Stealth and Moving Days

Stealth, because we have commandeered some bandwidth from an unsuspecting neighbor in order to keep in touch with the outside world. We'll be minimal and not ruin your internet speed, dear neighbor, I promise!

Moving Days, because we are sitting on loaned furniture in our very own living room. Let me say that again- in OUR LIVING ROOM. This is big. It has been such a long time coming- so many hopes, plans, risks and new experiences culminate in this. Our living room. Our cozy little apartment. We are so in love with this place.

It is on the base at Vogelweh, which is in the town of Kaiserslautern. While we initially hoped to live in the community, after some searching we realized that all we wanted was here, on the fourth floor of an Air Force barracks. Air Force housing is infinitely nicer than the Army housing, in our experience. By living here, we are able to avoid the costly utilities bills, which we would have to pay in Euro. The weakeness of the dollar is a huge factor in our final decision. We are able to walk to a commissary, and a base exchange, where we can buy either German or American goods at American prices. And a quick walk out of the gates puts us on the German economy, where I can pick up all of my favorite European foods. (As if I really needed any more excuse to buy Kinderschokolade products!)

We are discovering that an entire, established German-American community exists here. There are clubs to join, chohttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifirs, arts groups and hiking groups, tours to take, baking and cooking and language classes. Many of these things are available through a German-American friendship community center. Others are sponsored by the armed forces or the USO. It's a totally different world, being stationed overseas.

But really, back to the apartment. If you haven't seen the photos, do look! http://picasaweb.google.com/jb.in.germany
We think we're going to paint, because I personally cannot stand four more years of institution-white walls! If anyone has a talent for choosing paint colors and would like to help me from afar, I'd love suggestions. Basically, I've always wanted a red room, and if left to my own devices I may just paint the entire place red. I know, deep down, that this is an awful idea. But it could happen. :o)

By the way, the floors are real, handmade hardwood planks. They are so beautiful. They just shine. I want to lay on the floor and look at the colors in the grain all day. But I won't. I've got much more important things to do... like write this blog.

I'll stop bragging now. I'll get Josh to write the next entry so perhaps you'll get a break from constant apartment talk.

Ciao!