Some of you know that waiting for orders has been an absolute nightmare for us these past five months (as I'm sure it is for just about everyone). First we were told D could request orders three times, then they closed his window early and were told we were out of luck. However, eventually we were able to get in touch with his detailer, who managed to give us TWO more tries. It was stressful and confusing, but we were grateful that everyone involved was willing to work with us.
Initially, we were really hoping this PCS would take us to the West Coast. We would have family close by which would be helpful since Baby J will only be about 4 months when we move. We liked the idea of our son growing up and knowing his relatives, and it provided us with some comfort knowing that if D was deployed and the baby or I got sick, we would have support nearby. After requesting West Coast orders three times and having no luck, we talked about adjusting our expectations. Luckily, this happened around the same time that we took a trip back to California to visit family, so we got a new perspective on things. Personally, that trip helped me realize that California isn't our home anymore. We have family there, sure. We know the streets and the restaurants and which stretches of freeway you're most likely to get caught speeding on. But going back and seeing our old friends and family members living their lives gave me the freedom to feel like we could start living ours. So we talked and decided that an overseas duty station might be fun after all.
Fast forward to today, and we now have verbal orders to Rota, Spain! We're both very excited (and scared out of our minds) about this new adventure. We did some research and fell in love with the area, and while I know actually moving there is going to be a nightmare, we are happy to know when and where we're going. The not knowing has been eating at me these last five months!
We will be leaving early 2015, and my due date is in September, so the rest of this year is going to be a trial by fire for us. We also found out this week that we need to buy a new car ASAP (our old toyota needs a repair that just isn't worth the cost). So this fall is going to be busy and financially tight. That being said, I can't express how good it feels to finally be able to start planning!
I'll update as we get closer and start getting everything in order. First on my list is getting my Mississippi driver's license, since my California license doesn't have my married name and I can't change that without actually BEING in California. So I'm going to pick up the study guide and take the test in the next month or so.
If you or someone you know has visited or lived in Rota, please let me know! I'd love any advice I can get my hands on!
Initially, we were really hoping this PCS would take us to the West Coast. We would have family close by which would be helpful since Baby J will only be about 4 months when we move. We liked the idea of our son growing up and knowing his relatives, and it provided us with some comfort knowing that if D was deployed and the baby or I got sick, we would have support nearby. After requesting West Coast orders three times and having no luck, we talked about adjusting our expectations. Luckily, this happened around the same time that we took a trip back to California to visit family, so we got a new perspective on things. Personally, that trip helped me realize that California isn't our home anymore. We have family there, sure. We know the streets and the restaurants and which stretches of freeway you're most likely to get caught speeding on. But going back and seeing our old friends and family members living their lives gave me the freedom to feel like we could start living ours. So we talked and decided that an overseas duty station might be fun after all.
Fast forward to today, and we now have verbal orders to Rota, Spain! We're both very excited (and scared out of our minds) about this new adventure. We did some research and fell in love with the area, and while I know actually moving there is going to be a nightmare, we are happy to know when and where we're going. The not knowing has been eating at me these last five months!
We will be leaving early 2015, and my due date is in September, so the rest of this year is going to be a trial by fire for us. We also found out this week that we need to buy a new car ASAP (our old toyota needs a repair that just isn't worth the cost). So this fall is going to be busy and financially tight. That being said, I can't express how good it feels to finally be able to start planning!
I'll update as we get closer and start getting everything in order. First on my list is getting my Mississippi driver's license, since my California license doesn't have my married name and I can't change that without actually BEING in California. So I'm going to pick up the study guide and take the test in the next month or so.
If you or someone you know has visited or lived in Rota, please let me know! I'd love any advice I can get my hands on!