Headache

Today (well yesterday really but then today too) I realized that we're moving into our house on Thursday and I don't know how to pay the rent.

I've got it figured out, thanks to some new friends but it just highlights the learning curve that's happening here.  When you move out of the house, you have to learn how to do all those things -- but you have parents that explain the system to you and help you do what you need to do.  

The army isn't a very good parent.  

We now have 2 bank accounts.  We have to transfer money from bank A to bank B (the German one) and then wire transfer money from bank B to our landlord and any utilities.  In Euros.  Which means that we pay one amount, but we have to make sure there's enough money in bank B to cover the additional expense of actually being dollars (since 100 Euros is about $112 right now BUT that rate fluctuates DAILY.  So so fun).  Paying tithing was also going to be a 12-step program (hah!), but the church just got Europe added to online donations and we can still do it in dollars so that's worked out pretty good.

Utilities are an estimated monthly payment and only calculated like once a year.  We either receive a refund of what we've overpaid at that time or have to pay the difference that we owe.

Our cell phones were switched to German sim cards and German numbers which are WEIRD.  Different lengths and you have to add a 0 at the beginning when you call.  That payment is automatically drafted too which is probably good because the statements are in German and I'm not sure I could figure out how to pay it!!

All my baking needs to be converted to celsius.  And you don't just turn on the temperature.  There are like 8 different settings.  The oven directions are in German.

What else?  Oh I'm sure there's more.  I can see why many people just love on base, shop on base, work on base, etc.  It's darn hard to do all this correctly.  And we don't have a lot of those choices for living on base, etc.  We have to be on the economy (that's what living off base and locally is referred to as).  

I haven't found a doctor or a dentist yet.

I'm tired -- and I have a headache.

But I'm still glad that we're here.  Most days!