Right Start

May 12

Today was a crazy jammed pack day! It was the first day of "Right Start". (Week full of tons of information and powerpoint after powerpoint)(Spouses don't have to go but I highly recommend going to this, lots of useful information for both of you) Your day starts at 0800 where your are welcomed and briefed a little about your new life in Aviano. Then the real "fun" begins. 

But first, let me show you our lovely view on our two second walk to the A&FRC (Airman & Family Readiness Center)...

You go over all the different things you need to know about when your car arrives, what you have to do to register it, or if you buy a car from someone military affiliated or from an Italian dealership. Before you have all that paperwork done for your car you have to make sure you already have or applied for your AFI license, (American Forces Italy), so you will be able to drive your car. Also, you can also get the International Drivers License, but you don't have to, this one is for if you are leaving Italy to go to Germany, Spain, France or wherever in Europe. 

Fun Facts about driving in Italy:

There are two different type of people that can pull you over for any reason. 1. The Carabinieri (as I've heard from some people also known as "Care Bears", but DO NOT call them this, you will get in a lot of trouble and most likely be fined on the spot). They had a stick with a red reflector on the end that they stick out and wave at you to pull over or directing traffic (also known here as the "lollipop") These people can pull you over for whatever reason they want. Also if you don't stop before the "lollipop" they will shoot out your tires when you pass them. Also, make sure you have cash (sometimes they allow cards) because you have to pay the fine on the spot when pulled over. 2. The Polizia, the Italian police here.

People here drive how they want to, so watch out! The roads are definitely smaller than back in the states but that doesn't stop the Italians from trying to run you over in your car. If you are going to slow for them, they will speed around and pass you. 

Bicyclists have the right of way. You will see them riding everywhere and they have more right of way than cars. If you can't get around them cause a car is coming you have to slow down and wait for an opening to pass them. 

The buildings were made first, before the roads, that's why they are so tiny. After doing this, sometimes they didn't have enough space to put up road signs, so make sure you look on the side of buildings for them! There are roads signs everywhere though. 

If you are traveling in a group of cars and you are all going to the same speed but over the legal limit, the carabinieri or polizia will pick you out over other Italians, even if they were doing the same thing. You can tell who is American/military here because of the letters we get on our licenses plates. 

Just be alert and careful!

Make sure you also use your gas coupons! Unfortunately you will only get them for your primary car. You also don't have to pay road tax for your primary car. So if you have two cars make sure you think it through about which one you want as the primary (the one that gets all the benefits).
If you are registering a secondary car in Italy you have to have a codice fiscale (a tax code car for Italy but basically like a social security number)(make sure you call and make an appointment right away when you know your getting a second car, they fill up really fast!! I called today and they told me May 29th was the earliest they had available)

One more thing about having a car in Italy with the military is that you get a "3 strikes you out" with them. (If you have two cars and one breaks down within a year of being here on a 3 year PCS, you only have one more car "chance", otherwise you are pretty much out of luck with having two cars. So make sure you also choose wisely if you are choosing a "beater" car.

After all this fun information a group of us got to leave on our lunch break since we had gone to Jump Start that prior Thursday and were already briefed on housing. 

Coming back after lunch we were in for some real brain frying powerpoints. We got in to Legal, TMO (Traffic Management Office), Passports, Tricare/Medical and finally Finance paperwork. 

Legal - Make sure you get Power of Attorney and make a Will

TMO - Make sure to check all your goods/car when they get here, file damage claims right away!

Passports - When you get here, right away spouses apply for soggiornos, otherwise you can't leave the country and come back. Friends and family you only need a regular passport to come visit.

Tricare - Definitely make sure you have everything set up for you and your dependents before you come.

Finance - AD (Active Duty) only have to fill out paperwork (transfers, reimbursements)

Finally, first day of briefings complete! Luckily, since Preston and I went to Jump Start last week, we get to skip and sleep in and don't have to show up till around 0915!

Now the fun part of our day starts!! House Hunting!!

Make sure you get the exact address that is shown on the housing website, because you can and most likely will end up in a different part of town with the exact name as the one you are looking for. We were looking for a place in Aviano off this one road, got there, from what the gps said, (there were 3 to choose from but we thought we picked the one that would make sense) and found out we were on the exact opposite side of the base that we needed to be. (Make sure you have the landlord's phone numbers to call and help you if you get lost, sometimes might be hard understanding each other but you will both figure it out eventually and they love if you attempt to try and learn their language) We finally got to meet them at a gas station that Preston's sponsor knew and the landlord met us there and took us to the apartment. Glad we all figured it out because this place ended up being pretty sweet! Both Preston and I really liked it and you couldn't beat the view. Open your window in the back and the mountains are right there! The place was the perfect size too for both of us and to fit all of our furniture and many other things. (Sometimes the housing website doens't have photos, but don't let that steer you away from a place because this is one of those places that didn't have any and it turned out pretty well for us) Also, had a big closed garage in the basement.

We had another place to go see after, that wasn't too far from this first place. This place however we ended up not being a big fan of because of the lack of appliances and other amenities it didn't have. Also each room wasn't that big. But the one nice thing was the view. You walk out on the balcony and the mountains are right there again. (Didn't take pictures of this place)

You are going to find some not so nice places and some extremely nice places. You just have to keep looking and don't "settle" on a place. Can't wait to go look at some more houses later this week! :)