Kirchweih Festival in Vilseck, Germany

A few weeks ago, our town of Vilseck held their annual Kirchweih festival, also known as a Kirwa fest. A Kirwa festival is a German festival to celebrate the consecration of the church. A large fir tree known as a Kirwabaum is raised up in town and decorated with wreaths and ribbon. Later on at night, there is usually food and a band playing as well. The festival in Vilseck was held at the local castle and lasted three days but we just went for about an hour or so on a Sunday to check it out. We weren't sure what to expect when we went to the festival but I wanted to experience a true German tradition, even if it was all in German.

We went to the festival on a Sunday afternoon before many people started to show up. We stood around and admired the Kirwabaum and the old architecture of the castle. Soon a band started to walk into the castle courtyard playing traditional oompah/polka music, followed by a group of young men and women in dirndl's and lederhosen. The group of young men and women stepped on the little stage underneath the Kirwabaum and began to dance a waltz and later on chanted some German cheers. As you would expect, I didn't understand anything they said but it was still fun to watch. After the dancing and cheers, some of the dancers started nailing objects to the Kirwabaum. I'm not sure the significance of that but I'm sure it is part of the Kirchweih tradition. When they were done nailing objects to the tree, a young woman climbed up a ladder to the top of the tree, pulled a basket off of it and started throwing candy out. The small children below rushed to pick up any candy they could find. I'm sure they enjoyed that part of the festival. ;)

After the throwing of the candy, Nick and I left. It was getting really cold and Nick wasn't feeling well so we decided it was best to go back home. Even though we only experienced part of the festival, I still enjoyed watching such a unique German tradition. If you ever visit or live in Germany, you should be able to experience a festival like this too. I was told they are held in many different towns throughout the country so make sure to check out your nearest Kirchweih fest as well!

P.S.: Scroll down the page and check out a clip of the dancing at the end of this post! 

The Latest Lowdown: PT 2

Hey everyone! Can you believe it's fall already? Soon the year will be over. It's crazy how time flies so fast! October was a super busy month for me and November is turning out to be just the same. A lot of things have happened in the last few weeks and I feel like I've been running around non-stop traveling and getting other important things done. Here's a short update of what's been going on in Nick and I's life.

• I got a job! Woot woot! I got hired as an Educational Aide for Special Needs children at an elementary school. There was ALOT of paperwork to fill out before I could start but I'm so thankful to finally have a job. My wallet is even happier! ;)
• If you didn't know already, I travelled to Italy last month to visit my friend Stephanie. You can read all about my trip here and here.
• Our dog, Kratos, has been feeling a little under the weather recently. Some days his tummy isn't feeling good and other days he's totally fine. The vet took a stool sample and it came back negative for parasites or bacteria so we're keeping an eye on him and hoping whatever is bothering him will go away soon. The good thing is he is still full of energy and doesn't act lethargic so that must be a good sign, right?!
• I spent last weekend in southern Germany visiting a friend from the U.S. whose husband is studying abroad. It was the first time driving on the autobahn by myself and I was really nervous but it actually wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I was pretty proud if I do say so myself. We also took a day trip to the Black Forest and Tübingen! Check back soon for a blog post on that trip!
• Some people have been wondering why Nick hasn't been going on trips with me and unfortunately I can't really divulge a lot of information for security reasons. But basically with all the unrest going on in the world at the moment, soldiers need to be prepared to go anywhere at a drop of a hat and traveling around Europe isn't the Army's priority. 
• I finished my German language class last month. I'm nowhere near fluent but at least I know more German than I did when I first arrived. Yay!
• I've been feeling homesick lately. I love being able to visit different cities and countries in Europe but I miss the familiar things of home. Plus making friends has been a bit harder than I thought it would be so that adds to the loneliness. I don't know if people just don't like me or maybe I need to make more of an effort but I hope things start changing. I'm a social butterfly usually and not having a good friend around here is starting to get a bit discouraging.
• The best thing about October was that my hometown team, the San Francisco Giants, won the World Series! I grew up going to Giants games at Candlestick and also AT&T Park and I just absolutely love the Giants. The energy and enthusiasm at Giants games can't compare to any other sporting event. Being able to watch them win the World Series here in Germany (at 4am nonetheless) was exciting and made me feel like I could enjoy a little bit of home overseas.
•  And my favorite thing happening this month is...my birthday! I'll be embarking on my 28th year this weekend. Time sure does fly. I definitely don't feel that old! 

That's what's going on in my world. What about you?

5 Tips On How to PCS with a Pet Overseas

Moving overseas with a pet while being in the military can be a stressful situation. On one hand you are so excited to be able to explore and start this adventure of living abroad in Europe. And on the other hand you are secretly freaking out inside because there is so much stuff that needs to be done, especially if you have a pet.

In our case, we have a dog. A 60 pound Australian Shepherd to be exact. We knew about a year in advance that we would be moving to Germany and there was no way we were leaving our dog behind. Our dog is like a family member to us, so we were prepared for the costs of sending our dog overseas with us. Our original report date was August 2014 and we figured we had time to prepare so we didn’t start preparing for the move right away. My husband didn’t even have paper orders yet so we didn’t make any plans. Then in April 2014, we got word that my husbands report date had moved from August to June. We had TWO months to prepare for our move overseas. We hadn’t done anything to prepare. We didn’t even have paper orders. That is when we had to hightail it into gear and get preparations done!

So here is a list of things you need to do to help prepare yourself for your move overseas with your pet:

1. BOOK YOUR FLIGHT ASAP

First thing you need to do when you have paper orders is BOOK YOUR FLIGHT! It’s best to get your paper orders as soon as you can. Sometimes if your report date isn’t until a year, you might not be able to get those printed right away. Check with your command or travel office and see when those can be printed and book your flight ASAP. Pet spots on the plane are few and far between. I’ve been told there are only 10 spots on the entire plane so these spots fill up quick and should be booked at least 3 months before your report date to guarantee your pet’s spot. When booking your flight, make sure to tell the person you have a pet, whether it’s a dog or cat, and its approximate weight. We weren’t so lucky and there were no spots for our dog until July so I stayed behind and waited to fly with our dog then.

2. SCHEDULE VETERINARY APPOINTMENTS: MICROCHIP AND RABIES VACCINE

My dog already had an international microchip but if your pet doesn’t have one, make sure to have one implanted because it’s required for your dog to travel. In addition, your pet will need a rabies vaccine at least 30 days before the flight. Normally, we saw a vet off post but I would recommend taking your dog to the vet at your local installation because they are much more familiar with the overseas PCS process and you can also skip the trip to get the USDA certification.  Which leads me to my next step.

3. USDA CERTIFICATION

When moving overseas, a USDA certificate is usually required to prove your animal is healthy to travel. However, if you live near a military installation, you can take your animal there and they will provide you with appropriate paperwork that sort of “overrides” the USDA paperwork but works just the same. And my vet at Joint Base Lewis-McChord charged me about $3 for it because we were PCSing. So save yourself some money and try that before going to your local UDSA facility. If you absolutely have to go to a USDA facility, click on this link to help you out. Also, the pet certificate needs to be in English and German so make sure it’s in both languages before leaving the USDA office or vet’s office.

4. BUY AN AIRLINE APPROVED KENNEL

Depending on the airline you are flying on, they may have certain guidelines you need to follow to transport your pet. I flew United to Baltimore and then hopped on the military flight to Germany so I needed to make sure my kennel fit United Airlines standards and also the Patriot Express standards. Petsmart and Petco usually have airline approved kennels but not every kennel is airline approved, so double check before you fly. And if your kennel doesn’t come with metal nuts and bolts, buy a pet airline kit so you can replace to plastic ones with metal parts since many airlines require the metal nuts and bolts now. In addition, you need to make sure your pet can stand up, turn around and lay down comfortably in the kennel. If your pet can’t do these things, you risk your pet not being allowed on the flight. If you need to fly commercial to get to your military charter flight, double check with the airline on the requirements. I found a great airline kit with bolts, kennel pads and more on this website.

5. PREPARE TO PAY TO PICK YOUR PET UP

Upon arriving in Germany, you will need to pay around €50 when picking up your dog at baggage claim in Ramstein. Some people fly into other airports such as Frankfurt or Munich, so if you fly into one of those airports, you may be subject to other fees that I am unaware of and you would need to contact the airport or airline to inquire about additional fees.

My only other advice is to make sure you have someone to help you if you have a larger animal, such as a dog that is 15lbs or more. I flew by myself and it was quite difficult trying to maneuver a cart with an 85lb kennel (including dog) and three suitcases. I’m a petite girl and it proved to be quite challenging for me. Thankfully, I had some good samaritans help me out when I was struggling but I wont deny that I wish I had my husband with me to help me. In the end, it all worked out and we were finally reunited with my husband.

I hope this helped anyone who may have been confused about the PCS process with pets! Be aware though, that if we had moved to another OCONUS station, such as Hawaii or Japan, the process might have been different. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions or concerns.

Have you gone through a PCS with a pet overseas? What other tips do you have?

Under the Tuscan Sun in Florence, Italy Part II

Monday was my last full day in Florence and I wanted to experience the view of Florence from the Piazzale Michelangelo. If you didn't know already, Piazzale Michelangelo is known to have the best panoramic view in all of Florence, so make sure you stop by if you ever visit! We walked a few blocks, across the Arno river and up a steep hill to reach the Piazza. The view was stunning when we reached the stop. You could see the entire Florence skyline and even the rolling hills of Tuscany in the distance. The weather forecast called for rain so I didn't bring my sunglasses, assuming it would be cloudy. But it ended up being quite sunny (minus some clouds in the distance) so excuse the picture of me squinting. The sun was so BRIGHT!

After our visit to Piazzale Michelangelo, we decided to finally visit the Basilica di Santa Maria Fiore, or as it's better known as, the Duomo. Stephanie actually lives incredibly close to the Duomo. You can see the front of the church from her living room window yet she hadn't been inside since she moved to Florence, so it was a first for both of us. The majority of the outside of the Duomo is made of marble. Isn't that incredible? It was completely finished in 1436 and I'm just amazed at how intricate the outside is (check out the statues built into the front) and how innovative the engineers were back then. Also, I'm pretty sure there wasn't flash allowed inside the church (most places we visited wouldn't allow flash) so forgive me if the pictures are slightly fuzzy or grainy. I tried my best!

Later on, we decided to climb up the steps to the very top of the Duomo. There are 463 steps you have to climb to reach the top. We knew there were a lot but I don't think either of us were prepared for how steep and strenuous the walk up was going to be. The trek up those stairs is not for the faint of heart...literally! One of the really neat things about walking to the top of the Duomo is that you actually get to walk around inside the dome on your way up. If we were tall enough, we may have been able to actually touch the painting inside!

We finally reached the top after the challenging hike up the Duomo stairs. We were hot and sweaty but relieved that we made it and we were rewarded with a magnificent view of Florence. 

We finished our day with a stop at a local cafe for some delicious ice cold coffee. We definitely needed it after the Duomo! The rest of the night was spent relaxing, chatting and listening to the sounds of an Italian accordion player play on the busy street below. The next day, I was off on the train again, making my way back to Germany. I had a great time in Florence. It's a busy city yet it's probably not as busy as a city such as Rome (haven't been yet but I hear it's a lot more fast paced). If you are into architecture, history and art, I think you'd love Florence. It has a lot to offer. I hope the next time I travel to Italy, I'll be able to see more of the countryside. Maybe even visit a vineyard and do some wine tasting! I hope you enjoyed hearing about my trip to Florence. Before I end this post, I wanted to show you the breathtaking view of the Duomo from Stephanie's apartment. Can you say, amazing?! Anyway, Ciao for now!