Lo amo I'Italia!

I have been described through out my entire life as a "people person." Hmmm I wonder why....for those of you that know me, this comes as no surprise. For as long as I can remember, I could relate to almost anyone, never met a stranger, I would even go as far as accepting a challenge of making the wall my best friend. Human interaction is what I thrive off of. So, in preparation for Italy, I believe this gave me some sort of comfort in feeling confident in our transition to our new overseas home. T and I went above and beyond to make sure we were prepared for our move, but that's just it. We prepared for our move, but nothing we could have done would prepare us (especially me, unlike T, this is my first time overseas) for what was awaiting us as we left the Venice airport and shuttled to Vicenza. Wow is all I knew what to say.  Everything is different. The language (obviously!), clothing, behaviors, travel, food. Like I said, everything, and I am in awe. I'm captivated by the buildings, especially the apartments with beautiful gardens and the signature red roof. Which we actually have a nice view of out our hotel window. 

Yes, the bell tower works. Yes, it is super loud. 

A couple of other pictures I snapped.  I am so inspired by the rustic vibe these structures put off. 

Lets get down to what's really important. The food. Holy cow, y'all. We have eaten goooooood. Some of my favorites gave been the gelato, gnocchi (potato dumpling served with melted cheeses), authentic Italian cappuccino that puts Starbucks in the grave, and homemade, tastes-like-heaven cheesecake. Oh, and all the meats and cheeses! Basically I love it all. Everything tastes fresh and real unlike the over processed American foods.  Something I find odd, wine is cheaper than any other beverage. I was told that numerous times, but I guess I couldn't believe it until I witnessed it with my own eyes. Not complaining about that, and I'm hoping it will kick my bad habit of drinking coke. I almost choked when I saw a single coke cost the same as a liter, yes a liter, of wine. 

We are heading to downtown Vicenza tonight and Saturday. I'm determined to find the fresh flower market along with a bike I can purchase right there on the spot because EVERYONE rides! I can't wait to be touristy and take a million pictures. Don't worry, I'll share them all. 

Until Next Time,  

Always 

Oh, Dobby is settling in nicely. Doesn't his expression just say he loves it here? 

Arrivederci!

I am in a state of disbelief. This Memorial Day my hubby and I are not spending time on the lake or over a barbecue, we are 45 minutes away from our departure to Italy. So surreal.

The past couple weeks have been a hectic blur. From movers in and out, checking out of our first apartment, to saying goodbye to our family and leaving our best friends, it's been an experience I'll never forget. As we sit in the airport making our final calls to family, I'm overwhelmed at what a remarkable adventure we are about to begin.

We arrived at the airport around 11:00 AM this morning to make sure alllllllllll of our luggage was good to go. Anyone want to guess how much luggage we have?

SEVEN check-in bags, FOUR carry-ons including my cat. Going through security with a cat was very interesting....

Those are our absolute besties right there. Wish I could fit them in our suitcase. 

Everything went smoothly, and now we just wait to board our plane. We have a couple of layovers until we reach our final destination, until then, I plan on trying to settle my nerves with a glass of champagne. Salute! 

Until Next Time, 

Always 

Checklists upon Checklists

I run my life on checklists.  PAPER checklists. Yes, my notes section on my phone gets used lots, but there is something about physically checking of a to-do with my beloved fine tipped sharpie pen. Ahhh, it feels goooooood.  Normally, I will keep to one, nice, neat-with-no-crinkles, piece of paper so my life feels together because LISTS ROCK.  Okay well moving to a new country has completely blown that up in my face.  I want to show y'all our to-do lists...notice I have strayed from my one piece of paper and have basically used every piece of scratch paper in our house.  Truly embarrassing.  

I feel like a mad woman.  Since I am a newbie at PCSing (relocating to a new Army post) because me moving to North Carolina didn't truly count, this process has kind of turned our lives upside down.  It is absolutely insane how much has to be done while moving overseas with the military.  I admire the families that make these huge life adjustments with children. WHEW.  It's enough work with T, myself, and my kitty cat.  You know the hardest part is the time crunch we are under. Maybe if we had months to prepare, it wouldn't feel as overwhelming, but having less than a month since the day we had our orders in hand, that is what is making it so crazy. 

From today, we have 18 days until we board our plane and officially start our European adventures.  It is happening so fast! I have spent hours on Pinterest and travel blogs soaking up as much information as possible, and it fills me with joy!  T's leave starts at midnight, so the next few weeks will be filled with visiting family and friends, packing, and wine drinking.  

Check out some images I have found of Vicenza over the past couple of weeks and try to prevent your mouth from dropping.  

I do not own the rights to any of these images, all courtesy of Pinterest.  Give me about a month and I will be in my own picture posting overload. 

 

 

 

 

 

I will own that bike by the way. And my home will be filled to the brim with fresh flowers, fruits, and veggies galore because that is how Europeans live.  I just know it.  

Until Next Time, 

Always 

       

DIY Engineer Print

So I've been in this DIY craze lately. I'm borderline obsessed with decorating our cute little apartment on the pennies. I've seen numerous posts on the "engineer print" so I thought I would give it a go! 

Here is a little step by step of how to make this project work! First, here is a little glimpse of the end result. 

Materials: 

-Engineer Print 

-Plywood, cork board, or foam board to mount photo on. 

-Spray Adhesive

-Some type of medium to cover the sides of the mounting material such as paint, spray paint, duct tape, etc.

-2 sets of hands because it makes this project way easier! 

1. Find a photo & blow that sucker up! 

This was easy because I already knew which photo I wanted to use for months. This was from our engagement shoot. I fell in love with this from the second I saw it! I took a copy of this on a cd to FEDEX to be printed. I know Staples offers the option for an engineer print as well. The great thing about engineer prints is they are dirt CHEAP. It only cost me $3 and some change to get a 36x48! Granted, you get what you pay for, black and white only, and the paper that it is printed on is equivalent to copy paper. So, if you can't stand to sneak a peak until you get home, be very careful as the thin paper wrinkles easy. 

2. Find something to mount that bad boy on. 

Lucky for me, I had my assistant, Mr. Handyman Husband to help me with this part of the project. We headed to Home Depot to decide what would work best. We decided on a thin piece of plywood which we had to get cut down (Home Depot does that for free!) to the exact size of the photo since I did not want a "border" around the picture. I've also read that people have mounted this on foam board. However, with my cat being the little rambunctious thing that he is, if we used the foam board, I guarantee it would have been knocked down and destroyed within the day. 

3. Prepare plywood. 

I had some left over white spray paint which I thought would be enough. Ummmm, nope, and I was too cheap (lazy) to buy anymore. So for any of you that ever see this in person, don't look at the bottom edge. 

Here is what our board looked like! Please note the white blotch on the siding...whoops. Don't spray paint your entire apartment complex while attempting this. 

4.  Attach photo to plywood.

This was the only slightly tricky part and where it was so nice to have T's assistance. We rolled up the picture as you can see below. It was the best way we found this to work. T would hold the picture while I used the spray adhesive. We did about 6 inches at a time. Spray, roll out the picture, spray, roll out the picture until the entire picture was down. Being the impatient woman I am I wanted to slap that thing on there, but trust me, do a little at a time to ensure the picture goes on even and smooth. 

I'm positive the only way this worked was because I had a good lookin' man in uniform helping me! 

Here is a shot before I attempted to paint modge podge over the top...grrrr

Not sure what I'm looking at...probably the stripes of spray paint I left all over the ground. #imgoingtogetfined 

I've read some people have used modge podge over their print successfully, however, it absolutely did not work for me. It made the picture bubble up! I tried as best as I could to fix it and thankfully you can't really tell from afar, but it still makes me grumpy when I walk by and see those tiny bubbles. 

Last but not least, put the finished product on display! We considered hanging ours, but I set it up on top of our dresser and like it just fine. It's directly in front of our bed so it's the first thing I see in the morning. It's make me haaaaapppyyyyyy! 

How stinkin' cute is that!? And so ridiculously affordable! Everyone should go do this DIY now. Right now! What are you waiting for?? 

Until Next Time, 

Always 

Little Reminders

You know, as much as the military impacts my daily life, sometimes I forget that T is actually in the Army. Well, not forget, but don't always think about what it actually means to serve in the armed forces.  I forget that he does not hold a 9-5 job like many others.  Maybe I have just become accustomed to it, the stereotypes, the misunderstandings, the constant change that comes along with this lifestyle. I forget that this is not what people think is "normal."  

Sometimes, life gives you little reminders.  

First, some back story....

T and I went on a quick get-a-way last weekend to visit Asheville, North Carolina, the quirkiest, art-filled, free-spirited town I've ever visited!  It is home to the Biltmore Estate, the largest home in America as well as to some tasty food joints and active nightlife.  Seriously, the Biltmore was gigantic.  In case "the largest home in America" doesn't describe how large it is, let me show you (sorry for the weird crop angle):

 It was truly remarkable! I highly recommend visiting if you every have the opportunity.  

Anyway, I rode with T to his last formation of the day, and we headed out right after. It only took us about 4 1/2 hours to arrive in Asheville, but we made a pit stop about halfway to get a snack.  Being two hours away from Fort Bragg, we were definitely out of the military town atmosphere.  Since T didn't have an opportunity to change, he was still in full uniform, which to me is completely normal, obviously.  I don't think anything of it considering I see dozens and dozens of people in uniform everyday! I actually can't think of one time he has worn his uniform out in public when he doesn't have to.  If he has the opportunity to change into "civilian clothes" he does!  He has never liked drawing attention to him in that way, which I have always respected.  We end up walking to get ice cream, and you would have thought he had 4 eyes and 10 arms.  Everyone was staring at T.  EVERYONE.  At first I thought I was imagining things, but the more people we passed, the more looks he got.  Then I realized, these people probably very rarely see someone in uniform!  

That is when I was reminded of what wearing that uniform actually means.  How this is not the "normal" for most. The men and women that give their service to the country that we love is something to be extremely proud of.  Seeing these boots on our floor this week has meant something more, something deeper.

America is the land of the free because of the brave.  I'm sending a huge thank you to all our service members, currently serving, retired, and of course, the ones that have given the ultimate sacrifice.

God Bless the USA and the tremendous ones who protect her.  


Until Next Time, 
Always         

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Handsome Husband & Big News

After my second leave of absence from the blogging world, I hope the third time is actually the charm. I was overly inspired to get writing thanks to some recent news T and I received. First, let's play the catch up game...again.

1.  I am a married woman! WOW! What a magical day. Full of more love, happiness, and joy than I have ever experience. T and I felt beyond blessed to have such a magical day.  We have been married for almost 4 months now, and it feels like we were just walking down the aisle! 

2. We have 2 pets! A sassy kitty named Dobby (after Harry Potter of course-"DOBBY IS A FREE ELF!") and a handsome Husky named, Rocky.  Considering the only pet I've ever had was a Beta fish, this has been a major highlight for me.

...the one and only time they've snuggled...

3.  So here is the big news, after some unexpected twists and turns in Army life, T and I will be moving in the very near future.  Keep in mind, I just got settled here at Fort Bragg, NC.  But, hey! Change comes with the territory.  You think we would know by now to expect the unexpected, right?  Well let me tell y'all, we did NOT expect this new duty station.  Heck, we had no idea there was even a chance of us moving so quickly! So if the fact of moving wasn't surprising enough, when we found out exactly where, we almost passed out!  We are extremely thrilled to be starting a new chapter of our lives in.......Vicenza, Italy!! That's right, ITALY!! 

Below shows exactly where Vicenza is located! From the beginning of our relationship, T and I dreamed of being able to travel and see the world together.  We feel so blessed to have been given this opportunity and truly look forward to being immersed in the Italian culture.  The beauty (and wine) that awaits us is almost too much to handle!

I hope this blog will offer a glimpse into our travels and life in general for our family and friends who we are wanting to stay closely connected with.  I also hope other military families stumble across this blog as I will also be posting about our process of PCSing OCONUS (moving overseas) which may be of some use! 

Until Next Time, 

Always      

Day 1

I had the case of the Day 1 Blahs yesterday.  By "case" I mean full on terrible, crazy, close to psychoic blahs. 

T left for training again yesterday morning, after only being back for two weeks.  Of course, it's a no contact type of training, but even worse, no letters.  Needless to say I wasn't a happy camper.  No matter how hard I tried to ward off my blahs, I just couldn't shake them.   

Here is a list of things that set me off yesterday:

1. A teeny tiny nail stuck in my tire, costing me $16 to repair.  
2. Couldn't find my red cardigan for the upmteenth time.
3. My purse tipped over in my car, leaving junk EVERYWHERE.
4. My grilled peanut butter sandwich stuck to the pan. Twice. (Yes, grilled PB is a thing, just make it like a grilled cheese with peanut butter, no cheese, obvioulsy. Life changing.)
5. My wireless internet WOULD NOT WORK.  Totally lost that battle.
6.  Last but not least, I stepped on a lego.  Um, OUCH.

On a normal day, these things would probably go unnoticed-except maybe number 6.  But let me tell y'all, my Day 1 blahs mixed with the above list sent me into a full downward spiral. By 8:00 I buried myself under the covers, shoving my face with oreos. Don't judge. 

I'm back to normal, positive Amanda today! Thank goodness because I don't think I could handle another day of losing cardigans and stepping on legos.   

Piece of advice, tell your significant other how much you adore them today and realize how lucky you are to hear their voice everyday. 

Until Next Time.
Always