Wow...
Where has the time gone?? I feel like it was not too long ago I blogged about getting my new position with the NEX and getting ready for going home again for Monica's wedding. Not Kyle and Monica's. Just Monica's. :P
Honestly, things are becoming VERY interesting. For those of you just peeking out from the under the rock long enough to read this random blog, I will be headed over to Rota within the week!! Getting everything ready for moving overseas has been a full time job. Luckily, I was indeed able to enroll in the transfer program through the NEX and worked my last shift about a month ago to make sure I had plenty of time to do some of the heavy lifting. And by heavy lifting, I mean paperwork. It's incredible the process it has been moving both of us... Pat's been doing his share of working "only" 15 hours days and so I made myself a handy-dandy checklist so we both feel a little more...together. It's pretty intense. Like, 3 pages of notes intense.
I feel like I look around our apartment, which is currently organized into 3 sections: Luggage items, Express Shipping Items, and Household Goods in preparation for the packers/movers coming this afternoon and wonder...Is this Real Life??!
More than anything, we are excited about all the changes although we know they will be bittersweet as our transfer over there will also begin 3 years full of deployments. One of our goals in starting this adventure in the Navy in the first place, was to experience some new places so this is our chance. We have alot of plans to roam around Europe and with how cheap the flights are within that area (think, France, Italy, Greece...etc.) we will be able to do just that.
I am beyond excited to get over there and start house-hunting. I will be arriving before Pat and hope to get the process started so we aren't staying in the hotel for too long. I get restless in small spaces! We are very hopeful as to the type of place we will be able to get as the Navy will be paying outright with a certain set amount limit as opposed to giving us that money through his pay to figure out our own situation... which has been the routine until now. There are several communities in the Rota area and so we may end up living in places nearby, Chipiona or El Puerto De Santa Maria. After looking at housing through Spanish craigslist websites, we should be able to get a nice townhouse right off the beach, or a nicer house with a yard/possibly pool if we stay further away from the water. That whole area has a lot of charm!
I feel like God has blessed us in many ways and that settling into a nicer place will be similar to the saying "the calm before the storm." What I mean by this is that we have been lucky enough to not have him gone for full deployments yet- which is a rarety with him having already been assigned sea-duty for the last 6 months. I know that everything will be fine, and we've been through thick and thin together... I just prefer the thin (or whichever of the two is better). Doesn't everyone??
Speaking of blessings... We have started something new... The Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover Challenge. We bought a used copy from Amazon for $7 after Christmas and it has already made a huge impact on the way we spend money. We have been working towards a comfortable savings account since before we got married and even though Pat had to convince me to read the book... I will say that so far, it makes SOO much sense. It really is user-friendly and easy to read/understand. I am about halfway finished with it and will keep reading a chapter at a time while we continue to stay busy with the move. Here's the link if you are interested in trying something new... By following his system, we have already saved at least twice what we typically do in the last few weeks alone and are excited with the way we "tell our money where to go, instead of wondering where it went."
Speaking of blessings... We have started something new... The Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover Challenge. We bought a used copy from Amazon for $7 after Christmas and it has already made a huge impact on the way we spend money. We have been working towards a comfortable savings account since before we got married and even though Pat had to convince me to read the book... I will say that so far, it makes SOO much sense. It really is user-friendly and easy to read/understand. I am about halfway finished with it and will keep reading a chapter at a time while we continue to stay busy with the move. Here's the link if you are interested in trying something new... By following his system, we have already saved at least twice what we typically do in the last few weeks alone and are excited with the way we "tell our money where to go, instead of wondering where it went."
One of my favorite parts about his system is the emphasis he puts on giving back some of the blessings you receive. Growing up, we were taught that tithing to the church is important and we still feel that way. We will be looking into possibly attending a local church service/mass once we arrive there, but for now we have been able to sponsor a boy and a girl through this awesome nonprofit based in Southern India called Help the Helpless. We looked into several organizations to decide which one seemed like a good place to start on this goal and we had heard from some of Pat's family members who also participate in this charity. We are both excited to start giving back alittle more and it certainly helps to have letters/pictures from these adorable kiddos on our fridge- a constant reminder of the importance to not only count our blessings, but to share them as well. It's been a great way to start our goals in the hopes of fully committing to the money makeover challenge.
ANYWAYS..
For awhile, or possibly permanently... I will not be at my normal telephone number. I should be available via Facebook or if you have something drastic and immediate to share with me (For example... information regarding a pending zombie apocalypse, knowledge of the official date of the pilot episode of the Boy Meets World reunion series, Girl Meets World... or the exact location of a litter of Golden Labrador puppies waiting to be played with...) you can reach me by creating a Viber account for free. You can use this program to make free phone calls and send free texts/pics that uses Wifi instead of minutes, etc. and I will be able to respond while overseas. Once you sign up, you can add me as a contact and the best way to do this is to sign up through your FB account and I should automatically be in your contact list.
This will be my last blog in the states. Please excuse me while I try not to watch any more episodes of Lost before flying over a large body of water.
<3
-Ems
For awhile, or possibly permanently... I will not be at my normal telephone number. I should be available via Facebook or if you have something drastic and immediate to share with me (For example... information regarding a pending zombie apocalypse, knowledge of the official date of the pilot episode of the Boy Meets World reunion series, Girl Meets World... or the exact location of a litter of Golden Labrador puppies waiting to be played with...) you can reach me by creating a Viber account for free. You can use this program to make free phone calls and send free texts/pics that uses Wifi instead of minutes, etc. and I will be able to respond while overseas. Once you sign up, you can add me as a contact and the best way to do this is to sign up through your FB account and I should automatically be in your contact list.
This will be my last blog in the states. Please excuse me while I try not to watch any more episodes of Lost before flying over a large body of water.
<3
-Ems
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