Flying out to Deutschland

I looked like what I’d imagine an insane first-time traveler looks as I sweated my way through security lines with not one, but TWO laptop computers. One was this tiny Acer Aspire; the other was my 5 year old Apple dinosaur, still good for running music and dvds. I wore two coats as I rolled an engorged suitcase, on which I’d also strapped a pink monkey blanket. Add an aqua blue messenger bag, crammed with books that had to be removed from my checked bag, and you have the idea. Did I mention that I felt the need to buy a Portland shot glass for $2.49 and a Portland coffee thermos for $9.95 after I got to the airport? I’m also wearing a blue t-shirt with Powell’s Books written inside a graphic of the state of Oregon.

Now you see why the poor ticket agents may have felt bad for me.

Or not.

We arrived at the airport this morning about 6:45AM. Carrie and Oatie dropped me off. I got out of Carrie’s car with my 50 pound (army green- no joke) duffel bag and blue bag over my shoulder and carrying my orange bike-in-a-box. Carrie followed with my rolling carry-on. She gave me a hug and off I went.

I proceeded to the line. A NWA lady walked up to help me right away.

After my fiasco of the night before, discovering that I could have only one bag (resulting in emergency bag consolidation) and the bike was going to cost double what I’d been told, I decided that I’d go with the expectation that NW would do the right thing. My horoscope (everyone knows that’s God speaking to us, right?) had told me that if I expected the worst, that was what would happen; if I expected the best, then vice versa.

The first lady told me, “The bike will be $300.”

I said, “I’d been told over the phone that the bike was $150-175.”

She said, “Yes, but our fees have changed. It’s $300.”

I said, “I called last week and the man on NWA phone said $150-175. I could’ve shipped it for free.”

She said, “How could you have shipped it for free?”

“I had a container shipped to Germany. I’m moving there.”

She disappeared and spoke with her supervisor, who then came over and said,
“It’s $300 to ship your bicycle. The fees have changed.”

“I know, but I was told on the phone it was $150-175. Your fees aren’t listed on your website. The only way I would have known this was by talking to the person on the phone.” I maintained my composure. (Probably because I was half-awake.)

She and the ticketing agent went over to a different computer and shuffled papers. I waited. Patiently.

“You already spoke to a supervisor and they told you it was $300.”

“Yes, that was last night. I didn’t speak to a supervisor, the woman on the phone spoke to her supervisor and they told me you were the only ones who could change the fees, so they told me to ask you when I checked in.”

They went away again. And shuffled more papers. Then came back and said, “We’ll charge you the $175.”

“Ok, thank you.” It was only fair. But with airlines, little is fair these days. Once you buy a ticket, you’re at their mercy. No compensation for errors, late planes, lost or broken luggage, the list could go on.

I waited as the woman typed in my info, charged me and got my bicycle tagged up. I said something about how NW has been a good airline and I’d thought I might have to check in with Delta.

She said, “Soon we’ll be no more- it’s sad. It brings a tear to my eye.”

“I know. I’ve been flying with them for so many years because I’m from North Dakota. They’ve always been good to me.”

After everything was tagged, I loaded my 50 pound duffel, aqua messenger, the bike-in-a-box and my rolling suitcase and walked over to the luggage drop, where the man said, “Let me help you with that large item!” Taking away the bike-in-a-box.

I said, “That’s not the big one,” showing him my shoulder bag.

Knowing I could make it with all my luggage was empowering.

I walked off, lighter, when my phone rang. It was Carrie. I told her everything went fine. She said, “That took you a long time at the check-in counter. What were they doing? I was watching you from outside the whole time.”

How sweet it is to have a sister like that.

The last few days at her house were a good ending to my time in Portland. This time when she dropped me off to move overseas, there were no tears of emotion. It was just another move, to a country I know.

“I’ll see you in Germany,” we said.

What fun would flying be without last minute baggage glitches?

I was attempting to check in online for my flight. Previously, one could not check in for international flights online, but now things have improved. Or have they?

The seat selection was fine, but then I got to the part about checked baggage, where there were warnings of extra fees for not checking in online, excess baggage and the part about one 50 pound bag per person internationally. Also a note saying that excess baggage needed to be registered with NWA via phone prior to travel. This information was all available only after starting the check-in process, which is 24 hours prior to the flight.

Funny, my reservation said two 50 pound bags were allowed.

So I called Northwest. The agent (Asian woman, I'd guess) was very nice but said the baggage was only one bag; my reservation was wrong.

Secondly, I asked about the bicycle, which I'd called NWA about the week prior. I'd been told it was fine to just show up at the airport and the fees were $150-175 for the bicycle. The woman on the phone said she would check if I needed to have the bike noted prior to travel. When she returned to the line, she reported that the fee was actually $300 and that they'd changed in July. Northwest decided to double the fees.

My flight was $645 one way with all taxes, etc. So the baggage was half that? Insane.

I guess that is where the airlines are making their money these days, on random fees.

Once you get to the airport with too much luggage or the wrong size or wrong type, you are pretty much at their mercy. Do you toss that $1000 bicycle, or do you pay the $300? Fees for phone reservations, fees for check-in, fees for food. Shit, we should all be losing weight if we flew enough, right?

Well, the lady on the phone was very kind and appalled at the fees, which seem rather exorbitant, considering skis, golf clubs and other various sporting items still incur no excess baggage fees. She noted on my reservation the discrepancy in what I was told the week prior (those were the old charges) and apologised, saying that she hoped the check-in agent would be able to help me, as they were the ones who collect the fees.

I guess I am the point of what can I do? I have paid out about $2,000 in stupid fees in the last month. Ranging from locksmiths, to buyers concessions, to bike fees, to ?? At least I have a real job starting on Tuesday. And it's in a country where I can expand my mind with German practice.

This is why I choose to move overseas. I like to travel too much. It's bordering on addiction. However, I do not like to fly anymore. I never know what will go wrong next. What item have I packed that's deemed dangerous, excessive? Perhaps those sunglasses? The shoes? They have metal? Ok. Forget my craziness.

I have to finish my second beer so I can pass out and fall asleep.

A most unlikely tale of finding a [possible] job

I wrote this on 8/22/2009, but then reconsidered posting it - and thought I'd wait until I actually had the job.

It all started with a posting for a job opening at WalMart in Eugene, Oregon. A posting I found while looking for fill-in work in Oregon. I thought I could pay off all my loans if I worked at WalMart for a while, even though I'm not so sure about the place. I googled "Walmart optometry job Eugene" and ended up finding a posting for an opening as a civilian optometrist in Vilseck(Veel-sick) Germany, twenty-five miles from the Czech border, in the Bavaria region.

***

I contacted the company who was contracted by the US Army to fill the position. They were looking for a start date in October 2009 and said a contract package would be out in a few weeks. This is the first time there's been a full-time opening as a civilian optometrist in the Europe division.

I'd sort of forgotten about the job while traveling Minnesota and North Dakota, attending endless family reunions, not wanting to get my hopes up. After my travels, I arrived home in Minot at my mom's house. The next day, she opened the front door. There was a UPS package for me with all the Germany information.

I started the application process, which involved eighty-three pages mailed to me, one hundred mailed back. Yes, I counted. You know I like math.

Anyway.

This morning my mom called at 7:38AM. I don't normally get up until ten, so this was essentially the middle of the night for me.

She said, Tim called this morning to talk to you. Tim is John 's brother, the one who I used to date in college and after Keith died."

In my grogginess, I was utterly confused about what was happening. "Did he call tomorrow?" I asked. No, that's not the right word.

She said, "You better have some coffee, start singing and call him back."

I started to grind my coffee and prepare my morning medication. After gulping two Americanosdown and singing "On Eagle's Wings" at my dining room table, I placed the call to North Dakota about a job in Germany.

T 56 hours and counting...

I've gotten a plethora of emails with military-speak. The latest was "Please proceed to the nearest RAPIDS for your CAC issuance." An assortment of abbreviated instructions followed. I'm not certain if I should be proceeding to the RAPIDS in Portland or the RAPIDS in Germany. All I know is that I am heading for the RAPIDS.

Which brings me to my next concern, "Am I smart enough to remember all these acronyms?" Really. I was always a good reasoner, good at math, whatnot, understanding other points of views, but memorizing. No, I was complete Shite at that. If my career were based on memorizing, I'd have to go and sleep under the bridge. So luckily up until now, I've not been required to be a memorizing fool. At least if I am in Europe, I can pick the Ponte Vecchio to sleep under. That makes me feel better.

Yesterday, I received an email welcoming me to Vilseck base from the major who's in charge of new civilians. She's sending someone to pick me up at the airport in Nuremberg on Monday and then I've been instructed to get dropped off at my hotel. Tuesday morning, the major is going to pick me up at 7:30 and outfit me with all my necessary IDs and cards and introduce me to my new clinic.

For the my last two days on US soil, I'm snuggled in at Carrie's house once again. With Oatie in tow, the place is a sanctuary of free wifi happiness, albeit interrupted by various repairmen, as the furnace stopped (was clogged with algae) and one of the bathroom electrical circuits had a breaker trip in the attic. No wonder we couldn't figure that one out.

My new buyers are moved into my house and apparently delighted with the place. Praise the lord. I'm happy to be Sara-less-one-house. Soon to be Sara-with-no-houses, but that'll have to wait til spring.

Auf Weidersehen! Guten Nacht! Tchus bis morgen.

One down, one to go.

The last night in my house... (I had planned to drink myself into a stupor.)

Moving day: 13 Oktober 2009.

Some of the junk in my basement. Cripes!

Mom: your piano story went over so well- see the shipping order. Kathie is an industrious North Dakotan who is not afraid to set goals and acheive them.

There goes the piano. It's wrapped with paper and cardboard and shrinkwrap.

Hopefully the final fig suicide I ever have to see.

All my stuff. That part in the front is just their packing materials. And the whole container is for me. I should've gotten more things!

The movers and I were out of the house at 4:56PM. Buyers took official possession at 5:00PM. The other realtor came over to get the key and the title company called to say it recorded just before that. So tomorrow I will have a wire into my account. Perhaps travel money? Just kidding. You never know with me.

***

The saga of the sale was not without its hishs and lows, truly a tale to be told- as life is, most of the time. If it were all smooth sailing, how would we know when we were happy?

***

I find it slightly odd that I am moving to Germany in five days, but also I find it slightly normal. What does that mean? I do not know. I expected that I would have a feeling of glee or relief or something on my last walk-through, but I just felt flat. I am glad to be done with it.

(***=moronic computer issues)