Buon Natale from Italy!

Yes once again we are saying "Buon Natale" from Italy!

Thankfully this will be our last Christmas in Italy, and hopefully away from our families. We both come from close, always together on Christmas type of families. Having to spend the holidays away makes not only us sentimental but also our families. Many people ask us why we choose not to fly back to the states during the holidays to be with our families, and our answer is this:
Living overseas for us is challenging. Flying commercial is very expensive during the holiday months, and forget Space A (a.k.a. "Rotator.") Everyone is flying back to see their families. We also have pets and even though cats are much easier to care for when we go on vacation, most of our friends go on leave during the holidays. For us staying put during the holidays is just less of a headache.

Enough of that annoyingness. Christmas this year was great. We both got exactly what we wanted. I got my first ever DLSR camera, a Canon Rebel T3i. It's a beginner model which is what beginners like myself should start out on. I see spouses over here who think they're "professional" and purchase a Canon EOS 5D Mark III...seriously? Those cameras are $$$$ and the spouse a beginner. Good luck figuring out all those buttons sweetheart. Anyways I can't wait to start practicing with my camera and hopefully develop a knack for picture taking with a DSLR! I decided on this brand after doing some research since I not only wanted to take pictures but also record videos as well. In the near future I plan on creating a YouTube channel and sharing my experiences on there as well.

Hope everyone near and far has a wonderful Christmas and holiday season!!

CE Holiday Party!

Last night was my second (my hubby's third) holiday party (and sadly our last) at Aviano!

We had a great time and looked super snazzy. I was more than ecstatic it wasn't at the same location as last year's because it was cramped and just not a great place. This year's was very nice, with a live band and decent food (I thought last year's was better because it was authentic Italian.) We all give and take and should be satisfied with we're given in the end, and we definitely were.
My heels weren't killing my feet by the end of the night, which for me was a huge accomplishment as I had troubles breaking in heels since I hardly ever wear them (because I'm always taller than most of my friends.)

Hope everyone is having a supreme December!

~Kadie

Here are some pics from last night!

First Christmas picture of 2013!

Me in my $5 dress from a second hand site! Spent less than $10 on this outfit including heels!

My handsome hubby in his holiday attire! Looking shnazzy!

At the holiday party enjoying the live band!

Happy Holidays!

There's Always Someone...

I absolutely love how colorful and different everyone on Earth is created. There aren't two individuals who are the same, and I am so thankful for that because life as we know it would be so crazy and insanely boring and SO competitive we would have non-ending wars over and over again.

The individuals we meet can change our lives in so many ways, and I am so thankful to have gotten to meet such wonderful people on this journey. I look forward to meeting so many more beautiful individuals wherever my life may take me.

Here's something that gets me.

My sister has had this problem growing up and making friends, and I feel like now I can say the same. There's always that one person who seems to be there, not all the time but whenever there is a situation that you feel like you could be involved, there they are. Growing up my sister and I would participate in competitive activities, winning many of them, but always competing against certain individuals. It would make my sister go crazy knowing that person was there and ready for business.
I have to say I'm thankful in a way I haven't had the crazy competitors my sister has had to deal with over the years. Individuals are what they are and there's no changing that.

I didn't realize this individual would make such an impact on my lifestyle, especially over this summer and what I chose to do with my time. I'm certainly not afraid of this individual. More annoyed because we have so much in common and yet so very different. They want to achieve the lifestyle I'm living which puts tension of both of us: Them wanting to achieve the amount of experience and knowledge I've obtained, and myself...

...

The reason this individual puts tension on me is actually childish. Honestly I have tension because I feel like this individual is going to replace me in a way. Everyone is going to look up to them instead of me.

Why do I let those feelings get to me?