Officially official

Welp, it's official. I'm moving to Germany. The process to make this happen took much longer than I expected, although I probably should have known better, considering I work for the military already...I started the application process in May, at one point actually had to reapply for the position after I had already been given a tentative offer, and then had to go through the wonder that is military administrative offices. The phrase "hurry up and wait" is not said just for laughs. The official date that I will be reporting to Germany is 26 September 2011.

I will be working with the Warrior Transition Unit (WTU) in Vilseck, Germany. I am not completely sure of exactly what I'll be doing since this is a brand new position that I will be developing from the ground up,  but I know that I'll be helping to develop programs to get the warriors active again. I won't have more than 30 patients at any point in time, which will be a nice change of pace from the 300+ that I see every 10 weeks right now. I may have to do some rehab, but I'll be in the gym and at physical training (PT) more often. Their rehab is more up to the physical therapists, so it's not a very clinical job. The initial job is for 3 years, so that's the minimum of how long I'll be there.

And now to answer the most common/anticipated questions regarding the whole move and job:
1.) I will be taking a base pay cut, but in the end will actually be getting a raise because government jobs overseas include payment for housing and utilities. It is a General Service (GS) position, which is great for so many reasons, including benefits and job security.
2.) The government is paying for the move, including shipping all of my furniture and my flight. The only thing that I will have to pay for is luggage costs.
3.) When I get over there I will have a sponsor that will help get me settled, find an apartment, etc. I will not be going over there completely blind and clueless. I also have friends who were recently over there who are trying to get me in touch with others that are still over there and local. I also will be put up in a hotel for up to 3 months until I find a place to live.
4.) I am taking my cats with me, which will be quite an adventure of its own.
5.) Anthony and I have come to a mutual decision that we are going to remain friends and stay in contact, but will not be continuing a formal relationship. We have to be "grown-ups" about the whole situation, which isn't always fun, but there are no hard feelings. We still love each other but know that right now it's not going to work out. Who knows what the future will bring to either of us, but he's happy for me, and his support makes the situation both easier and harder emotionally at the same time.
6.) I have skype, and expect that everyone else will soon, too. :)

I think those are the main points that people tend to ask about. More to come on the adventure of moving, and of course, once I get over there. I hope everyone enjoys this blog!