Day Trips to Brugge and Ghent

Our entire trip could really be summed up in 5 words; Belgian waffles, french fries, and beer. It was a delicious and carb heavy weekend. :) We used Brussels as a hub and took day trips to Brugge and Ghent. I was really pleased with the way our trip turned out. Everything was so enjoyable. We had a quick walk from the hotel to catch the train. We read during the entire length of the train ride and then arrived in two very unique and beautiful places. Without the pressure of hitting major tourist spots we wandered down streets that looked like they'd have a lot of potential. Brugges led us to a quaint town with beautiful architecture, hoards of chocolate shops, and the "best frites in town". Ghent was as equally quirky as Brugges was beautiful. To my surprise we stumbled upon Graffiti Alley where in the 90s in an attempt to keep the rest of the city tag free, the local government made it legal for street artists to work on this one street. It was a stark constant to the cobblestoned streets, but added to the quirky attitude of Ghent. It was a lively city with so much to take in. At one point while Ross was inside in a chocolate shop I stayed outside and soaked up the sunshine and listened to the street musicians playing on a bridge over the canal. I adore the atmosphere live music creates. Another highlight of the trip was the 10 minutes we spent literally following our noses to find a waffle stand so we could meet our waffle quota for the day. The aroma is surprisingly strong and the goofy looks we were getting with our antics was totally worth it. 

I don't know if it was the better company or the way we approached the trip, but I had a much better time in Belgium this time around. Here's to second chances! :)

Life in Germany: Final Edition

I've been trying to write this post for 6 months now. Organizing my thoughts and summing up my time in Germany is not easy as there are a lot of ups and downs (which I'm sure will be true with any post we are stationed at in the future). Many times I've felt like my life was on hold in Germany. I didn't feel like I really had to opportunity to do the two things I would be most happy doing; have a career or be a mother. The first was due to the limited job market on an overseas Army post and the second due to the fact that having a child overseas never felt "right" to either of us. I've had a major lesson on patience and prayer while being over here.  It may sound silly, but I've found it hard to find my personal identity under the parameters of being an Army wife. I know this is something that I'm probably going to battle with no matter where we go as long as RC is in the Army, but I feel like it will be a little more manageable on American soil. So with that hope I am very excited to be leaving Germany and going back to the States.

As with any move it's bittersweet to be leaving. Germany has given me so much. I have learned so much about myself, especially during our time in Schweinfurt. I was forced to create a life solely by myself and I look back on that forced independence with fond memories. Living alone with out my husband was excruciating, but having a little piece of Germany to myself is something I will cherish. RC left approximately 6 weeks after we arrived in Germany. Our household goods, our beloved possessions, boxes upon boxes of things came a day before he left. I knew only a handful of people and many of them decided to go back to the States during the deployment. I had no real friends yet, but for some reason I felt the need to stay. I can't really explain it, but I felt like it was where I was supposed to be. Grafenwoehr has been full of great memories as well. It's where we got Zeke after all, but Schweinfurt will always have a special place in my heart.  

I think perhaps one of the greatest gifts Germany has given us has been the opportunity to travel. It is without a doubt my favorite thing about being in Germany. Sure the culture is great here and I love the wine fests, volksfests, beer fests, and Christmas markets. Thanks to Germany I will be probably be such a food and beer snob when we get back to the States, but being able to travel so easily takes the cake. We have been to places I've never dreamed of going and I am so so grateful the Army has allowed us this opportunity. But everything comes at a price, right? We are here because of RC's job and his job requires a lot from him. He is in a fantastic unit, but they are kind of like the first responders for Europe and are tasked and trained heavily. We have forfeited many months of travel and precious time together. Close to half of our time in Germany we have been apart. Not only do I miss RC incredibly, but we are smack dab in the middle of Europe and so many amazing places are in sight, but just out of our reach. It's been so frustrating to see the time slip away knowing we are not going to be able to visit certain countries. I think I've had such a hard time letting go of the traveling opportunities because that has always been my  "reward". So when that "reward" is taken away after dealing with all the sucky aspects of living overseas I get a little frustrated. I know you're probably thinking I'm playing the world's tiniest violin right now, but I just wanted to show that living in Germany isn't so glamorous. The Facebook albums and Instagram photos may look it, but day-to-day life is definitely not. We are not galavanting around Europe all the time. In fact the majority of my time here has been at the gym or sitting at home with my dog. Not so glamorous! :)

Being on an entire continent away from our family and friends has been incredibly challenging. I hate missing out on seeing my nephew grow up, meeting up with friends, and just hanging out with my family. But if I'm searching for positives it has been great for our marriage. We have created such a good team and support system for each other. We are still learning new things about each other and learning how to live together again after each deployment, field rotation, and school. It's been almost 4 years since we got married and I can honestly say I am more in love with RC than ever before. Going through such crazy circumstances has made me so thankful God has blessed me with this man. I truly do feel like we are a perfect fit for each other.

So there you have it. I start to write one negative and it ends up turning into a positive at the end. I start to write one positive and a negative ends up taking over. But I think that's life and I especially think that's Army life. You have to try to make the best out of every situation. Once we've been in the States for a few months I'm sure I will start to feel a little homesick for Germany and so many aspects of the European lifestyle.

Auf wiedersehen, Deutschland! I can't say I wouldn't be happy to visit you again! Keyword: VISIT. :)

Top 5 Memories in Gemany

In honor of our last few months in Germany I wanted to compose a list of our Top 5 Moments in Germany. It was hard to narrow down three years into just five experiences, but I made some parameters that helped. The memories must occur IN Germany and not just during our time being stationed here. This should exclude a lot of my favorite travel destination. That being said-- here's my final list (in chronological order).

1. Exploring Wurzburg // The first city we explored in Germany was Wurzburg. I remember being blown away by the ornate rooms in the Residenz and the immaculate landscaping in the gardens. We also went in our first castle, Fortress Marienberg and soaked in the gorgeous views above the Main River. That weekend was a wonderful "Welcome to Germany" and we would go back to Wurzburg many more times for wine fests. 
2. Homecoming // Over two years later and it's still hard for me to put into words how incredible this day was. Definitely one of the best days of my life. Months of fear, loneliness, anticipation, and love culminating into one moment when you finally get to hold the one you love is such an incredible relief. After nine months of being apart those first hugs and kisses were incredible and I don't think they will ever be topped. 
3. Weinfest // Each year in Schweinfurt we went to this weinfest with fest tables nestled right in the vineyards. It was and is definitely my favorite winefest experience. The location was perfect and there was always the best turnout. Everyone was there! It was close enough that even our friends with young kids would come and we would take up table after table. And I shouldn't forget to mention that the wine was delicious! 
4. Redeployment Ball // I'm adding this to the list because I don't think I will ever experience a ball like this again. And that is for two reasons. First, the venue was absolutely stunning. Places like that don't exist in the States and that's just one of the many benefits of living in Germany. Second, the atmosphere was fantastic. Everyone was on such a high from coming back from the deployment. It was a great celebration and an amazing evening. My first military ball while probably be my favorite military ball. 
5. Bringing Zeke home // We waited over four months for our Zeke. We found a breeder in the Czech Republic who was expecting a litter. After many emails back and forth we placed a deposit and were put on a waiting list for a puppy that hadn't even been born. When he was around a month old we went to visit and fell in love. An excruciating four weeks later we were able to finally bring him home. There were some growing pains in the beginning as with any puppy, but he has been the best edition to our family!