond and beautiful memories from our time and travels abroad), but I'm more excited for this new chapter to start. I don't remember ever feeling such a drastic swap of emotions in any other moving process we've gone through. I've done a total 180° in a short amount of time. It scares me to be so OK with leaving Germany after being so NOT OK with this move not so long ago. Granted, there are a few things that have happened since we found out our new assignment that have made letting go of Germany quite a bit easier (things I SO want to tell you now, but will have to save for later), but I still never expected to be wishing our time away here. I hope I'm not just subconsciously stuffing emotions down that will eventually creep back up and smack me in the face later. Guess only time will tell for that one. This thing still feels very bittersweet, but also very done. Complete. An expiration well-placed. 

So, that's where my head is at right now. Completely opposite of this post just a few short months ago. Maybe I'm experiencing a weird new coping mechanism…or maybe this is how I know I'm ready for our time to be up here. Peace that transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:7) is the song of my life at the moment. While my body is going through all the moving motions here in Germany, my heart is in now in the Sunshine State.☀

Adulthood is weird. I want my Mommy.

Everything about my life makes me wanna barf right now. Not the "OMG, I HATE MY LIFE AND CAN'T HANDLE A SINGLE THING ABOUT IT!" kind of barf. More like the "I'm about to get on a roller coaster and it's exciting and scary and I'm overwhelmed with the excitement and scariness" kind of barf. Adulthood is weird and filled with doing things we know we have to do, but don't necessarily know how to go about doing them. Lately, I'm SO wanting to retreat into the womb again. Or at least just have my mommy hold my hand, make all my decisions, tell me it's going to be alright…and then make me cheese toast. We had it good back in the day, no? We totally didn't know it then, but when Mom was the boss and taking care of every single facet of our human existence…life was GOOD. I wish I could go back and tell my teenage self that truth. Today, she's screaming "Duh, Mom…I get it now. Being a big girl is tough." Ignorance is bliss and I was totally blissed-out until last week when our new adventure began.

I haven't talked about it on the blog yet (mostly because it's so new…also because I haven't had the time), but this big adventure is what's causing all the gag reflexing. No, no babies yet (harness your ovaries, people!)…but the next, next step is in full fledged HAPPENING stage. Guys, we're in the process of becoming homeowners! First time homeowners, at that. After getting our orders for Florida, we knew a new door had opened for us. If you knew me in real life, you'd know one of the things I've always found hardest about military life is not having a place of our own. Constantly moving around every 3 years isn't always conducive to having one's own place, but I've always dreamed of one day owning a home that we could nail picture frames into the wall and not worry if the landlord was going to murder us for the hole when we left. I've never been one to resist painting a wall, but when that wall is not your own, sometimes you're like, "eh, what's the point?" The conversation of owning a home has always been one in the back of our minds, we were just waiting for the right place to come along for that opportunity. Coming to grips with the fact that our first home wouldn't be in North Carolina was somewhat of a tough pill to swallow when you're an idealist…but the fact we'll be moving to D's original home state, we'll be so close to the beach and so many other fabulous attractions, and in a really lovely area for safety, schooling, and affordable home pricing…it was almost a no-brainer to jump into the homeownership pool. 

Needless to say, we're nervous. Doing this from a foreign country is all kinds of crazysauce. In fact, there's a very real possibility we'll buy a home we've never even stepped foot into before. If you would have told me that a year ago, I would have said "SHUT UP, AIN'T HAPPENING!" Funny how when you're knee deep in the craziness, you start to go all crazy with it. Apparently people do this all the time! I'm like "REALLY?" And they're like "EVERYDAY!" Casey, just go with it. Thankfully, we've got a stellar realtor whose pulling out all the stops to make sure we find what we want and who's willing to go the extra mile to get us as many eyes on it as we can. While the nerves are high and that barfy feeling keeps coming over me…the excitement is just as palpable. By the way, I'm totally harnessing that barfy feeling as a good thing. Getting all worked up with excitement that you just wanna barf? I'm like a dog in that way. Anywho, sorry for all the barf talk. Now, I don't want to say too much for fear of jinxing whatever good vibes we've got going on over here…but I'll just say Team Coté could use all the prayers and virtual good vibes you guys have to spare. We know the right home for us is out there and God's gonna lead us to it (maybe He already has?!?!), so we're trying to keep grounded in our faith and not let those overwhelming nerves and excitement cloud our judgment with this mega huge endeavor. I'm sure this goes without saying, but if I'm a little vacant from blog world and social media for the next while, this is why. That and the fact that I'm currently still inventorying our wine and beer collection for the movers. Lists, and appointments, and decisions…OH MY! We'll keep you posted, friends…just keep those prayers coming! PCS season is REAL! Lord, help us all.

Anyone have any words of wisdom for the first time homebuyer?

Anyone wanna fly to Florida and house hunt for us? Kidding. Kind of.

Houston, We Have Orders!

DON'T YOU DARE SCROLL DOWN AND RUIN THE SURPRISE! I MEAN IT, PEOPLE! ;)

Around 7:30 pm last night, just as we were about to finish our dinner of baked fajitas (a healthy dinner staple in our household as of late), D jumped up off the couch with his iPhone in hand and shouted "CASEY, THE EMAIL!!!" The email?!? We'd been waiting 3 months for this thing. With Olivia Pope screaming orders on the TV in the background, tears immediately started welling up in my eyes. We both looked at one another with panic...suddenly, neither of us were ready to open it. Isn't that how it always goes? You wish and pray and hope for something and the instant you're about to get it, you second guess your level of readiness? We'd been expecting this assignment notification any day. We were angry it was taking so long and we'd both become discouraged...but the second it was within our reach, we froze. We both had to take a second to compose ourselves…to let the realness of the moment sink in. We were about to know where we will begin the next chapter of our military journey…the next chapter of our married lives. This email could tell us where we'll start a family…buy a house, even. This is where we'll spend the next 3 to 4 years celebrating Christmases, birthdays, and entertaining visitors (pending that they'd want to visit us at this new destination). The heaviness of the pit in my stomach was almost enough to make me puke. Being on the precipice of a huge life-changing moment like this is hard to describe. It's a flurry of hopeful thoughts, scared thoughts, and excited thoughts all at once. The time had come and there was no going back.

In true military fashion, this email wasn't one you just open and your fate would be written out in bold, perfect letters. Jumping through hoops is another one of the Air Force's favorite games. We had to click around and log into things, certify we understood terms and continue breathing. Finally we'd reached the link that would reveal our next duty station. Still not ready to take the plunge, we locked our arms together and said a short prayer. No matter the location, no matter how far away from our families or how difficult the job, we were giving it up to God. He's always been faithful in blessing us with good things, things we never knew we wanted or needed, and we were sure that no matter the news, His plan and provision would continue to be the song of our hearts. As ready as we'd ever be, we opened our eyes and clicked the link:

Get your Coppertone, bikini, and Mickey Mouse ears ready, because Team Coté is moving to… 

From the land of lederhosen, bratwurst, and cloudy skies to the land of sunshine, seafood, and the "Happiest Place on Earth"…I've got to say, we're both STOKED about our new assignment!! While this particular Florida base wasn't on our dream sheet (I never even knew this AF base existed, to be perfectly honest), as it turns out, this location might be better than what we were originally gunning for. We'll be right on the Atlantic ocean, a 9 hour drive from our North Carolina home, 2.5/3 hours from Miami & Tampa (hello, CRUISING!!), and just a 1 hour drive from Orlando and Disney World!! If you knew what a HUGE fan D and I are of Disney World, you'd know we're positively DYING over our proximity to the Mouse! We were so worried we'd end up in an area with nothing to do or see and no one would ever come visit us. Thankfully, that'll be FAR from the case! Needless to say, our families are thrilled. It was a lot of fun calling everyone last night and letting them in on the news we'd all been waiting for. Some days I think they were more impatient to know than we were! It warmed our hearts to know they're so excited to get us back stateside again. And interestingly enough, while I'm still sad about leaving Germany, I'm actually really looking forward to getting to Florida! Now that we know we're not moving to Montana or some unknown corner of the world, we're excited to get this moving ball rolling and make our way back to America. Funny how one little email can change your perspective, huh? I bet you guys knew that would happen, didn't you? ;)

So, the wait is finally over. Once again, I didn't do a great job waiting, but maybe by the 4th assignment I'll be a patience pro. Now begins the exciting, but stressful few months of planning and prepping for our big move. I can honestly tell you I'm least looking forward dealing with movers and packing and the logistics of it all, but it's gotta be done. Thank you guys SO STINKIN' MUCH for hanging tough with me as I lamented about all our life uncertainties these last few weeks. Your encouragement and support was much needed and so very much appreciated!! Keep it coming, won't ya? We Took the Road Less Traveled is moseying on to the Sunshine State…hope you'll join us for the journey!!

[And if you're a Central Florida blogger or military spouse, email me!! I need friends! HA!]