The Cox Family: 2010 Memories PART 3

Moving to Germany

Well the proper military term for moving because of orders is PCS (Permanent Change of Station). But whatever the case, I FINALLY GOT MY ORDERS TO GERMANY! As soon as I got them through email, I went over to the Air Force base (Fairchild) here and scheduled HHG (House Hold Goods) to be picked up and figured out where to take my Honda to have it shipped over to Germany as well. Then, scheduled Tubbles and I's flight and got tickets to Germany!
I thought it would be smooth sailing! Boy, was I wrong! It was the WORST trip I have ever made! Its a long story but I wont leave you in the dark and at least give you the short version along with a few pictures! SO, got the tickets..got HHG picked up and on its way to Germany.. Everything was set. So When the day finally came, I had Tubbles in her carrier and suitcase all ready to go, said goodbye to my Mom and started our drive to Seattle from Spokane!

Ready to hit the road

Tubbles in the window of the the hotel we stayed at on our way to Seattle

   Finally made it to Seattle and found a motel right out side of Ft Lewis because I wanted to see the post since I have never been. Got everything dropped off and Tubbles out of her cage so she can roam around, eat something, use the restroom and just relax in general!
Went and got to the front gate of Lewis-McCord and was notified by a rude gate guard that a Military ID wasn't enough to get on post and I needed to sign in! (every other post/base I have been to only required a quick look at the ID card). So I went and signed in to see Ft Lewis! LOVE IT!
Got back to the motel room which was in Lakewood by the way, a little town out side of Ft Lewis that spoke no English.. only Spanish! It was so hard to find puppy training pads (for Tubbles cage for the plane) and there wasn't a Walmart to be found!
So the next day I started off for my search to the Military POV shipping center! Took me two hours and a good cry to finally find it! Right when I thought I was completely lost, in the middle of nowhere, with no map or not know the first thing to do... there it was, it literally came out of nowhere.. I just looked up in mid sob and said thank you Lord, I knew that was you.
   Got the Honda shipped off and Tubbles and I took a cab with a really 'colorful' driver to the Seattle (SeaTac) Airport. That is a whole story by it self! But anyways got on the plane and off to Colorado I went!
Got there and only had a few hour layover. Called my Mom to give her an update then pretty much right back on the plane to Baltimore.
   Got to Baltimore and was facing a 24 hour layover! 24 HOURS!!! I needed sleep and a shower, Tubbles needed to get out of her cage, I was just so upset! We literally spent 24 hours in a female public bathroom with her roaming around.. I had her puppy training pad out for her to use the bathroom on, even though she never did! I didn't sleep through the whole 24 hours.. But I made sure Tubbles did and that she was comfortable! She was my number one priority!

Coming on to Fort Lewis

Tubbles sleeping on my suitcase in the bathroom.

When I had about 7 hours left until I started boarding the plane, I got a call from my cousin Nicole saying that she is going to come visit me at the Airport with my Aunt (her Mom) and her son Lucas and my other cousin Melissa's new born daughter Scarlet! They lived about an hour or so away from the Airport. I was overwhelmed with excitement! I was finally not going to be alone and better yet, see family that I haven't seen in a year or more and got to meet the newest addition, Scarlet, my sweet baby cousin! She is such a beautiful baby girl!

Aunt V, Scarlet, and Lucas

Cousin Nicole

Scarlet and I

When it was time to finally time to board the plane, I went to the Military part of the Airport, not sure of the exact name, but it was where I was taking my Space A flight to Ramstein Airforce Base, Germany! Got up to the desk to check in and all of a sudden, I was being notified that I didn't have funding to take this flight. At this point I was so emotional and wore out that I was starting to cry but held it back as much as possible! I was on the other side of the United States by myself with Tubbles and now being told I couldn't get on the plane because there was no funding (The Army didn't pay for it). The man explained to me that the orders I had was not the orders I needed... He went on to say that he will do me a favor and write the flight cost off and let me board the plane. I was so relived, words were beyond my relief! I later went on to lose my Military ID card after I went through security at the Airport..just to add on to everything that has already happened!
They required Tubbles to be under the plane which was really hard on me.. I didn't give her any tranquilizers which I wished I did after I got in Germany because she looked so bad! Her tongue was hanging out of her mouth and she couldn't even stand. I was so emotional, of course I started crying at this too! But I was so relived we were finally in Germany and no more plane rides.. Just a couple hour drive then we would be able to get some sleep!'
Kyle, Steve's friend from the unit and Beth , Kyles wife came and got me from Ramstein. Without them I would have no way to get to Schweinfurt, I also had to look up and say a big thank you to the Lord for them, they helped me so much! They are such great people! They came and got me, put up with me and Tubbles, took me to the BX to get a kitty box for Tubbles and so much more.
Apparently the unit had no idea I was coming, didn't have housing set up for me, and didn't have any transportation for me to get from Ramstein to Schweinfurt.. I can't thank Kyle and Beth enough! They let me stay at their home for about a week or so until I got my new ID card, got housing all figured out and finally got the right orders and real authorization to be there. I found out I really didn't have the right orders and the Air Force base I went to shouldn't of gave me tickets yet because I really wasn't authorized yet! It was such a mess!
I finally got a house on post and it was just in time for Stephens deployment homecoming!