She Speaks: With family overseas, it’s time for new mail tactics

I was standing in line at the post office recently, fretting that the Christmas gifts I’d packed for my sister and her family wouldn’t get to them in time.

This was in late November, by the way. But the box was headed for Germany and the U.S. Postal Service had released its list of holiday mailing deadlines, so I felt I couldn’t be too early.

The post office was never a regular destination for me until my sister and her family left Hawaii some years ago.

My brother-in-law is in the Air Force, so every couple years he’s restationed and the family picks up to move to a new city. As soon as they get their address there, they send it here so we know where to mail packages.

It didn’t take long after their first move for me to get into a rhythm of mailing packages to the mainland. I became fairly decent at preparing flat-rate boxes and making sure to send them in time for birthdays and holidays.

Then my brother-in-law got stationed in Germany. My sister and her family departed for their first overseas assignment in late spring.

It’s been a huge adjustment for everyone, but we’re getting the hang of it.

One thing we’ve all had to get used to is the time difference, which is about half a day (Germany being ahead). Video chats need more coordination than before, but they remain pretty regular at about once a week. My work schedule means I rarely join the family catch-ups, but my sister and I message each other regularly.

She shares stories of her family’s adventures in Europe — and with three kids age 5 and under, pretty much everything is quite an experience.

When we chat, it’s also our chance to talk about upcoming celebrations and what I can send from home. Once she gives me an idea, I start my new package-sending routine.

It’s really not much different from when they lived on the mainland, only things take a little longer to arrive. One change is I no longer send items straight from online shopping sites, mostly because I’m uncertain about typing in an overseas (albeit still U.S.) address.

The biggest change has been a customs form that I have to fill out for every package. The form robs me of the element of surprise because it requires details like what the packed items are, how much they weigh (really?) and their value.

Now that I’ve sent a few boxes, though, the process has become more comfortable. And knowing my family abroad will be getting a taste of home makes me happy.

(What also made me happy: This year’s Christmas gifts made it to Germany safely.)

“She Speaks” is a column by women writers of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Reach Celia Downes at cdownes@staradvertiser.com.