the joys of moving internationally- take 1

I am a princess and am very much a type A personality. I like things to always be a certain way. I'm not big on change, and am brand loyal. When I find something that works for me, I stick with it and buy it in several different colors. In short, I am a marketer's dream. (Please take a moment to ponder the irony of a girl who's not big on change moving to another country.)

When TLS and I have first discussed applying for an overseas assignment, the very first thing I asked him was "will there be a salon for me to get my hair done?" No joke. When I was in England, he took me to the BX (Base Exchange- basically like a Target-type store for military members and their dependents) so I could see what it was like. I have been taught that if I don't have anything nice to say, to not say anything at all, so I will refrain on commenting on their womens' clothing options. Let's just say that I will not be shopping for my clothes at the BX when we're in Germany. For this, TLS is very grateful.

Before I move, I will have to buy several pairs of jeans, bras, and basically 2-3 of every makeup product I own to last me for at least a while so that I don't have to worry about buying things I use on a daily basis as soon as I get there. (Take note- sometime around February would be a good time to start buying Sephora stock.)

Also, I have started compiling a list of companies that ship via Priority Mail to APO addresses so that it doesn't take me 2-6 months to get my packages. If you are a retailer that ships via Priority Mail or know of one, please let me know so I can add it to my list. So far, the list consists of:
Vineyard Vines
The Preppy Princess
Amazon.com
Drugstore.com
Build a Bear

Another thing that scares me about moving is my employment situation, or lack thereof. Even though the base that we will be stationed at is a large one, its website for spouses and dependents cautions that it may not be easy to find a job and can take around 6 months to get a job in your area of expertise. It is easy to find a job, but not the job that you would want. I have 5 years of finance experience. I have never worked in foodservice or retail. I have zero desire to work at the local base Subway making subs. While I appreciate the website's honesty, I have always held a job since I was 15, and the thought of being unemployed at 27 scares me. Sadly, unemployed wives are a part of the military culture, and that is something that I'm going to have to get used to. I volunteer for my sorority, and at the end of this school year, I have been told that I have to step down from my position because even though most of what I do is via email and financial databases, I need to be available to make it to meetings, conferences, and do phone calls, and that's just not possible with me so far away. I understand the reasoning behind this completely, but that doesn't mean I'm happy about it.

So, just to recap, 12 months from now, I will have really shiny hair, be unemployed, and will spend my days playing Wii and dress up with two of my teddy bears until my husband gets home from work. Fantastic.