One Month, Four Hotels

So, I know I promised to write about house-hunting, but since there really hasn’t been any progress on that front, I’ll share our current living situation.  As I said before, the on-post hotel was full when we got here, so they put us up in a hotel right off post.  No big deal, we could still easily walk to post every day. A couple days ago, we checked the on-post hotel again, and sure enough there was a room available for us.  

This is our first room...

 ...which as you can see is tiny.  Please excuse the mess, but there really wasn't anywhere else to put all of our stuff.

Our new digs are a little more spacious...

Not bad for a hotel! 

Our First Venture Downtown

Thanks to the weekend and a much needed break from strenuous inprocessing, we were finally able to head to downtown Vicenza and see more of town than just the Army post.  In order to get a better feel for the streets and the layout of the town, we opted to walk rather than ride our bikes.  The downtown area is about two or three miles from post and our hotel, so we definitely got our exercise.  It was exactly what you would expect of a quaint European town – narrow streets and old buildings.

Being Easter weekend, a lot of the shops and restaurants were closed, so we simply strolled along, window-shopping, and people-watching.  We’ll definitely have to go back on a non-holiday weekend to check out all the markets that take place in the squares.  I also want to put my Art History degree to good use and study the Palladian architecture that is prominent in downtown Vicenza.  One of Palladio’s works is the Olympic Theater, or Teatro Olimpico, which we saw from the outside but didn’t go into.  Built in 1580, this theater is the oldest surviving enclosed theater in the world.  A complete tour is on the list for next time. 

We also saw some neat churches…

And, lo and behold, a Subaru repair shop…

We definitely felt the reality of being in Italy more once we got away from post, or the American bubble, as I like to call it.  Although I’m sure it will take some time to really feel at home here, for now we still feel like we’re playing tourist.  But I would imagine three years should be enough time to settle in, acclimate, and fully be at home here. 

On a side note, how adorable is this??

Unfortunately, Donovan said no…

Stay tuned for the joys of house-hunting!!

Benvenuti in Italia

After a couple days of some mad rushing around trying to accomplish all the last minute things, we finally said “arrividerci” to the States.  Our final days in America were filled with unexciting errands, including dropping the Subaru off so it could begin its own journey to Italy.  It’s a weird feeling to drop your car off at a random warehouse and simply trust that you’ll see it again in a different country.   Fingers crossed that Rupert makes it! 

For our last dinner in America, we chose, of all places, IHOP.  Maybe not the classiest place, but hey, it’s definitely representative of America.  We had a wonderful last evening, eating yummy pancakes and enjoying the company of some amazing friends.  Not a bad way to say goodbye to American life! 

And then, it was the moment of truth.  Ready or not, Italy here we come! 

Photo Credits - Tom Anderson

Eighteen hours, 2 in-flight movies, and only one mad dash to catch a connecting flight later, we landed in Venice and grabbed the shuttle to Caserma Ederle.  Naturally, the on-post hotel was full, so they booked us a room at a hotel just outside the gate.  The hotel itself isn’t that exciting, but they do have a pretty awesome coffee machine at breakfast.  There’s no better way to start the morning than with a fresh cappuccino (or two…or three).  Most of our time so far has been spent on post, going through all the inprocessing.  It doesn’t really feel like we’re in Italy, since the post is basically a little American bubble.  Hopefully we’ll have the chance soon to do some more exploring around town. 

More pictures will be coming soon, but for now a picture of our lovely hotel…

 …and the gate we walk through every day.

Ciao!

A New Chapter

So…this adventure begins with the highly anticipated Ranger School graduation.  After three long months of Donovan going through some rather grueling training, having little to no communication, and me trying to plan a PCS to Italy completely on my own, we are finally back together and starting out on an epic journey.  The graduation itself was quite the celebration and I was so proud to be able to pin that Ranger tab on my hubby’s uniform. 

Pinning the Ranger Tab

Donovan’s claim to fame of the whole thing is coming back from Ranger School 12 pounds heavier than when he left.  While most of the guys lose 20-30 pounds, leave it to Donovan to defy all odds and gain weight.  Of course, the post-Ranger eating disorder isn’t helping either.  If there is food in sight, chances are he’s eating it.  I must admit though, I’ve sort of encouraged his excessive eating.  I mean, come on, I haven’t been able to feed my husband in three months.  I have some catching up to do!  

Unfortunately we only had the one day to party, as we had to spend the rest of the weekend getting the house ready for the movers.  Poor Donovan didn’t get much time to relax at home after Ranger School. 

The beginning of our cozy little home being torn apart

And now we’re living in a hotel room, waiting for the proper paperwork in order to get our plane tickets.  It’s crazy to think that we’re moving to a different country in a matter of days!  We’re both a little nervous but absolutely excited to start this new chapter in our lives.