Moving never gets easier. This was our 3rd international move and the process of organizing and cleaning and preparing for the move takes a lot of time and energy. I think we started planning in March and were continuously selling things we did not need anymore or donating items.
And while we were not trying to rush the moments, our packing day came quickly.
Part of planning for a move was planning ways to consume all the food we had in the freezer and cupboard that would not be shipped to our location.
Camille is always full of emotion... dinner time or any other time of day
But the moving day came. It is an odd feeling to have your life packed inside boxes.
We stayed in our home for another week using some basic furniture on loan from the base which allowed us a little time to enjoy this time.
I spent as many mornings as I could running through the forest
I finally decided to climb one of these hunting posts
And I tried to enjoy every sunrise while running that I could.
One of the hard things about moving for the kids is saying goodbye to friends. Here is Hazel showing a bracelet made by a friend on one of their last playdates.
We asked a young woman from church to come to babysit for us so we could go out to dinner one last time and enjoy some German cuisine. The schnitzel was an obvious choice. I like German food but it is often dry and water is always expensive at restaurants.
Our landlord has this nice swimming pool which was cold but the kids had a blast. The weather seemed to stay in the low 70s and cloudy but finally, the sun peaked out which allowed us to stay just warm enough to enjoy the water.
The kids had a great time getting wet and trying to swim
When they were overly cold they would jump out of the pool and lay on the stone which was warm from the sun. That's our "home" in the background with the large windows and skylights. It was a wonderful place to live while in Germany.
On another day we went sunflower hunting.
On one of the last mornings in Zemmer I decided to run one of my favorite routes -- from Zemmer to Daufenbach, then along the Kyll river to Kordel and back.
I frequently ran this route especially in the summer. The birds were always very lively and watching the sunrise was always enjoyable
I think my beauty filter was somehow turned on as my face is not this smooth LOL.
Here is a large grinding stone that I found but upon closer examination it turned out to be a map of the local area.
Here you can see the Kyll river flowing from Kordel to Trier
I actually ran most of the river while we lived there. In this picture, I am pointing to Kordel
Wherever I ran in Germany or any other European country, I always took pictures of the churches I passed. This is a village Gothic-style church.
Here is the view from Schleidweiler (a small town between Zemmer and Daufenbach) and Zemmer.
When running from home to Daufenback it is a quick decline but running back was exhausting as it was 3 miles uphill the entire way. The picture above is the end of the uphill when it is nearly flat
Saying goodbye to our home.
And hello to TLF (Temporary Living Facility) on base. It is like a small condo that functions as a hotel.
Spending time at the parks.
Now this was a project I did not anticipate being so painful. Prior to importing a vehicle to the USA, you have to clean it inside and out. The inspector was super picky and even required us to clean the entire engine! The Engine you ask? Yes the engine. I spent an entire day with a bucket of water, rags, toothbrushes, and dish soap scrubbing every little crack of the car. In the end, I had to go buy some cleaning solution and powerwash the engine off-base
We made a return visit to our home to say goodbye to our neighbors and the coy fish
The family on the left were from Poland: Julia, Katia, Vortek, and their son Filip (standing next to me)
In the middle is the owner of the home Miss Berg and her friend that lived there and helped out. Sadly I never learned his name.
Last Sunday at church with friends like Brandon Foster
Going on walks for a half-block was surprisingly difficult for some who wanted to be carried.
One thing that became apparent on base was how easy it was for kids to go play with their friends which is something we did not experience living off base. The Stoner family lived close by and our kids went there every chance they could get. Here are Hazel and Sadie dressed up like Jo Jo Siwa doing some dancing together.
We had saved up Euro coins and bills that we decided to use on some last minute splurges such as going out to eat at our favorite pizza place: Cristoffs Pizza in Speicher.
So delicious
Not pictured is the Gelato we had right after this. We had just enough for the gelato in Euro Coins. So yummy.
Two days out from getting on the plane I went on one last run with Paul Hukriede who worked with me in the clinic.
We started on base and ran out to an old Catholic abbey which has been closed but its still maintained.
This is a Baroque-style abbey.
The last 3 years brought a lot of memories and it was hard to leave. While I was serving at Spangahlem, I was nominated without my knowing it and was awarded the "Field Grade Physician of the Year for all of Europe and Africa." I served as Flight Commander for five healthcare clinics. It was a lot of responsibility. I met and worked with some great people, some that are lifetime friends now. We of course look forward to many memories to come but the last 3 years were truly unique. We will miss our German associates and friends. Lets keep our fingers crossed for some good years go come.
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