Trains, Planes, and Automobiles: or Why I am Thankful for the USO

WHEW!

What a whirlwind week! And to think, 7 days ago, I was watching my older brother get married! 

Beth and I made it to Germany, but we seem to be missing a very important aspect of every PCS (Permanent Change of Station): the soldier.  When my parents saw me off in Kansas City, we all thought I'd be meeting up with my husband in Washington DC.  I spent the entire flight telling Beth that Daddy would be waiting for us when we landed.  Imagine my surprise when they start calling for "Passenger Otero to the galley" upon our arrival. 

A small piece of paper was thrust into my hand with the instructions "call this number" and a note that said "re: husband".  My heart sank.  I didn't figure he was hurt or anything, but different scenerios chased each other through my mind as I somehow managed to carry 2 backpacks, a purse, and a toddler down a narrow set of stairs and up a wider, but wetter, second set.  With little time to make it to my next terminal, I frantically tried to figure out just what happened. 

The number connected me to the Charleston airport where Devin's flight had been delayed. I was told to call a hotel where Devin was supposed to be staying.  When I did, they had no record of him.  I was told to go ahead and get on my next flight anyway.  Another phone call while I tearily made my way toward the next gate got me on the line with Devin.  Our phone call went: "What am I supposed to do?" "Get on the plane and go to the USO in Frankfurt.  They'll take care of you."

Let me be clear about something.  I wasn't worried about the flight.  Beth is a great kid, and I knew she and I would be fine.  My concern was the getting to a foreign country by myself with no idea of what I was supposed to do.  Just as I thought, Beth did great! She slept most of the way.  She had to adopt some pretty interesting positions to do so, but she did sleep.  I on the other hand, couldn't sleep.  I spent my 7 hours trying to devise a plan.  The plan had 3 steps: get through customs, get my luggage, and get to the USO.

The first step was the easy one.  I followed the herd and tried to stick close to my American brethren.  Step 1, check.  Step 2 may seem like it should be just as simple, but I did not pack light.  My 3 bags totaled near 140 pounds, and I still had the 2 backpacks and the toddler.  I kept it together as I made my way toward the baggage claim.  Frankfurt has carts like most major American airports.  At most American airports, a quarter is required as a deposite for the cart.  I hadn't gotten any Euro yet.  Luckily for me, these carts were free.  Step 2, check.  Step 3 started with questioning the first airport employee I saw.  She knew where the USO was and gave directions in pretty good english.  The problem was, it was a bit of a walk.  I slowly made my way to the correct part of the airport.  The cart was heavy and Beth's stroller kept making sudden turns.  Pushing each 1 handed was a bit of a challenge.  I was on the verge of breaking into tears again.  What was I doing?  I don't know the language.  I don't know anyone. I was alone.  In a foreign country. With a toddler.  All I could think was "If I can get to the USO, I'll be okay".  At long last, I spotted the red, white, and blue of the USO sign.  Step 3, check.

I hadn't even made it through the door when a woman asked if I was ok.  I must not have been as good at hiding my emotion as I thought.  Her first question was "Are you PCS'ing?" her second "Where's your husband?".  I lost my composure completely as I started to explain what had transpired the night before.  The USO did in fact take care of me.  They took us to a room to wait for a bus to Vilseck.  I got a quick Facebook message off to Devin, and called my mom.  I was okay.

The bus ride was a pleasant one.  The scenery is so picturesque. Small towns break up the quilt like countryside farmland.  The buildings are small and close together.  In each town a church steeple is visible over the red and brown roofs of the homes.  There are castle remains peeking through the trees on some of the hill sides.  I took a bunch of "out the window" pictures.  Hopefully when our car gets here, we can take some proper pictures.  Some of my earlier apprehension melted away as the bus wound through small towns and past tranquil streams.

Beth and I are pleased to report that Chicken McNuggets are the same here.  A quick "Spechen sie Englisch?" and I was ready to order.  We pretty much understood one another.  Mc Donalds is one of a few recognizable logos along the Autobahn.  Others include Starbucks and Aldi.  Yes Dad, Aldi.  The rest of the drive was a pretty sleepy one with many pictures snapped through the bus window.

We got into Vilseck fairly late and were greeted by our sponcer.  The first question out of his mouth was "So, What happened?".  It's not very often a spouse shows up with no soldier.  After a brief rundown of everything I knew, he gave me some of the best news I had heard that day.  Devin's unit is getting back from Afghanistan this weekend.  They aren't scheduled to deploy for 2 more years.  I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders.  I had convinced myself of the worst case scenerio.  That being another deployment within the next 6 months.  This news makes up for the fact that we may not get a house for 3 months. 

I won't get into the mundane details of that night or the next day, except to say that I am very comforted by the fact that we have a piece of the states here in Germany.  I look forward to the exploring we'll be doing in the coming months and years, but I am happy that when I am homesick I can go to the PX, hear my native language spoken fluently, and buy a bag of Cheetos.  Having American television is nice as well.  Even if it is AFN (Armed Forces Network).  The commercials are goofy (think bad PSA), but they have Sesame Street. 

Devin arrived with the cat 24 hours later, and we are very glad to have him here.  We haven't made any off-post excursions as of yet, but we are still quite jet lagged.  I really think we are going to like it here. The people seem friendly and the scenery is beautiful.  All we need is all of you  here to make it perfect.

My plan is to use this blog as a way to share pictures, stories, and news with all of our family and friends.  I'll try to update as often as I feel there is something to report.

Until next time,

The Oteros