Covid complications

 Not quite yet home from our trip to Switzerland.  I woke up about 3 am today due to jet lag and have been thinking about travel advice. Authorities are collecting reams of data and continually changing regulatory guidance to cope with this pandemic.  What I have observed:  1) You should be vaccinated, but it will not be enough.  Current Covid tests will be required.  2) The test costs can be anywhere from free to about $200. Test center sites can be temporary and may not be well-marked or advertised.  Some sites demand cash.  3) Do not travel without a cell phone with reliable and quick download capacity. (I have upgraded mine; we barely got by.). 4) The forms you will need to fill out are ONLY online. Download form, fill out extensive questions, verify statements, upload data (passport, boarding pass, cell number, your destination address, etc.) Then submit and await verification that it was received.  Requirements will vary by country.

For Covid, authorities not only want to identify you, and verify your status, but also be able to track you in case of an outbreak. We had to download a form, fill it out, submit, get a return certificate, and then.... no one ever asked for the certificate.  Leaving on our trip, vaccination by itself was stated to be adequate to enter Switzerland.  A few days later that was upgraded to a Covid test.  While staying at a hotel in Zurich, they upgraded requirements to where you needed to show current vaccination to be allowed in their restaurant. More people started eating at their outdoor patio.

An airline agent told us that she has had multiple people break down crying from the stress of compliance. Imagine going through a long line, then discovering that you cannot provide the required information before your flight leaves. (We shared that feeling of desperation.)  Add in flight delays and cancellations (both of which we experienced).  Is your test good for 48 hours, 72 hours, or three calendar days.... the answers vary.  Is the rapid test good enough, or do you require the more complicated PCR test.... we were given uncertain answers. If you get a “breakthrough” infection, expect a hotel room quarantine.

But Switzerland was great!

Back to the United States

 Dawn and I realize that we are both Europhiles.  Does that make us less patriotic?  I don’t think so.... having served with the US military for almost fifty years.  But, we have seen enough to realize that there are many satisfying aspects to European life, and the US is no longer the “shining city on a hill”, or the land of freedom and individual liberty as it has been portrayed.

Another Covid test was required.to re-enter the US.  Upon arrival at the Zurich hauptbahnhof, we came upon a temporary testing station that had been set up, and the line was short.  So we signed up.  Again, sign-up required a download on our cell phone plus payment in cash, Swiss Francs.  But we got it done with negative readings!  And for less than half what we paid in Chicago. Here in Switzerland the trains run on time; in fact, everything works like clockwork. It makes our stay in Washington, DC, seem third world by comparison.

Bikes we rented at the SBB train luggage office.  It was Sunday and the other bike sources were closed. Look at how tranquil the water is.

Getting near the end of boating season, but this beautiful runabout was still on the water.

Having got the testing out of the way, we again rented E-bikes and pedaled to Rapperswil at the far end of Zürichsee, about 40 km. away. Receiving these bikes in the center of Zurich, we initially had to pedal through city traffic.  In Europe, bicycle rules are very strict; a 100 CHF fine for riding on the sidewalks.  When we previously had rented bicycles in Copenhagen, we were given a short course on rules for riding bikes in city traffic, so we had some knowledge.  About the same as driving a car..... with all the traffic signs in a foreign language.

What a beautiful church scene!  A cemetery with many flowers was next door.  Passing out of the city, we rode through a park promenade and then followed the shore except for side trips.

We rode the east shore of Lake Zurich and made a few stops along the way.  These statues look out across the lake at Meilen. We had very poor guidance on finding the optimum bike route.  With a more detailed map we could have done better.

 Our entire route this time was confined to bike lanes painted on the streets.  In places the streets are too narrow for bike lanes, and you have to trust the alertness of passing drivers. After a food stop (simple groceries enjoyed at a park bench overlooking the harbor) and exploring the local schloss (minor castle), we put our bikes on the train and relaxed going back to Zurich.

Rapperswil harbor with the schloss in the background.  We could have taken a boat back to Zurich but it would have been much slower.

The castle at Rapperswil.  It is a prominent landmark and had many visitors (perhaps because it was Sunday?)

 

Renting these bikes was not as easy as you might imagine.  We went to the TI (tourist information) and they referred us to the train luggage office.  The luggage clerk on duty said we needed to make a reservation online. It was late in the day, and we found the website confusing and unworkable. Next morning we went back to the TI for help. They also found the website to be unworkable. Thus, back to the train luggage office where a nice woman completed the paperwork and finally gave us E-bikes.

Will we come back here?  Dawn rates this as the best trip we have ever taken.  Nice, but I can fondly remember other enjoyable circumstances.  Comparisons can be like apples and oranges.  Our intentions are to return, but life has a way of introducing new circumstances to alter choices.

Hotel Adler where we stayed in Zurich.  This is only about four blocks from the hauptbahnhof.  Located on Rosengasse; "gasse" being another name for alley.  Very nice people.  They had held our initial room deposit for almost 18 months due to the trip delay.

A percussion band playing outside our hotel in the small open square.  We also got live music from the bar across the street "Splendid Bar".

Conclusions: 1) Weather was warmer than expected; 72-79 degrees rather than 65-72 as forecast. Packed too much warm clothing.  2) Almost everything can be paid for with a credit card, but we were fortunate to have the 100 CHF for our COVID tests.  3) Worthwhile to understand the train system; it is very convenient when fully understood.  Planning for a destination, you can not only know the timetable, but the train composition. Certain cars are arranged for children play areas, handicapped, dining, bicycle transport, scenic vista, and class 1 versus class 2.  Beforehand, you can know where to stand on the platform to enter each car type and how crowded it is likely to be.  Train stops may be for two minutes or less, so decisions need to be quick.

Lucerne. (Luzern)

 Lucerne is an extremely scenic city.  You are walking on a central city street; you look up, and there is a rugged mountain peak, or a series of lush hillsides, or boats out on the wide waters of a lake.  It is listed as the #1 summer tourist destination in Switzerland.  We are staying at Hotel Central, a boutique hotel (our favorite type of accommodation) only two blocks from the bahnhof, which makes everything convenient. Trains, boats, and busses are easy to reach, yet we are able to keep our hotel room window open and the evening atmosphere is quiet.

Central Luzern; the bridge in the foreground is named Rathaussteg.  The prominent building is the Jesuitenkirche.

A typical scene looking out on Lake Lucerne surrounded by mountains.

 

Our first day trip was to Rigi Kulm, a mountain top with hotel to the east of Luzern, where Dawn’s sister worked for a summer in her college days.  We had been there before, but the hotel had changed in the intervening years. The excursion required a boat trip across the lake to Vitznau and a cog rail train to the top. Great views at a 6000’ altitude with no clouds to obscure it.

View from the top of Rigi Kulm.  Not a tall mountain; there are cows grazing in this area.

Photo taken from the cog rail train just above Vitznau.  Notice how placid the lake is; not sailing weather.

Vitznau promenade with hotel & marina.  The sign in front of the hotel advertised rooms at 1195 CHF per night, about $1300.

A clear view of Pilatus.  To get to the top, we took a steep cog railway up what you see as the left-hand side of the mountain. then a series of three cable car systems descends on the right-hand side of the mountain.

Next was a day trip to Mount Pilatus, to the south of Luzern and somewhat taller at 7000 feet.  We first took a boat to Alpnachstad, then boarded a very steep cog railway with the train seats stair-stepped inside the actual cars which are ascending at a 40-degree angle.  Descending required a series of gondolas: very steep, moderately steep, and then a more normal incline.  We skipped the lower one and walked the last few miles, stopping to enjoy the scenery as we walked.  These mountains seem tall, but we are still at an altitude more than 500 feet lower than our home in Colorado.

There is a trail, if you choose to hike up the entire distance to the top.  Look closely (or expand the photo) and you can see the trail and tiny figures ascending.

               Gondola descending in the first stage from the top of Pilatus.

Gondola on the lower slopes of Pilatus.  Instead of taking this convenience, we elected to hike to the bottom.  Just when we reached the bottom, a rain cloud came through, but we had each packed an umbrella in our back packs and kept dry.

Still hiking but at a lower level.  Our hotel was located about where you see the left end of the lake.  We took a city bus the last few miles to the hotel.

For a change, today we rented e-bikes to ride in the countryside.  Since we are staying in the center of Lucerne, we rented our e-bikes from the SBB train service at the bahnhof and took the bikes on the train to the outlying smaller town of Zug.  Zug is on the shores of a lake, Zugersee. Our bike path brought us to Rotkreuz before we elected to turn back. The weather continues mild; people were boating and swimming along the shore. Pedaling our bikes takes us right through parks, fields, and neighborhoods on a beautiful Fall Day.

Famous sculpture hewn into the native stone just a few blocks from central Luzern.  It commemorates the Swiss Guards killed in the French Revolution. Note the broken spear in the side of this dying lion.

We were allowed a late checkout at our hotel on our final day in Luzern and took one last lake cruise to a small village with a cable car system linking it to a luxury resort on a high plateau, Burgenstock, overlooking the entire region. They had condominiums for sale, but I am sure that they are way above our pay grade.  Dawn wants to return and live near Luzern for an extended period.  You need a visa to stay more than three months.

View from luxury hotel atop a plateau a thousand feet above Lake Lucerne.  Rigi Kulm is in the background.

We are loving the Swiss Travel Passes we bought.  Very convenient, providing free or discounted costs at many points, and allowing freedom in planning.  If we do this e-bike rental again, we will take the train to one town and then get picked up at a different town after biking between them.  There is a bike trail that crosses Switzerland from Lausanne to Zurich in 13 stages.  It is named the Herzroute.

Lausanne and Lake Geneva

 We are gaining confidence in our understanding of the Swiss public transportation system.  Arriving in Lausanne by train (now French-speaking announcements), we put our luggage in a locker and quickly transferred to the Metro to visit the old part of town. After walking the old city (not amazing) we took the Metro to the lakefront (section called "d'Ouchy), for a walk on the promenade and a sumptuous dinner. A goat cheese salad, a half liter of beer, and sorbet for me. Then, after retrieving our luggage, we flagged a taxi to take us to our B&B in a residential neighborhood.

Dinner at the Lausanne harbor.  Those little pancake-looking things are full of goat cheese; delicious (this is the French part of Switzerland.).  Plus a half liter of good beer.

Side paddle wheel boat built in 1910.  We cruised Lake Geneva to Montreux on this.  The Swiss Travel Pass covers all these lake transports.

Our taxi driver let us off where he insisted our B&B was located, but he was off by 1 1/2 blocks.  Given the density of multi-family dwellings and the convoluted streets, we might never have found the correct address except that a nice gentleman came out to empty trash, and we solicited his help.  We called our hostess; he provided our location; and our B&B  hostess drove to our location to guide us to her home.

We quickly learned the local bus schedule (every ten minutes) and had no further needs for a taxi.

Lake Geneva is very large, almost 50 miles long, with the southern shore part of France and the north a French-speaking part of Switzerland.  Lausanne is central to the north shore.  While here, we took two day trips.  First we took a boat trip to Montreux.  Our vessel was a 250’ long, side paddle wheeler built in 1910 but maintained in beautiful condition; a scenic way to see the entire shore.

The north shore of Lake Geneva covered in vineyards.  Note that there is very little wind.  We saw many sailboats in Switzerland, but the wind did not blow during the 16 days we were there.

Walking the Montreux promenade; it is miles long with constant flowers and artwork and statuary. This is mainly a resort town and very pretty.  The climate here is surprisingly mild with few freezing days.

The flowers were in full bloom; no sign that the season was ending.

This is a favorite area for local tourism, being near at hand and with an almost Mediterranean climate.  The hillsides show many villas surrounded by extensive vineyards.  Reaching Montreux, a high-end resort town, we enjoyed walking the miles-long promenade with its endless flowers and artist’s sculptures. We followed that with a tasty meal at a Middle-Eastern restaurant.  Then we hopped the train back to Lausanne.

Another yummy dinner with beer.  Fine dining is fairly expensive, but we were on vacation!  The weather was such that our meals were invariably taken out-of-doors.

We had planned to cross the lake to Evian (where Evian water comes from) on the French shore the following day, but when we arrived at the pier, we were informed that, as outsiders, a new Covid test would be required for us to cross the lake.  We quickly changed our destination to Nyon, a smaller town in the SW direction of Geneva, and took the train instead.  It proved to be a pleasant day.  The town is smaller but scenic.  The train station is at the high side of the town with cobblestone streets and shops cascading down a steep hill to the marina.

Nyon waterfront and marina.  The marina approach from town is rather steep; we found an elevator at a parking lot to help with the differing heights.

         A well-maintained town castle in Nyon: now a public building.

                                           Gate from the castle to its courtyard.

 I had a meal of calamari with my usual half liter of beer at a lakeside restaurant.  We shopped our way back up the hill, buying only some sunscreen (new tech and unavailable in the US), and took the train back to Lausanne.

            I couldn't leave you without showing the calamari (plus rice and vegetables) dinner and thirst-quenching beer.

In Lausanne, we transferred from train to Metro, had dessert at the harbor, then the Metro to Flon station where we transfer to a bus to Bugnon, near our B&B. Not as much hassle as you would imagine.  All these forms of transportation are interconnected by distance and schedule so that wait times are short.

Wengen and the Jungfrau region

 Our visit was perfect: perfect weather, perfect accommodations, and incredible scenery.  From the valley floor, a cog rail train is needed to reach the village; no private vehicles allowed. A short three-block walk to Hotel Edelweiss. The village businesses are essentially on one street, except for the accommodations.  We had dinner at several area hotels as well as where we were staying.

Looking down on the top cable station.  From here, we followed a path along the left side of the near peak.  The beautiful glacier-clad mountains continually dominated every view.

 Our first day, we took the gondola 3000’+ up the mountain and spent the day hiking down.... more than we should have done, resulting in sore leg calve muscles for several days.

     Does it get any prettier than this?  Perfect weather and a well-marked trail.

Every cow had a loud cowbell because they were left unfenced to graze on the mountain sides.

Second day, we hiked, cog train, gondola, until we arrived at a mountain peak, Schilthorn, which was the location for the filming of a James Bond movie.

Photo taken from the peak of Mt. Schilthorn, 2970 meters altitude (about 9800 feet)

Mountain view from the upper end of the valley at Gimmelwald; a very small village at 4500 feet altitude.

Third day, I went tandem paragliding at Interlaken.  Many years ago, I had an introductory paragliding course where we learned paragliding by taking progressively longer solo flights until we were able to launch at the top of a ski slope and glide into the winter Olympic stadium at Garmisch, Germany.  But I was too busy then to pursue the sport (Desert Storm) and would not trust myself after so much time to do the right thing now.  The parawings have improved greatly in the past thirty years. My pilot suggested we do some “tricks” before landing, and he put our parawing into a series of tight spins.  Whoo!  I did not get sick, but felt like a carnival ride, and it took a while for my balance to get sorted out after landing.

How many paragliders can you count in this photo?  I count nine (not including myself).  Again, absolutely perfect weather and great scenery. (You can expand this photo.)

We are coming in for a landing in the large green field ahead in the center of Interlaken Ost.

Photo taken from the cog rail train between Lauterbrunnen (on the valley floor) and Wengen (on the mountain slopes).

Our last day at Wengen we rented mountain E-bikes and made a tour of the upper Jungfrau valley. We stopped at a series of waterfalls from the sheer valley walls as we proceeded up the valley, then put our bikes on a gondola to Gimmelwald; rode our bikes further up the mountain to Murren for lunch.  We bought salmon, bread, fruit, and a drink and had a picnic in a small park.  Then we followed a mainly downhill course to arrive in Lauterbrunnen.  What a great day!

The valley walls are vertical and hundreds of feet high.  This is a waterfall which has worn its way into the cliff-like walls, creating a waterfall inside a mountain.  Note how small the people appear.

 No matter where you are, these rugged mountains provide majestic views.

Mountain E-bikes provided the perfect way to explore this valley.  It is so nice to stay active but have some assurance that the effort will not exceed your endurance by being steeper or farther than expected.
 

Finally, Switzerland !

 What a beautiful country!  From first views, through breaks in the clouds, as our flight approached Zurich, the country is such a beautiful quilt of mountains, forests, manicured, fields, blending into neat homes, villages, and cities.  Upon landing at the airport, we walked off the plane and into the city of Zurich without being stopped at any checkpoints!  Un-needed form completions!  We are staying in the “altstadt”, old part of the city filled with amazing buildings of classic architectural design surrounded by endless cobblestone streets and alleyways.

                                       A cobblestone street in Zurich altstadt  

First challenge here was to find our way to the train station on the lower level of the flughafen, figure out which gleis (platform) to stand at, and then which car (1st or 2nd class) to enter.  Arriving at the hauptbahnhof, we stumbled through its many options (four levels including a shopping mall, intercity trains, local trains, trams, and busses.  By luck, we found the TI and discovered we were in the correct place to board a tram to our hotel.

This is our first trip where we rely mainly on train travel.  But it is appropriate for Switzerland.  As a visitor, I highly recommend the 25% discount on the Swiss Travel Pass that you qualify for.  This pass can be purchased online and applies to all public transportation throughout the country plus many museums and gondola rides.  The trains are frequent and serve all areas. Distances are short. Using the train, with its German-language signs and advisories, forces us to become more intimately connected with our surroundings. We can relax and take in all the scenery. The village of Wengen, our next destination, does not allow private vehicles.

                                  Homes viewed on a walk around Wengen

      The view from our hotel room in Wengen, Jungfrau Mountain

Wengen has proven to be heavenly.  The entire area is dominated by Jungfrau and other surrounding mountains.  The views are like from a storybook.  Reminded me of the children’s story HEIDI. Small herds of cattle graze on grassy hillsides.  Each is fitted with a cow bell which can be heard from afar. On steeper slopes, sheep and goats are kept.  These are small fields with intervening forest or rocky outcroppings.

                                         Goats are kept on the steeper slopes

       The village of Wengen as seen from an ascending gondola.

The entire region is interconnected by trails, gondolas, and cog rail trains. Everything runs on time in a seamless fashion.  There is no trash visible; all buildings are well-kept. Switzerland is first class and at first class prices.

We have been corresponding with the owners at Hotel Edelweiss for almost 18 months due to our previous trip being Covid cancelled, while our deposit was still there.  We received updates on tourism, their personal situation, and a Christmas letter; so, it was a friendly correspondence.  Now we were able to meet the owners and staff.

What else can go wrong?

 We have only started this trip, and already we have encountered challenges beyond anything encountered previously. Coming back to our Omaha hotel room at 9pm, we discovered that our 11:30am flight to Chicago for the following mid-morning had been cancelled.  That flight linked up to our 7pm flight through Iceland to Zurich.  The only replacement was an 8am flight, meaning we would have to arise early and be sitting at ORD for nine hours between flights.  That 8am flight was also late.  The Icelandair flight desk did not open until 4pm; thus, we were stuck toting all our luggage around all day long.  When we finally tried to check in, we discovered that we needed a COVID test result (requirement instituted 3 days prior, only after we had already left Colorado) and that the test station was at a different terminal (one of five) reached by a bus followed by vague and complicated directions to a location in the basement; no signs for guidance.  Why wouldn’t the testing station be in the international terminal?  But no COVID test without an appointment, and no appointment until extensive forms were filled out on a cell phone, and photos of your passport and flight ticket were uploaded.  

Not over yet!  After “rushing” on the terminal bus (maximum achieved speed 15mph) back to the international terminal with test results and being checked in just before closing, we sat on the flight for an hour (awaiting crew) before it left the ground.  Arriving in Iceland, our next flight had already departed.  We collect our luggage, pass through immigrations, and head for the service counter to be rescheduled for the following day.  Before leaving the terminal, customs inspection requires a bar code.  What bar code?  We are then directed to another desk to complete another form. Then we board a shuttle bus to Reykjavík, thirty miles away, where we board another bus to our hotel.

Arriving at our assigned hotel after they have stopped serving breakfast, we await lunch and ask for a 3:15am wake-up to get ready for the next flight.  Then we email our hotel in Zurich to inform them we will be a day late. Bedtime tonight will be early.  Time for a long walk through central Reykjavík to try to sort out my system after skipped meals, loss of sleep, and jet lag.  Outside temperature in the 50s with overcast skies and light fog; not a pretty day.

Most all these problems are COVID related; added requirements and diminished staff to supply all needs. This is still a bad time to be traveling.  Other travelers are having similar problems.  An airline counter agent told us that she has had passengers break down crying in front of her from the desperation of trying to download forms, find and input data, and receive a response in time for flight check-in.  All after waiting in a long line.

Raising Children in the Military

 

  Our children grew up in South Carolina, Panama, Alabama, California, Germany, The Netherlands, and Virginia.  For our son you could add Nebraska because that was where he was born and spent the first year of his life.  How do you do that and provide a nurturing environment in all those places and with all those moves?  Change and adaptation were constant challenges to be accepted.   

There is no formula for such a task; however, it starts with parents who believe that our children are the most important product of our lives.   Especially for Dawn, my wife, that commitment had to be complete.  There were no nearby relatives to help.  We didn’t choose to have our children and then plan to turn them over to a daycare center to meet their needs on a routine basis.  Additionally, Dawn was important to my career.  How distracted would I have been when I came home from the clinic, if our home life wasn’t in order?

Our children were a gift, not a burden.  Raising them presented a challenge and responsibility, but we welcomed them to share and multiply the joy in our lives.  Initially, their needs are predominately physical: diapers and feedings, but I discovered even then that the best way to calm a crying baby is to calm yourself.  They sense your emotional status.

                                    1980 Colin & Meghan in Panama

Meghan was born in South Carolina and was only six months old when we left for Panama.   Colin took his first steps on the beach near Charleston.  Living in Panama, we had a maid who came to our home three days per week, but she was there to help with the housework, not baby-sitting.  We did think it important that our children realized we had our own lives; parents are not personal slaves.  The Army gave us a concrete box to live in; Dawn made it into a home.

At bedtime, in the evening, Dawn or I would read them a story every night.  Although we only had a limited selection of books, I would improvise, changing the story, so that one night’s hero might be the villain in the next night’s telling of a tale.  It was entertaining, but more importantly, they learned to love books and reading.  Read enough and you will educate yourself.  In the Atlantic coast jungle of Panama, we were provided only one television station.  For the children, it was Plaza Sesamo in the morning.  Colin became interested in the TV news, mainly international, but we limited his exposure.

There was a playground in our backyard with nearby playmates.  Dawn and I taught our children to swim in the nearby pool.  At first, they were swimming back and forth between parents, then later diving for pennies on the pool bottom.  We took them for boat rides; Colin caught his first fish, and later we got them goggles to look at the fish underwater in the ocean.  Colin remarked that he preferred the deep end of our pool because “there was more water to hold him up” and we did not advise him otherwise.  No fear.

Arriving in Huntsville, Alabama, now they were the new kids with no friends.  We put them both on a summer swim team.  On warm summer evenings, the entire community embraced swimming.  The coach was great, spending time with the young kids as well as his older team members.  As a result, the team had great chemistry; everyone cheering for all age classes, and the team won the state championship!  Colin was now old enough for soccer; loved it and excelled on a team.  Colin and Meghan had friends!  We continued with our evening stories and monitored what they were learning in school.  Huntsville is a location for the US Space Program; many of our neighbors were physicists and engineers; the schools and sports programs were excellent.

The Army had wanted to put us in a 1000 square foot ‘Crackerbox’ home on base, but I protested it, pointing out that it was the home environment we provided, not my paycheck balance in the bank, that determined the quality of life for our children.  The Army relented when I suggested it would mean my leaving the military.  Dawn had an evening medical transcription job and left as soon as I got home.  No daycare.

Time to move to Monterey, California, for a residency program.  Driving across the US in our two-car convoy (with CB radios) pulling a boat trailer, we tried to make it a vacation.  Settling on a home to buy, the sellers agreed to possession two weeks after closing.  They didn’t realize how quickly we could close.  We wanted our children in a real home before school started.  Now our children were the new kids at school once again.  Dawn found a horse-riding opportunity for Meghan.  Colin got started in karate.  Both were entered on a swim team and soccer teams.

Friday nights, our family visited the local bookstore where both children were encouraged to pick out books of interest.  Meghan, 6 yr. old when we arrived, went for princesses, horses, and fairytale books.  Colin, age 8, looked bored; I encouraged him to check out the adult history section. Bam!  That was the answer.  He brought home multiple books that evening and has been a voracious reader ever since.

The schools weren’t that great.  I discovered that Colin’s teacher was telling her class to work mathematical expressions from left to right; no mention of the rule for ‘order of operations’.  I had a meeting with her; her take was that most of the children in the class were not smart enough to understand the correct method of computation…. so, she was intentionally teaching them the wrong method!  What a low opinion of her students!  When they received low scores on standardized tests at year end, that would be her doing.

In Meghan’s class, students were encouraged to write original stories; the best of which would be submitted to a district-wide writing competition.  Meghan had a vivid imagination, with excellent reading and writing skills for her age.  She had an idea for a ‘magic horse’ story, and we encouraged her to pursue it.  Each night she would come home from school and spend time in her room developing her story.  She showed the hand-written paragraphs to her teacher and received further encouragement.

The evening of the district-wide writing results came.  Stories were displayed on tables for all to see, and those with awards were given special attention.  But where was Meghan’s ‘Magic Horse” story?  It not only did not get an award; it was not even displayed.  Then we were told that the judge for this age group decided to withdraw Meghan’s story because “no child of her age could write such a polished composition” and she wanted to save Meghan “from the embarrassment of having that pointed out in public.”  The judge did not talk to Meghan’s teacher or us.  She did not examine the rough hand-written draft that Meghan had worked so hard on.  Instead of recognition, Meghan received a figurative slap in the face from another teacher with low student expectations.

I was deeply involved in my dental residency program: literature reviews, treatment planning presentations, research project, lectures & tests, complex clinical cases; the outcome of this program would have significant influence on my subsequent entire career.  Dawn was the manager keeping our lives on track.  I left for Germany to find our new home.  Dawn stayed behind to sell our home there and move the children and household goods.

Aschaffenburg, Germany, was my new assignment, but our home was in the small town of Elsenfeld, where I was placed in charge of a 54-unit leased US housing area.  The children and I would be commuting.  Our children’s behavior had to be perfect because their father was expected to set the standard for everyone in our neighborhood.  Nearby Germans would come to me to complain if someone in our housing area did not follow local rules. 

Our US base was home for a mechanized infantry unit.  These are the people who do the actual fighting.  They were part of the “spearhead” in Desert Storm.  Such people tend to be less focused on education, more ‘rough and ready’, and live ‘closer to the edge’ in their personal lives as well.  Teachers at our children’s school were constantly dealing with discipline problems.  The base commander held a mandatory meeting for all parents, attempting to correct the situation.

1989-  Colin at the East German border guard station, passport inspection prior to being allowed through East Germany into West Berlin

1989 Meghan at the Berlin Wall, chipping off souvenir pieces before the entire wall came down 

Dawn found a stable where Meghan could take lessons from a strict German trainer, although it would require a commute.  Colin and Meghan were both on soccer teams.  Meghan’s team beat every other team in a tournament but did not get the trophy.  It was discovered, too late, that the winner was determined by which team scored the most total goals in all matches.  Another team had run up the score against weaker teams giving them the higher total.

Colin had developed a special interest and knowledge of world history and events from his reading and travel exposure.  He was selected to attend a student model United Nations meeting in Amsterdam and again later at Dublin, Ireland.  These sessions involved students from many countries besides the US.  We drove (+ 2 ferry rides) him to the Dublin meeting and toured the island with Meghan while he was attending the conference.

We enjoyed taking German-organized ‘Volksmarches’ with our family and other military friends.  From the beginning of our marriage, Dawn & I had formed a routine of taking a long walk every evening, great for stress relief, exercise, and togetherness.  In Germany, we started including our children on a regular basis; hiking in the Spessart woods near our home.  In the German tradition, our children started calling these mandatory walks our “death marches”, forced on them by 'Dachau Dawn' and 'Insane Wayne".  Such was their sense of humor.

Although our base school was not very good, Colin & Meghan benefited educationally from seeing Europe through travel and history.  The list is extensive: witnessing the Berlin wall being toppled, admiring Michelangelo’s statue of David in Florence, attending the Paris airshow, touring the Dachau concentration camp, ascending the steps of the Acropolis of Athens, walking among the rough columns of Stonehenge, shopping in a souk in Tunisia…. and many more.

Next, we moved to the Netherlands.  New kids in school again, but this was an international school, not just US military.  Our kids came home announcing that when the teacher spoke, the students listened instead of being disruptive.  More time was spent on education instead of disciplinary matters.  Our home was in the small town of Hulsberg; my clinic and their school were at Schinnen.  Dawn searched and found a Dutch family with a pasture and a horse, who appreciated having someone to care for and exercise their horse.  Just the ticket for Meghan and close enough to bike there!  She became friends with the family.  Colin was invited and spent several summer weeks at the Norwegian home of one of his classmates.  He still keeps in touch with a few European friends.    

Everything went smoothly until administrators discovered that Meghan’s math teacher was using a non-approved text written by John Saxon, an ex-Air Force officer now teaching basic college mathematics.  That was replaced by a different text, approved by the NEA cabal, and the teacher was fired.  Meghan started having difficulty with the presentation of concepts.  We were told that she should switch to the ‘consumer’ math class.  Dawn & I had a meeting with her new teacher.  Dawn explained to the teacher that Meghan would continue in the college prep math course; however, we would be homeschooling her with the Saxon textbook.  If Meghan had time after doing her Saxon homework, she would do the school-assigned problems.  With that understanding, Meghan continued through the entire year with satisfactory grades on her math tests.

The Saxon textbook series (we bought the entire series) teaches mathematics by presenting problems of increasing complexity which include previously covered concepts, then adding further concepts in a stepwise manner.  The NEA text presented concepts in a disjointed, one-at-a-time manner.  I homeschooled Meghan in mathematics through high school and provided help for Colin when needed, but he grasped concepts more quickly.  Both did well on standardized tests.

When we started on our military career, we were advised that children change schools and friends somewhat easily when they are younger, but high school is a time of forming lifetime friendships.  We were told, “Try not to move during your children’s high school years.”  I was informed that our clinic would be closed due to a Europe-wide reduction in US forces.  As a family, we discussed the options.  We decided it was time to come home to the United States.

                        Colin & Meghan in high school, Virginia

Next stop, Chesterfield County, Virginia, (just south of Richmond).  After five years in Europe, it was an adjustment for all of us, but more so for Colin.  As an incoming junior in HS, he was a bit lost and depressed, spending time in his room playing video games.  Dawn found the cure for that. (1) sign him up for a driver education course to get his driver’s license.  (2)  Get him started on a part-time job at KFC.  It worked.  He regained interest in outside activities.  By graduation, he was fully involved in school and social functions.

Meghan with her horse in Virginia, both went to college together, but only Meghan came home with a degree

Entering high school as an incoming freshman, Meghan fit right in.  Dawn searched for an activity for Meghan: we bought an Arabian horse, a horse of her own!  The horse was pastured nearby, and Meghan was responsible for all care, feeding and cleaning.  That horse went to college with Meghan.  Throughout her college years, Meghan continued to care for that horse, was able to ride it across open fields, and even had a part-time job cleaning the stable.  It gave her a point of focus and a relief from the tedium of studies.

Both Colin and Meghan graduated from James Madison University in four years.  Unsurprisingly, Colin majored in international affairs and economic policy, now has his master’s degree, and works as assistant director for trade policy at a major think tank in Washington, DC.  His wife, from Spain, has her doctorate in physical therapy.  Meghan, our outdoors girl, gave up her horse after graduating (marketing degree) to work and travel for various outdoor-focused companies in LA and Seattle as well as Colorado.  She now lives near Aspen, Colorado, where she and her husband continue to enjoy all things outdoors.

Both offspring enjoy travel and have been to countries that Dawn & I have yet to visit.  Meghan has been to Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, and Japan as well as Europe.  Her trips usually include skiing, surfing, or scuba diving.  Colin has a similar list but also spends four weeks in Spain each year with his wife & children.

Raising children in the military isn't much different than in the civilian world except that a secure home atmosphere has to be re-established over and over.  The critical element is two parents who care and make their children the highest priority. 

                                            Laura and Colin Grabow

                    Colin, Laura, and Meghan at Colin & Laura's wedding

                Wayne, Meghan, Jason, Dawn at Meghan & Jason's wedding