On 19 May, with a heavy heart, I said “Goodbye” to Germany. After living there for 5 years, I knew I would miss the following the most:
* Good friends ~ both German and American.
* The close bonds of the Army family.
* Everyone being OK with having a beer at 9am after a 10k wandertag.
* The autobahn.
* The pristine environment .
* Traveling through Europe without jet-lag.
* Efficient and economical mass transit.
Of course, there is so much more I will miss.
Logan and I flew from Frankfurt to Chicago where we met up with my John. Then it was onto Guam, via a 5-night stay in Honolulu. Since Hawaii is the closest Army post to Guam, John in-processed while we were there. Yeah, I know ~ tough assignment. I was hoping Hawaii would give us a chance to ease into island life but the weather was actually cool and we were so jet-lagged we didn’t know if we were coming or going. We did have a gorgeous room at the Outrigger Reef on Waikiki for three nights and then at the Hale Koa AFRC the last two nights. I highly recommend both when you are in Waikiki.
While in Honolulu, I got the chance to have dinner with one of my favorite couples of all time. They were neighbors of my family when we lived in Puerto Rico many, many years ago. My Dad and Perry were very good friends and my sister and I would babysit for their son, Eric. Ironically, Eric was in town visiting with his wife and HIS son. OK, it did make me feel a little old seeing the “baby” I used to sit for with a son of his own, but hey, I was a young(!) babysitter at the time. Anyway, I can’t say enough about Eric’s parents ~ they are so nice and so interesting to be around. I’ve truly been blessed in all my travels to have met the most wonderful people. The trick is to staying in touch with all of them ~ thankful for all the social media outlets which make it easier and easier.
After departing Honolulu for the 7.5 hour flight, we ended up in Guam still jet-lagged, sleep deprived, and HOT. Getting off the plane in Guam felt like opening an oven at 450 degrees. I have to say the only other time I felt that same sensation was getting off the plane in Memphis, TN ~ in August ~ after traveling in from Jackson, WY.
We were greeted at the airport by John’s entire team from the University of Guam which was so nice of them since it was a Friday night. They made us feel so welcome. Let the new island adventures begin!
Displaced Beachbums 
I don’t know if my wife “Joy” told you, but I got my commission from the University of Guam in Jan 2003. Little did I know that I would become an Infantry Platoon Leader in the same Battalion that your hubby was the Battalion XO in, 2/2 IN,”The Mighty Ramrods!” I must say that I really miss the Ramrod BN, and all the Soldiers that I served with in combat. I know that Joy really misses all the coffee group meetings and BN functions. I will always hold the Ramrod BN high because of all the dedication and courage the Soldiers showed no matter what the difficulty or sacrifice. Please tell MAJ P I said good luck, and show those soon to be LT’s how the Ramrods,”Lead the way!”
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