My first PCS (permanent change of station) has been an experience. Twelve months ago I was in sunny San Diego never imagining that I would be in Naples Italy with a 9 week old daughter. Instead I was imagining what it would be like to have my husband of 9 months at the time home from a seven month deployment. That’s right; two months after getting married he left to defend our country on the mighty Peleliu. As a Navy wife, I expected to experience deployment and separation and although it is much harder than you would ever imagine, I wasn’t shocked. I also knew that I would be moving frequently as a spouse of a military officer. Prior to meeting my husband, I was no stranger to moving, moving every 12 months when the lease ran out and the roommate situation needed adjusting. My first move to be with my husband was across the country from North Carolina to San Diego. We were engaged so it was a DIY or in Navy lingo DITY (Do IT Yourself because it is so important it doesn’t get to be abbreviated). Moving with the Navy is a much different experience. It is very nice to not have to pack all your belongings but it is a big pain to gather all the documents that are required. Especially when every person you talk to has a different answer to your question. After my experience with passports, visas, social security cards, insurance companies, overseas screening, phone companies, alarm companies, and vets, I have learned that after a question is answered I should hang up and immediately call back to see if the answer is the same or something completely different. Of course I didn’t figure this out until the very end of the process and now it will probably not be very useful since the answer will be in Italian and I might not understand to begin with!
Getting our plane tickets organized was an interesting adventure. The red tape states that I get a ticket from San Diego to Naples and Matt gets a ticket from San Diego to Rhode Island for five weeks and then to Naples. It doesn’t matter that we were already in Raleigh. Not in the slightest. So the tickets were reserved but not issued because we didn’t have the baby’s visa. Matt couldn’t change the itineraries because they weren’t issued. It the tickets cost more than the reserved ones; we would have to pay the difference. As you can see, waiting for the visa was costing lots of money!! Somehow, my smooth talking husband was able to get the tickets organized how we wanted (out of Raleigh and all three together) before the visa arrived. On that day where most of my stress was relieved (the visa arrived and the dog was cleared to fly) we were able to get the tickets for the plane requested to be issued. The dog was cleared to fly and had the required international micro-chip and rabies shot plus the form to enter the country (at least I think that is what it said, it was in Italian). Because of the red tape and receiving incorrect information, there was a chance that the dog would have to be quarantined for a day or two. As you can see this was not as simple as buying your tickets online and just going to the airport on the day of flight.
We had WAY too much stuff to bring with us but were allowed twelve checked bags up to 70 pounds each and six carry-on bags; the advantages of having a seat for a nine week old baby! I am proud to say that we did not have twelve checked bags, only eleven and the dog.
And of the eleven-one stroller, one bassinet, one pack and play, one car seat base, and a wine box don’t really count! As for carry-on bags, we only had four plus the stroller. Yes, we checked one stroller and brought one to the gate. We were very fortunate to have generous family who gave us a fantastic stroller to use throughout Europe as we traveled. And yes, we had a bassinet and a pack and play. Another great gift was a bassinet that folds up and travels. It even fit in my suitcase for our trip to Rhode Island. So we left for the airport three and a half hours before our first flight to make sure we had plenty of time, plus the dog had to be there at least two hours before the flight but no more than three hours before the flight. I am a nerdy flyer…I like to get to the airport early and I don’t feel like I am checked in until I am at the gate waiting. So three hours early worked out well for me. On the way to the airport, we got pulled over…and no it was not for having entirely too much stuff! Then it took two hours to check in our bags, our dog and get through security. Seriously-TWO hours. Our tickets were not on the same itinerary. Or the same reservation. They wanted us to get off the plane in Dulles, not Dallas-mom, and then go through security again after rechecking our eleven bags and dog. This would not work for a nervous flyer-hence two hours of checking bags and printing boarding passes. To make it even more exciting-the agent could not print the boarding pass for me or the baby from Munich to Naples and said we would need to try in Dulles. Dulles said we would need to try in Munich. Munich said lots of things that were not "here is your boarding pass and have a nice flight!" After twenty minutes or so of typing and calling in a manager, we finally got boarding passes. Surprisingly, I was not nervous about this situation. Especially since Matt had his ticket and would have to go and we had no phones and I didn’t know where to go when we got to Italy. I am proud of myself for not panicking or crying or screaming or anything. It will work out! After all this, we decided we needed to celebrate our first stamp in the baby’s passport by eating something authentic and German so we had a lovely breakfast of bratwurst, a baguette, and potato cucumber salad. Our final flight was ready to board. The baby was given a seatbelt that attached to mine and a little mobile of planes. It was a very pleasant flight with lots of attention from the flight attendants.
And of the eleven-one stroller, one bassinet, one pack and play, one car seat base, and a wine box don’t really count! As for carry-on bags, we only had four plus the stroller. Yes, we checked one stroller and brought one to the gate. We were very fortunate to have generous family who gave us a fantastic stroller to use throughout Europe as we traveled. And yes, we had a bassinet and a pack and play. Another great gift was a bassinet that folds up and travels. It even fit in my suitcase for our trip to Rhode Island. So we left for the airport three and a half hours before our first flight to make sure we had plenty of time, plus the dog had to be there at least two hours before the flight but no more than three hours before the flight. I am a nerdy flyer…I like to get to the airport early and I don’t feel like I am checked in until I am at the gate waiting. So three hours early worked out well for me. On the way to the airport, we got pulled over…and no it was not for having entirely too much stuff! Then it took two hours to check in our bags, our dog and get through security. Seriously-TWO hours. Our tickets were not on the same itinerary. Or the same reservation. They wanted us to get off the plane in Dulles, not Dallas-mom, and then go through security again after rechecking our eleven bags and dog. This would not work for a nervous flyer-hence two hours of checking bags and printing boarding passes. To make it even more exciting-the agent could not print the boarding pass for me or the baby from Munich to Naples and said we would need to try in Dulles. Dulles said we would need to try in Munich. Munich said lots of things that were not "here is your boarding pass and have a nice flight!" After twenty minutes or so of typing and calling in a manager, we finally got boarding passes. Surprisingly, I was not nervous about this situation. Especially since Matt had his ticket and would have to go and we had no phones and I didn’t know where to go when we got to Italy. I am proud of myself for not panicking or crying or screaming or anything. It will work out! After all this, we decided we needed to celebrate our first stamp in the baby’s passport by eating something authentic and German so we had a lovely breakfast of bratwurst, a baguette, and potato cucumber salad. Our final flight was ready to board. The baby was given a seatbelt that attached to mine and a little mobile of planes. It was a very pleasant flight with lots of attention from the flight attendants.
The first thing I needed to do when we got off the plane was change the baby’s diaper. It was also the first experience of how the little things will be very different. Every public restroom in the United States has a changing station for the baby, except Starbucks but that is a different story. I just assumed there would be a place to change the baby. There wasn’t. So I put her changing pad between two sinks and changed her! Flexibility is an important trait to have as a Navy wife!
Next stop-customs with eleven checked bags, a dog, four carryon bags, and a baby. Customs lasted for two minutes. One agent was pushing our cart. Another agent asked three questions-“what is this? What is in this box? What is in this box?” First question directed at the pack and play, second and third at the stroller and bassinet (all of which were in the original boxes with the pictures on the outside.) The end of our customs experience. No paperwork. No looking at visas or passports. No looking at the dog.
Benvenuto a Italia!
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