We have just a few days left here in Stuttgart, so today I thought I’d write a quick farewell post.
We moved here in late July 2020, so it’s been a little over two years. I would say that we loved every minute, but that first year was tough since Germany went full-stop crazy with Covid lockdowns and authoritarianism. We were guests in the country, so I’ll just say that I would have been a lot less willing to follow their directives if I had been a citizen. I don’t think the US media reported much on all of the demonstrations and protests in Europe about the above-mentioned measures. It was definitely an eye opener for us!
All that being said, this past year more than made up for 2020-2021. You guys have traveled with us as we’ve visited fourteen European countries (see our travel posts here). I managed to find almost every antique or vintage item on my bucket list, and my treasures have begun their journey back to the States, as have our cars. I’m not at all ashamed to admit that I shipped twelve chandeliers home!
(see our Germany vs. the US posts here)
We’ve made some wonderful, lifelong friends, some German and some American, and have enjoyed some of the most delicious food and wine that I’ve ever tasted. We’re shipping a couple hundred bottles of wine back and I’m already looking forward to being reunited with them on the other side.
Today we’re saying goodbye to our beautiful apartment and also our landlord, who has become a good friend. I took a few photos yesterday after I finished cleaning everything. It was a lovely home for us over the past two years and I’m sad to leave it.
(see our apartment–with furniture–here)
We lost our golden retriever, Harley, right before Christmas, and while I’ve missed him terribly, I’m also thankful that he doesn’t have to make the trip home. It’s so hard on our pets to be crated for so many hours. It’s also incredibly expensive–so few airlines will ship animals during the summer months that most military families wind up using private pet shippers. And they are expensive. On our way here, Harley’s travel cost us more than what we paid to ship my car overseas!
The cat is much easier; she can travel in the cabin with us. She had her exam and got her health certificate yesterday so is cleared to fly, and it’s only a couple hundred dollars to fly her home. She has no idea what’s in store for her!
When we arrive in the States, we’re going to stay with Amy and her family for about a week, and then we’re going to move to a corporate apartment just outside of DC for a couple of months. I’m not sure if I’ve “officially” announced it here, but my husband is retiring from the military after 32+ years of active duty, so we are in the process of transitioning to civilian life!
We haven’t decided exactly where we want to live, although we do have a list of favorite cities and states. Our plan is not to rush and to wait a few months to decide about his next job and where to settle. We haven’t had the luxury of being able to choose for ourselves for so long that we want to take our time. Of course, I can’t wait to settle down for more than 2-3 years and be able to really put down roots.
So, since I’m going to be homeless for the next few months, I won’t be able to do any home tours, but I’m sure I’ll find plenty of other things to write about. Thanks for sharing our European adventure with us, and for staying tuned for the next chapter! ~Christy
