Bring on Belgium!

[JHolmes763]

I don't want to necro my old thread and I forget what phase of the operation this is... It's almost time for the family and I to leave on a jet plane for Belgium!

Finished up CGSC last week. Had a great class of 15 other folks and good instructors. They did the best they could with the given subject matter. Field grade lobotomy is now complete and I'm officially one of "them" or "they" as in "why do they make us do this?" or "how do they come up with this shit?"

Everything we have is either shipped or packed and we catch a flight on Thurs to start our next set of adventures. I'm excited to finally be on the ground and checking things out. I have to give a big shout out to Tim (MX) as he's helped us out a lot with valuable information. I'm ready to have a cigar in person with him.

Smoking an Undercrown now and sending goodbyes to friends on Facebook and calling up old buddies.

So thanks for following along with all of this and wish us luck. If I knew any French, I'd throw that in here, but I'm way behind the power curve on that!

Take care everyone and enjoy a good smoke.

John

 

[MX]

John,

I have done no more than what I think a BOTL should, and should have done more.
Will do my best to make it to the Airport on Friday, depends on work, have a few things on the calender, just have to see how they match up with your flight.

If there is any last minute thing you need, just let me know....

Tim

PS: Get here already...damn you Officer types know how to drag shit out...... :sign:

 

[4cbln3]

Have a safe flight with family John and let us know how it finally feels to be able to buy cubans legally! :whistling: :laugh:

 

[MX]

Have a safe flight with family John and let us know how it finally feels to be able to buy cubans legally! :whistling: :laugh:

unless he gives up his US Citizenship, he will not be bale to tell you how it feels to buy Cubans legally.....
search is your friend...lol

Tim

 

[MoeCizlak]

Congrats John, and good luck to you. Send us Belgian Ales.

 

[mjolnir01]

John, don't let your good idea fairy get too crazy, alright?

Have a blast over there, and please post details on your adventures here from time to time. I really miss living in Europe sometimes, so I'm looking forward to some vicarious living through your posts!

Now to start plugging NATO staff into my dreamsheet...

 

[kann]

Good luck with the move. Hope to meet you sometime while you/we are over here!

 

[Smokin'Sims]

Have fun on your new adventure.

 

[gtadroptop]

Best of luck, John!

 

[MX]

UPDATE:

John and the family made it in safe, if not a bit exhausted.

Tim

 

[kann]

Good to hear. Those flights suck any way you look at it. It's even more hellish when the whole family is stuck on the plane. Hope everyone is adjusting well to the new surroundings.

*EDIT* And, now there's one more person that will actually be awake at the same time! Welcome to the CET!

 

[JHolmes763]

Thanks for the welcome at the airport, Tim.

Finally got control of our dog around 3:30 pm when she arrived at the same time as us at 8am. If you ship your dig as cargo instead if on the same flight as you, be prepared to pay another 525€ to customs and the vet.

So since that took so long, we didn't get our car for the weekend. So we're hoofing it around for now. First night out in Belgium and we eat Tex-Mex at Chi-Chi's and Guiness at an Irish pub. lol...

Also a dozen other restaurants, some pubs and a grocery store within walking distance even though we were told we'd be in the middle of nowhere. Seems alright to me. Our sponsor is a gloomy cloud of dispair about everything in this country, so I'm learning not to listen to him.

We're going to try and catch a train downtown tomorrow even though we heard not much is open. It'll be fun to see some stuff either way.

Smoking an Air Bender outside the hotel now with a Trappistes Rochefort bier. Life seems pretty good here and everyone is enjoying it.

I'm still on a US number, Tim, until I buy a local phone. We'll get together later on this week if you have time.

Next step is house hunting. Wish us luck!

John

 

[kona1000]

Wow, sounds great- good luck!

 

[MX]

John,

If you need any thing either PM me here or Txt me on the cell (cheaper) and I can call you back.
If you are gonna be at Nato next week, let me know

Tim

Edit to add:

I have been here almost 4 years, I have seen lots of people come and go from the Brussels area. I never really noticed until Kelli (my Wife) pointed it out, but everyone that has "hated" it in Belgium had a sponsor that "hated" it as well. They seem to pass on the negativity, do not get sucked in.

Best advise I could give, and it was given to me, Embrace the culture....we are not in the States anymore.

Any thing I can do, let me know. I am always up for road trips and sight seeing.....

 

[kann]

Best advise I could give, and it was given to me, Embrace the culture....we are not in the States anymore.

^ ^ THIS.

Lived and "visited" a few different places around this big globe, and this is by far the best advice anyone can give someone who has not lived outside the US before (not sure if you have or haven't, honestly). You are not in America. It's nice to have a few comforts of home, but don't try and MAKE it America, because it just isn't. See. Do. Embrace. Experience.