Currancy Converter

Here's a cool site I found which not only converts currancy for you, but also gives you little pocket guides to print out and take with you on travel.

http://finance.yahoo.com/currency-converter/

--Shaun

Thoughts on house hunting while PCSing to Stuttgart, Germany

Below are some "lessons learned" when looking for a house overseas while going through a PCS as a government civilian....this post will be edited as I think of more stuff to put into it.  Hopefully other people can make use of some of it....if anything, it will help my Wife and I in the future.



Go see the housing office and get the information they have:
http://www.stuttgart.army.mil/sites/newcomers/housing.asp

Houses available through the housing office:
http://oph-stuttgart.net/

Things to consider:

Going through housing will mean you won't have to pay a realtor fee which can be between 1.5 and 2.5 month's rent, which can add up to quite a bit...for example, a house that's €2,500 a month, will mean you will owe between €3,750 to €6,250 (or $5,260 to $8,767) at closing just for a realor fee, which you won't get back.  That is a lot of money...make sure the house is worth it...also remember what you could do with that money (trips back to the US, trips in the area where you live, emergency fund, buy a used car, charity, etc.).

Also be sure you can cover the security deposit required on any house.  You will get this money back at the termination of your contract provided that you don't damage the house, but it is still money that you'll need to have on hand and be able to be without for the duration of your stay.  These usually seem to be around 2 months rent.

Try and make the determination if you want to purchase a house or not before you PCS over.  That way you will have more time to plan.

Here is a helpfu link:

Apartment hunting via immobilienscout24.de - Germany:
http://www.toytowngermany.com/lofi/index.php/t63493.html

** It is also very, very helpful to use Google Chrome to browse these sites as it has the Google translate function built directly into it, which can save you a lot of time. **

** Another note is if you choose to email realtors from the immobilienscout24.de website, make certain that you check you spam email box on a daily basis, because many times a reply from one of the realtors will get filtered into this box. **

I have a list of a few realtors that I used who seemed pretty good: 
jones-properties.de - http://www.jones-properties.de/
immopointeurope.de - http://www.immopointeurope.de/D-Mieten/rentals_-_mieten.html
Stuttgart Realtors - http://www.stuttgartrealtors.com/
Stuttgart Yard Sales - http://www.stuttgartyardsales.com/
immobilienscout24.de - http://www.immobilienscout24.de/
http://www.houses-rental.com/
<get michael link>
<get colett link>

Helpful information to determine your location relative to bases and trains:
http://www.vvs.de/en/
http://maps.google.com/
http://www.bahn.com/i/view/USA/en/index.shtml

GPS addresses to help you locate a base:
Panzer - Panzer Str, 71032 Boeblingen
Kelley - Plieninger Str, 70567 Stuttgart-Moehringen
Patch - Kurmaecker Str, 70569 Stuttgart-Vaihingen
Robinson - Heidloch Str, 70376 Stuttgart-Burgholzhof

Helpful information on how to call various phone numbers:
http://www.howtocallabroad.com/germany/

Exchange rate calculator:
http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html

A good "ice breaker" when on the phone with the realtors is:
Guten Tag, sprechen Sie Englisch? (Good day, do you speak English?)

Numbers in Germany:
It is also helpful to know how to say numbers so that when you call and leave a message, you can leave your telephone number in English and German.
http://german.about.com/library/blzahlen.htm

Thanks all for now...

Shaun

Things I would pack in my unaccompanied baggage while going through PCS

This is the first thought I've had in months.


If I had to do it over again, here are some things I would pack next time.  Most of this I probably could have shipped, since we only shipped 350lbs worth of stuff and we were authorized 700lbs.

1. real matress
2. kitchen towels
3. cleaning supplies
4. vaccum
5. mop
6. clothes
7. shoes
8. bookshelf
9. furnature (end tables)
10. pictures
11. posters
12. hanging supplies
13. something to hand clothes on
14. tools
15. Big mug
16. Coffee mug
17. monitor
18. computer
19. computer supplies
20. bike
21. bike pump

More to be added later...this is more just for my records for when I have to do this again....and for anyone else out there who is going through a PCS.

--Shaun

Address and a quick update

Hello,

Below is my address over here:

Shaun Cavanaugh
CMR 480 BOX 2007
APO AE 09128

Also, I've posted some new pics (Stuttgart Christmas Market) to Flickr and a video (my hotel room) to YouTube.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shauncavanaugh/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOzpm3qAzBA

Today I worked out for the first time in a few weeks...I'm hoping that I get back into the swing of things this week.

Later,

Shaun

Day 1 on the job in Germany

It still seems very strange to think that I'm going to be living in Germany for the next few years and that I'm not just on a vacation in Germany....it also seems weird that I won't be going into the job that I had been at for the past five (closer to six) years....I feel a bit lonely, but less lonely than I did yesterday, so hopefully that will pass.

So far in Germany I have not seen the Sun...it has been cold, cloudy, and snowy for the 1.5 days I've been here.  Surprisingly I don't mid it though...it's kind of calming and relaxing.

My hotel room is nice.  I'll be uploading pictures on Flickr shortly:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shauncavanaugh/

This is where I'm staying:

http://www.pullmanhotels.com/gb/hotel-5425-pullman-stuttgart-fontana/index.shtml

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187291-d202429-Reviews-Pullman_Fontana_Stuttgart-Stuttgart_Baden_Wurttemberg.html

Today was just some basic in-processing stuff, nothing much.  Tomorrow and the rest of the week is the same thing...there is talk of them closing the base tomorrow due to weather conditions, so we'll see...I imagine they won't since there doesn't seem to be much bad weather so far tonight.

Sometime within the next few days I plan on getting on the train outside my hotel to go to downtown Stuttgart and check out the Christmas markets and see what type of property is for rent over there.  Not yet sure if we want to live in a downtown environment, or a more rural area.  Either way, I want to be close to the train/bus...that will be much nicer than driving to work.

For dinner tonight I went with my sponsor to an Italian place which was pretty nice...had authentic Italian pizza....my sponsor is very good with stuff like this, he's definitely not one to just point me in the direction and tell me I'm on my own...so far he's looked out for me pretty well.

Well, that's about all for tonight...I'm going to try and update this on a regular basis to help record my expereince here, and help let loved ones at home know how it's going.

Later,

Shaun

Starting to go through items for the big move to Germany

Hello,

Well, today we got the dates for having our stuff transported to Germany...19-Nov, and 29-30 Nov.

I'm starting to go through things and looking at them thinking, "well, I won't see you for 3 years"...a lot of the stuff I'm going to leave here in the USA because it doesn't make sense to cart it all the way over to Europe.

I guess it's starting to hit me that I'm going to be leaving soon for a new experience in my life and that makes me a little nervous.  It's probably similar to the way I felt right before I got married.  I get that homesick feeling that I usually get before I go on a big trip.

I got through a lot of my stuff tonight, but now I have a large pile of stuff that I'm leaving here and part of me isn't sure about leaving it all, the other part is saying that if I can live without it for 3 years, then why not get rid of it entirely so I won't have to think about it at all...for now it's in my 'store' pile....we'll see how that goes.

Well, it's about time to get upstairs and check on Egg...I don't think he was feeling well tonight.

Later,

Shaun

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3.

Greetings from England....it would be nice if I can use this blog to post my thoughts and feelings about my travels to Europe this Summer.....however, I may not, so don't get too excited.

Best,

Shaun