Day trip to Venice

As a military family we experience so many ups and downs, deployments, R&R, welcome homes, PCSing, saying “see you later” to friends ever few years, TDY’s, and so much more. So when we PCS’d overseas, you expect there to be a few bumps in the road (stay tuned to future posts, as I continue my story on our first month in Italy), but there are also so many perks. One of the many perks we get to living overseas, especially in Italy, is that we are in a perfect location to travel Europe.

So many places to see, so little time!!!

We will get to experience places most people will only see on vacations or maybe never at all. With so many places to see, I think our challenge has been where to go first.

Where to go, Where to go???

Of course anyone who has ever PCS’d knows it takes some time to get your house completely unpacked, (unless you are a super high-speed, squared away, Hooah wife who has PCS’d a bazzilion times and could probably unpack her house in her sleep the next day) I am not said wife, so we still have boxes sitting in our garage, that at this point may still be there when we PCS again next week.

Drowning in Boxes!!!

Well after awhile you just need to get out of the house, and that is exactly what we did today. One of the many conveniences to living in Italy is waking up and saying “let’s go to Venice today”. When Venice is only an hour and twenty minutes from you house, it makes day trips like this so much fun. So we loaded up in the car and began our way to Venice.

With no more planning then my DK Eyewitness Travel: Italy guide in hand (okay well I may have did a quick Google search, but sssshhhh don’t tell).

We decided we didn’t want to do any of the touristy things on our first trip there, just “get lost in the city” taking back streets to areas that are less crowded. Living as close as we do, we figure we would end up here at least once a month or so. Why not take a less stressful approach the first time and just enjoy the city.

Let’s get lost!

Once we arrived in the city, finding parking was a lot easier than we thought. There are several parking garages right as you come into the area, so we just picked one and parked. Now mind you, I was a bit worried because you have to leave your key in your car!!!!!!!! DH assured me that this would be okay, but not without a few, wait should we leave this in the car, incase it’s not here when we get back moments.



Once the car issue was settled, we made our way out into the wonderful streets of Venice. Our first real view came as we were crossing one of the many bridges.

We spent most of our time just walking the streets, taking in the beauty of the buildings, and history that surrounded us.

The shops that had something for everyone.

The beautiful masks and costumes, reminders that Carnival is only a few weeks away.

Or the vendors selling fresh produce (Remember DO NOT TOUCH!!!!)

Of course when in Italy, you must try the pizza from all areas of the country so of course what was for lunch none other than……..











Wait for it……..

















Wait for it………..

Kebabs!!!!

Oh wait, that’s not right, that’s what DD-C and I had.

At least I think that’s what DD-C had; it seems to have disappeared in a matter of nanoseconds so I guess hers was pretty good.

The other two had pizza, but I was too consumed by my food to take a photo of what I can only assume was good, as there was none left.

After lunch we continued to make our way down side streets, taking in the beautiful views of the waterways.

All in all our day in Venice was wonderful, a bit chilly, but still a trip to remember.

Oh and for those who like me were freaking out concerned about the car, like I was, you will be pleased to know it was safely where we parked it with all contents securely in their place.
So we made our journey home, where DH then lit our first fire in the fireplace and poured me a glass of Moscato.

The perfect ending to a wonderful day.

A New Year!!!

The tree is down. The decorations are packed away. Another Christmas and New Year have come and gone. We have survived our first week back into our "routine", as well has hit our two month mark in Italy. I can't say that I was ready for the year to end but, I always look forward to what the New Year will bring.

This last year went by in what seems like a blink of an eye, although there are times that it felt like it couldn't go by fast enough. This time last year the girls and I were counting down the days until DH would return from yet another deployment. It felt as if the end of one journey was about to end, and another would be rapidly approaching. We had gotten word that we would be PCS'ing to Europe in the coming months after DH's return, yet the date as always was still in question. When the redeployment time finally arrived, everything seems to move at warp speed and this one was no different. DH made it home and we spent our last few months in Kansas enjoying the company of the wonderful friends that we made while there. It is always a hard thing to say farewell to friends, but as all military families know it is never a "goodbye" it will always be "see you later".

Knowing that we would be leaving the states for an extended period of time, we felt it best to leave Kansas early so that we could spend time with our family, and so with heavy hearts we bid our most recent home farewell and welcomed a new chapter of our lives. Spending time with family was certainly a wonderful blessing, which I know the girls and I enjoyed, and while DH was unable to join us for most of the time, he did make it home in time from TDY to celebrate our 10 year anniversary.

It was finally time to say one more farewell and that was to the "States". Moving to Italy was certainly one of the most exciting times of my life, and I am so blessed to be given this opportunity, as well as to have the chance to show the girls places only others will dream about.

Our first months in Italy have been a wonderful experience. We have had a chance to find a home (after an exceedingly long time in TLF), try the local cuisine, tour some of the local towns, enjoy local wines, and so much more.

And now we start this New Year, and I look forward to what it brings with must anticipation. I know that we will handle whatever we are faced with, and that we will get through it together. Each year in the past I have made resolutions, only to break them within a few days - lose a few pounds, read more books, wake up earlier in the mornings, etc. - but this year I decided not to make any resolutions. Rather this year I am going to work on changing my state of mind, using positive thinking - putting my family and faith first. Realizing the things that are truly important in life and learning who I really am and that I am strong. While I do have goals, I don’t' dare call them resolutions, my motto this year is "Semper Gumby" and for those non-military readers its "Always Flexible". Take things as they come, try not to be ADD about all things, take my incessant need to organize everything as a self learned coping mechanism, and realize that I can't control everything.
So I wish you each a wonderful year ahead, I hope your goals, resolutions, non-resolutions, and so much more become all that you hope them to be.

Happy New Year

Each year we all take time to examine our lives, things we wish we would have done, things we wish we hadn't done. Things we will do to make things better and kick the habits that only hold us back. I hope this year each of you find who you truly want to be and make your dreams happen. We can sit and reflect about our lives all the time, but things will never change unless you act upon it. So here is to wishing you a happy, prosperous, loving, new year! Make 2012 the year of you!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing each and everyone of you a wonderful Christmas. May you spend this day with the ones you love. Remember that this holiday is for the celebration of our Lords birth, take the time to remember how blessed we are, and that it's not about the presents under the tree, but about the wonderful gift of Christ.
Also take time to remember those who are unable to be at home with those they love, and those who have made the sacrifice so that we can celebrate Christmas in a free country.
So as they say here in Italy, Buon Natale!

Our Travels to Italy: Part Three

Day Two Travels: Frankfurt Germany to Venice Italy/Airport to Hotel

Arriving in Germany was an experience that I hope the girls will remember forever. I know for me it will be memorable to say that I have been to another country. (Now I know that I have been to another country since I was born in Europe, but it’s a whole other thing to experience it as an adult and with the girl sold enough to remember. It was a sudden realization that “oh wait I forgot to learn how to read German” in my planning. Due to the delay in D.C. we knew we had missed our connection in Germany so once we took the bus from the plane to the terminal we made our first stop the ticket counter to check which flight we were moved to. That was the easy part; the hard part was trying to navigate the airport to find our terminal. As soon as we got our new flight information and tickets, we went to stand in line for our very first stamp in our passports. The girls were very excited to get their stamp and once we got them wanted to hold their passports so they could keep pulling them out to look at their first new stamp. Since we had to take a bus to the terminal we had to go through security which took a little longer to find then I thought would be necessary, but that could just be the fact that we were wondering up and down elevators, stairs, and walkways to try to find out how to get there. Once we finally made it through security to our gate, we had a chance to just sit, relax and really take in the fact that we were in Europe. About an hour before our flight was scheduled to depart we got a gate change and had to walk the airport maze again to find the correct terminal. While at the correct terminal we were chatting with some of the others who were making the final leg of their journey as well. Once couple had been waiting in Germany for three days trying to get a connection, after their flight from the states was turned around due to plane malfunctions.

We finally got on our flight to Italy :D This flight seemed so short, but it was so beautiful. The light coming over the Alps was one of the most spectacular things I have ever seen. It was just amazing to see the Alps slowly fade as we made our decent into Venice and the view of the water ways. The look on all our faces was priceless, and if it wasn’t for the fact that I was completely caught up in the view I would probably have pictures of the beauty of Venice. (okay to be honest here, I have no pictures from the time we reached the Frankfurt terminal to the time we headed out to tour the base the following morning, thanks in large part to the fact that I was just trying to take in as much of the moment without having a camera attached to my face the whole time) I did however find this photo from the view from the plane as we made our way into the airport.

The Venice airport area was much easier to navigate then the Frankfurt airport, and it took us just a simple walk down the staircase to reach baggage claim. The airport was extremely proficient in getting luggage going on the carousels, and we were getting our luggage in no time at all. While DH was lugging our bags from the carousel to where the girls were standing, I went looking for Jax. I was starting to get worried as there were four dogs located by the carousel; unfortunately Jax was not one of them. I wondered to the back of luggage claim and they were just getting Jax into the main area. I guess because of the size of his kennel they had to bring him in a different way than the others. The fun part was trying to move his kennel (with him in it) to where the girls and DH were waiting with the luggage. I got a few looks as I pushed his kennel the whole way there, and thanks to the others dogs barking and getting Jax barking as well, they probably thought I was taking the wrong dog. I finally got Jax moved, and then began checking that we had our entire luggage, while DH waited in line to exchange dollars for Euro (and if I haven’t mentioned this before never ever ever exchange money at the airport or you may experience a 17% commission as we did). To top off the ache of the commission, we were also missing a bag. Now I think that the fact that we had as many bags as we did to only miss one was pretty good, but DH made is way down to Lost and Found anyway. After looking up the number on the bag, we found out that that bag was loaded on an earlier plane, so when it wasn’t claimed, it was taken to the back. Thankfully they were kind enough to go and get the lone bag, so that we could load the trolleys, and begin to make our way to find our sponsor. Four overly loaded trolleys later we were on our way out the front to meet our sponsor and make our drive to Aviano.

Just as planned our sponsor was waiting just outside baggage claim to take us to the vans. We got the vans loaded and were able to let Jax out of the kennel for a bit to stretch his legs, after being cooped up for almost 18 hours. Once we got him loaded again we were on our way. The drive was very nice, we were able to see some of the small vineyards and have our first drive on the autostrada. We spent the drive having all our questions answered, and given the ins and outs of our new home. The drive was very nice and informative, and it took what seemed like no time at all to reach the hotel. Check in was a breeze, and we were back in the van to meet the new unit. By this time it was dark out and so it was really hard to see much of the base itself. For as late as we got to the unit it was surprising to see that most of the unit was still at work (now that didn’t really give me a great feeling to think that there will be a lot of long nights here). Everyone was very welcoming and our sponsor’s wife had even made up a wonderful welcome basket and left it at the unit for us to take to the hotel with us. The basket was full of snacks, juices, cereals, information about the base and of course a bottle of wine. After the meet and great, we headed to the hotel room itself to unload the luggage and sleep off some of the jetlag. All that was made easier knowing that we were in an apartment style hotel, with separate bedrooms, a full kitchen, and a shower to wash off the grime from the hours of travel, and once we unpacked and clean up it took no time at all to get the girls in bed and for us all to fall fast asleep, so that we could start our first full day in Italy well rested.





Okay so I know this is just a jumble of words, and it doesn’t flow very well, but hey I never claimed to be a great writer. I just hope that you can follow along well enough to get main points of our travels, and maybe one day I will go back and fill in with more details and a smoother read.



All in all our travel to Italy was pretty nice, there were a few bumps along the road, but anyone who has ever PCS’d knows that you can’t make a military move without a few hiccups. Thanks for taking the time to read about our journey, and I hope you will continue to follow us as we find out what else is in store for us in the wonderful, beautiful Italy.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Wishing all our friends and family a very Happy Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for this year. It is wonderful to have the family together for the holiday season, when so many others are not able to be home. We are thankful for the safe travels we have had over the last few months, and well as the opportunities we have been blessed with. Please remember to keep those who are unable to be home in your thoughts and prayers.

Our Travels to Italy! (Part Two)

Part Two
Day One/Two Travels: Washington/Dulles to Frankfort Germany
Once in the terminal we were certainly ready for our next flight out. However upon arriving to Frankfort we saw our flight was delayed an hour, so our early flight out of Charleston only gave us that much more time in Washington. It took us a few moments to gather our direction at Washington with the separate terminals and tram that connected them all, but during our wondering around we saw there was a Fuddruckers and that became mission ONE!!! While we were in Ohio we were saddened to find that there was no longer a Fuddruckers there, and well, we really wanted one of their awesome burgers so seeing that there was one in the airport was AMAZING! We decided to first take our carry-on luggage to the USO and drop them off. For those who don’t know, the USO is a wonderful organization whom provides excellent services for military members. Most major airports in the US have a USO office and they offer free services for military members, such as Wi-Fi, snacks, drinks, luggage storage, “quiet areas” for those looking to rest between flights, and much more. All this is provided thanks to donations, and volunteers to staff the offices. It did take us a few minutes to find the office as most people who worked at the airport looked at us like we were crazy when we asked where the USO was located, but once we arrived it was great to drop off the luggage and head back to grab a bite to eat before we went to wait on our flight to Germany. Once we had our delicious burgers, we headed back to the USO to hang out for a bit longer, and pick up our luggage.

Once we finally made it to our terminal and checked in, only to find out that we were bumped from our flight!!!!!!!!! Now let me tell you, this was one unhappy traveler! Larry was finally able to get our tickets reissued and our luggage on the flight, but it was crazy for a bit. Once everything was settled all we could do was wait. The girls and I spent our time playing Uno on the terminal floor, while DH walked around trying to find a place to check currency exchange rates. There was also a Starbucks right next to our terminal so DH picked us up some mochas before we left as a farewell to American coffee. Our flight was getting further and further delayed and at almost an hour and a half after we were originally suppose to take off our plane finally arrived. Then of course it takes time for them to clean, refuel and such, but finally the time came to board the plane.
We finally got settled into our seats, the girls and I were in a row and poor DH was stuck in the middle seat. The girls were very excited by the screens in the headrests, so that they could watch movies, play games, or their favorite television show. DD-C spent almost the entire “awake” time watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, I think she replayed it three times. DD-I spend most of the time watching The Lion King or playing one of the memory games. DD-I was also in the window seat so she spent a lot of time telling DD-C to look out the window and see all the clouds or things she could see when she wasn’t watching TV and there was still daylight.
Not to long into the flight the stewardess’ brought dinner around, now DH is very familiar with airline food and gave us the heads up of the “chicken or pasta” options. I felt bad for the gentleman sitting next to DH, as the stewardess was coming up the isle to deliver dinners, she ran over the man’s foot with the food cart. I’m not talking she just ran into it either, I’m talking she full fledge ran the whole cart over his foot, to the point things were falling off the cart. They got things settled and DH, DD-I and I got the pasta and DD-C got the chicken. She said it was really good, but I wasn’t brave enough to try it myself.
After dinner the girls were starting to get a little tired and started to settle in to their seats for the “sleep” portion of the flight. Poor DD-C couldn’t get comfortable at all and it took her a good hour to calm down her nerves and fall asleep. DD-I was out like a light in about 10 minutes flat, but I guess when you’re small enough to curl up in the seat with your travel pillow and blanket, that’s not hard to do.
DH and I on the other hand took a lot longer to get rest; my restlessness was due to the fact that I was watching movies and NCIS the entire time. DH was more due to the fact that he was smashed between two people, who couldn’t be still, and watching Hangover 2 and laughing. I think DH’s final movie count for the flight was 7. He was able to doze off for about 30 minutes or so, but I guess having made the long flight several times before you have your quarks about what you do.
The flight over all was pretty nice, nice seats, pretty good entertainment, a chance to sleep before we landed and our internal clocks were off by six hours. The girls woke up just as breakfast was being served, which I would like to say was the only thing I didn’t like about the flight (I’m not a huge fan of raspberry yogurt). All in all pretty easy flight, which was a huge relief since traveling with kids is hard enough, traveling to another country is a whole different set of rules.

SIDE NOTE: No member of the Scheck family fell while de-boarding the plane.


Part Three
Day Two Travels: Frankfort Germany to Venice Italy/Airport to Hotel