International Nesties
Smudges*Mom
member
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Questions from a newbie
It is officially official. DH received his orders today, we are moving to Germany in two months. We've been doing things in anticipation (like cleaning out the basement) and getting passports. But, because it's been two months of waiting for paperwork, I've had time to think.
I've got some, likely silly, questions. Pleas feel free to chuckle at my expense as you read and respond!
What do you wish you has brought with you but did not?
What did you bring, but wish you had left behind?
I know this is silly, but what did you do about your favorite products from home (like hair and make-up)? Do you have stuff shipped from the states or have you found products locally that you use and now love?
What did you wish you had known before you moved?
Thank you for any help. I am really excited about our move, I just wish the actual moving part was done.
I've got some, likely silly, questions. Pleas feel free to chuckle at my expense as you read and respond!
What do you wish you has brought with you but did not?
What did you bring, but wish you had left behind?
I know this is silly, but what did you do about your favorite products from home (like hair and make-up)? Do you have stuff shipped from the states or have you found products locally that you use and now love?
What did you wish you had known before you moved?
Thank you for any help. I am really excited about our move, I just wish the actual moving part was done.
Warning
No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
Re: Questions from a newbie
I am in southeast Australia, so my answers may be different.
What do you wish you has brought with you but did not? -- more OTC medication -- Excedrin, Neosporin, Mylanta tablets. The pitiful selection at the dispensaries and grocery of 24 tablet packs are just not strong enough.
What did you bring, but wish you had left behind? -- nothing really. My move is permanent, so I moved everything that was important to me.
I know this is silly, but what did you do about your favorite products from home (like hair and make-up)? Do you have stuff shipped from the states or have you found products locally that you use and now love? -- For some things I found replacements, for others I have a list of to pick up the next time I'm in the States. I'm low maintenance, but I have very sensitive skin, so I have to be careful what I use. It's been a trial and error process in finding things I can use.
What did you wish you had known before you moved? -- nothing really, it's mainly all little frustrations -- different products at the groceries, no free refills, no iced tea (I'm addicted to unsweetened iced tea), different business hours, etc.
Will you be living on an American military base? Others will know better than I, but I think you'll have access to a decent amount of American products. But I can tell you what I missed.
Ditto OTC meds. I brought Advil and Pepto Bismol, my two fav meds I've had trouble finding in other countries.
I brought a couple of each of my favorite makeup products, but we were only abroad for a year so I didn't really have to worry about running out.
I've found most other countries do not understand the American facination with peanut butter. So if you or the LO love it, you might want to throw a jar in for a treat
During the moving process, right after you get there, and from time to time while you are there you will have "this is a nightmare, i just want to go home" moments. It is totally normal, come post here, the ladies here have gone through it a million times! Even the IN veterans have their homesick, "get me out of here" moments and posting here when I was homesick really helped.
From what I've heard from friends and on this board, Germany is a very pleasant place to live. Good luck!
2012 Reading Challenge
Hi Marni!
I was younger and travelled lighter when I lived in Europe so I can't comment on the "what do I wish I brought" question.
I would say that your military base should have most day to day essentials. If you have a hankering for nicer makeup, lotions and potions then there are Sephora's everywhere.
I wish I'd known how pricey heating was and the deal with Council Tax(in the UK).
We will have access to the commissary and the PX, which makes life more simple when wanting/needing things from home. While DH, LO and I love peanut butter, we would be hard pressed to get our dog into his kennel without a peanut butter filled kong! I will be taking several jars in my suitcases (wrapped very, very well, just in case).
That is good to know about Sephora! That covers my make-up. I use Aveda hair products. I love them, but I don't want to spend more for them than I already do. Plus, I know that there are comparable products in Europe, but it's one of those comfort things. Moving overseas presents it's own challenges. I'd like to make things as easy for us/me as possible, especially at first. I can see me having a meltdown at the apothecary or where ever it is that I would go, because they don't have what I think I want. I plan to make the most of our experience, but I want to preserve my bubble in the beginning while we are getting settled and having to figure out the basics. I don't want to have to worry about shampoo when we don't have our household goods yet, and we are "camping" in our new rental home. Plus, thinking about hair products is more fun than considering how I'm going to cope on rough days after DH has deplo.yed.
We do have the luxury of putting things in storage here that we won't need while overseas--like our American washer and dryer. While I don't have tons of kitchen stuff, the pictures I've seen of German kitchens leads me to believe that I should bring only what I know I'll need and use. (We don't have china, but the crystal my uncle gave us will stay on this side of the Atlantic.).
Thanks for helping me through this. While I am excited about our new adventure, this is not something I ever thought we'd be doing. We thought we were moving 125 miles south. Two and I half months ago, if you'd have told me we were moving to Germany, I'd have laughed!
They had peanut butter in the commissary back in the 60s in Europe. My grandma used to pay the off base babysitter partially with peanut butter when they were stationed in France or Germany. So it might not be to difficult to find PB there these days.
I know you can find it at the Rewe too. It taste pretty good and is from the US.
2012 Reading Challenge
Now Nesting from Chicago, IL My nail blog:
The closet Sephora is France/Netherlands. If your looking for bath and beauty products outside of the PX. You can look for a DM or a Mueller. They will have your cheaper products and some high end stuff. Fancy beauty stuff can be found at Douglas. None of these places are too hard to find. They are like on every corner in the city center.
If there is something that is in your regime that you use on a regular basis I would stock up and buy it. I stocked up on my clinique products and made sure I left with a new bottle of foundation. But anything that you would occasionally buy like a new eyeshadow or some body lotion I would just buy what you need when you are there.
You mentioned that you use Aveda for your hair. That would be something I would bring extra along with. It won't be easy to find that and I know it will be way more expensive. There is one in Berlin that I saw and I looked online on the website for you and they do have a few salons with Aveda products in Frankfurt.. Otherwise you will have to try ordering it online from a UK beauty website.
2012 Reading Challenge
Now Nesting from Chicago, IL My nail blog:
So exciting! I don't know how helpful my answers will be since I'm not military and live in the UK, but just in case...
I wish I had brough more photos with me. I picked up a couple boxes of negatives to scan last time I was 'home' and it was so fun to see all the memories from pre-digital camera days.
BFP Apr 2012, EDD Dec 19 2012 * twin h/b at 6wk, 9wk scan * Baby A lost at 12wks, Baby B was my rainbow born at 36wks
Speaking of Photos. How do you store your digital photos? Do you print, store them online, or on a hard drive. I would buy an extra drive and fill it up with the photo and leave it at a family member's house for safe keeping. My hard drives got really beat up taking them back and forth between the US and Switzerland.
2012 Reading Challenge
Now Nesting from Chicago, IL My nail blog:
Wow, it posted early...
When we planned to move overseas, I packed like 20 boxes to ship over once we found an apartment. I had absolutely no idea how tiny apartments generally are over here, particularly the kitchen! My dad and sister-in-law had to open them all and condense to just a few boxes.
Oh - they did take out my measuring spoons and cups and I had to get them the next time I was back, they aren't easy to find over here.
I stock up on a few things when I'm in the states - q-tips and giant bottles of medicines typically. I've slowly moved everything else over to UK brands although it took a while. I came over with about a 6 month supply of my necessities which gave me time to try the options here.
Now, I tend to pick up American products - like Thanksgiving paper napkins or Steelers t-shirts when I'm in the states. I miss feeling connected to the holidays, etc so those little things have become important to me.
BFP Apr 2012, EDD Dec 19 2012 * twin h/b at 6wk, 9wk scan * Baby A lost at 12wks, Baby B was my rainbow born at 36wks
I wish I would have listened to other nesties and only brought my close and maybe a few pics. We brought way too much stuff.
I finally stopped getting care packages from home, I found products I like in the NL just as much..they have an Aveda here so that made me happy
I miss my BBQ sauce though LOL.
I found it harder w/a LO and staying home. I had a hard time being proactive in finding things to do w/him, especially in the winter.
Good luck and congrats. I loved Germany.
I agree with alli about pretty much everything! I get my peanut butter at Rewe (it has little American flags on it) and think it tastes just fine. Most beauty items I get at DM (just because Mueller is farther away).
Since you'll have access to the base's grocery store (I assume), then you don't even need to worry about a lot of that, though, do you?
I agree with everyone else - pack clothes, electronics like a laptop, harddrive, dig camera, etc, and leave everything else at home. I would say even bring pictures on an external harddrive and then print the ones out that you really want when you get here. There are cheap frames over here, too, and it's really not worth the hassle of packing glass, IMO.
Hello from another military spouse!
- Find out from housing and/or personal property if they have a list of specifically what not to bring, what they will "loan" you, what is typically provided in a rented place, and what you will specifically be expected to provide yourself. When we were in Italy we were specifically instructed to leave behind certain appliances, that those 220v items would be loaned to us, we would be loaned wardrobes, certain other furniture items would be loaned for so many days to hold us over until our household goods arrived, that local rentals provided nothing (as in bring your own shower curtain, light bulbs, and shelving).
- Do you have a sponsor yet? Are they communicative, or have a spouse who is? If they are a bit "absent" could they give you the ombudsman contact or the command family office info? (For Navy it's called Fleet and Family Service Center.) Once you have a good contact at that base/post you can get some good info. Ask how big the PX and Commissary are, what is typically easy to get there, what is difficult to get, what is expensive to get out on town. That will help you determine what needs you need to pack for vs what can be provided for there.
- A really nice thing is that you'll have a military address so you can get mail. Drugstore.com, amazon.com (most things), old navy, gap, and a bunch of others do a good job. We also lined up a relative who would receive things for us at their address, repack it into a priority flat-rate box, and ship us things as needed. We would reimburse the shipping and give them a bit extra for the service.
Enjoy Germany! We loved visiting and would love to get a set of orders there.