The Eve Before...

It's the night before I've been here 3 weeks.  It's also the night before we get our home.  I had the shades wide open tonight and I don't know what prompted me, but I suddenly stopped and just looked outside.  I started thinking about how foreign and weird it felt to be here the night Baby girl and I landed.

When I looked outside, the buildings in the foreground looked like any other military base, but in the background the buildings seemed like anything but what you'd find in the States.  Tonight, however, I found it felt like home already.  The streets off base that I could see from my window lead to places I've been.  I know where they take me!
It makes me wonder where we'll be when we're back here (WestPac Lodge) in what I am sure will be 3 short years.  Baby girl will be 4 1/2- she will be a totally different person than the one who is leaving the lodge friday morning.  And when we return, who will K and I be?  Our adventure is just beginning and I feel like if we run freely with it we won't return the same people, either.
God has given us an incredible opportunity.  If we make the most of it we could be setting ourselves up to have a very sweet life when we come back (even moreso than we have now!).  But tonight I already feel it-- it will be very hard to leave Okinawa.  I love this place already.  I'm ready to start our new life- our adventure has only just begun and we love every moment already!

Saturday!

So I know I said my next post would have pictures and we'd tell you where we're living, but I decided to hold off on photos and telling you where we're living until we're settled in and I can take proper photos.  We finally made our decision yesterday.  Today we ran all around.  It was a pain.
Our day started off nicely- K slept in until 8:15.  I rented an Elmo dvd and she watched that while I got ready for the day.  I feel bad that we haven't done much for her since we've been here.  She's been such a good girl-  she gets fussy after sitting in the car seat ALL day, but the Mr and I are rather cranky after running around all over the island allll day, too.  Today was another day in the car, but we didn't even go very far.
We went to the post office where we had a boat load of packages to pick up.  Then K and I went over to our bank where we attempted to get a cashier's check.  They tried 5 different times to print the check, but it never printed clearly enough to read the amount, account number, or anything important.  After 35 mins I gave up and just took out the cash for the rent, security deposit, and housing agency fee.  I hate walking around with large amounts of cash.  Especially since after spending 35 minutes tying up 1 of the 2 open lines there was a nice crowd behind me hearing how much was getting counted out.
So after signing the lease (we get our place at 4pm thursday!!!) we went to Kadena AFB to our housing office where we requested furniture and the Mr made an appointment to fill out more paperwork (hah! Only in the military do you have to fill out paperwork to make an appointment to do more paperwork).  We requested a double bed, twin bed, couch and coffee table, dining room table & chairs and have to go onto our base to request temporary living stuff like pots and pans, sheets, lamps, etc. We needed to request all of this because our stuff wouldn't be delivered until the 23rd, which I find ridiculous because our shipment arrived on island before we even left the States.
After the housing office we went to Community Bank and opened an account.  It's a Bank of America (yuck) branded bank, but this bank is super military friendly and you can get Yen from the ATMs out of your account.  Then we took our temporary checks that we just got from our new account and went back to the leasing agency to try to give them a check because they did not want cash.  Turns out they did not want cash at all because they would not take our check, either.  It was one of those translation things.  The gal said we could write a check, but apparently she meant from a Japanese bank.
As we were leaving the housing agent TMO called and asked us if they could deliver our belongings thursday.  Back in to the leasing office to ask if we could get our place a day earlier, but no luck.  TMO offered saturday instead!  YAY! We get our things saturday!!!  This means we have to go back to the Kadena housing office to tell them we don't need half of what we said we'd need, but that's ok.  Now if only Addy would be here saturday everything would be perfect.
Then we went to GI Bill Pay.  It's this service that pays your bills for you for a small monthly fee (It's costing us $9/ month).  Not something I would normally go for, but I think it will be totally worth it for the convenience.  They will pay our rent, trash, water, and electric via debit which means I will not have to physically go to the offices to pay like the housing agency requires.  That means no dragging little miss out into the rain to pay rent.  perfect!  sign me up!
After visiting all these offices it was dinner time and we decided to reward ourselves with dinner from our favorite ramen place. By this point it was absolutely downpouring.  No one was in the restaurant and the ramen was the perfect meal for the soggy mess outside.  K LOVES this place and always eats a ton.

Happy family!

Almost Home?

I think it's been about a week or so since I last updated.  We've been pretty busy!  Our first typhoon just teased us.  It stayed out in the ocean, so we only got a little bit of rain.  Nothing more than we haven't seen already, so had we not heard about it on the tv/radio/internet/postings around base we would've been oblivious to it passing by.  It brought about gorgeous weather yesterday, though.  I guess after storms like that pass  by the humidity drops for a day or two afterwards.  At least that's what the crazy housing agency dude said.  He was kind of shady.  We don't trust anything he said.
Which leads me to what we've been up to the last few days: searching for a home.  We didn't do much this weekend-- it was rather rainy.  We went to church on sunday and I felt homesick for the first time.  I really miss our church.  Really, really miss our church, but I am confident we will find a church home sooner or later.
Anyway, we looked at 7 houses yesterday and 4 today.  [K did not enjoy this, btw.]  We saw some really nasty places (the Mr was kind enough not to point out that a home had cockroaches in it until after we had left), but we found two we liked.  One home is in the Torii area, which is north of the Mr's work and one block from the Sea of China; and one in Okinawa City which is between the Mr's base and the Pacific Ocean.  There are major pros to both places.  The Torii home being that it is beautiful, has a covered garage-type area under the apt, it is one block from the beach and park, and it is modern.  The negative things about it are that it is an apartment, so we would not have a yard and the living room/dining area are small.  I am also uncertain about whether it has enough storage.  What I like most about the Okinawa City home is that it has a large (for Japan) living/dining/kitchen area, it has a small yard and plenty of storage; conversely, I am not a fan of the neighborhood and I can reach out of most of the bedroom windows and knock on the neighbor's window.  
Okinawa residential streets are so weird to me.  They have an alley-like feel to them and it makes me feel unwelcome.  The only places I don't feel like this are very Americanized and, unfortunately, are usually out of our price range.
The DOD (Dept of Defense) gives us a housing allowance based on the Mr's rank and E1 (brand new to the military) to E5 get 177,000-180,000Y/month.  E6 get 225,000Y/month.  Guess how many really nice houses are at 225/month?  Way too many and it makes me so jealous!  I have been so spoiled by  our homes in San Diego and I feel like a whiny brat, but I really wish we got a little more of an allowance!!!
The (upstanding) housing agents have recommended that we don't go above what the DOD gives us because the dollar isn't very strong and if we try to pay out of pocket it could get very costly should the dollar-yen rate fluctuate in the Yen's favor.  It is so tempting, though, when I see how much better of a home we could get for a mere 20,000Y ($250 right now)/month more.
So, we have to choose soon.  I'm praying about it and hoping it becomes clear what our choice should be, but holy wow do I need to get a hold of this jealousy!
I will try to take pictures of the more traditional Japanese homes we go to.  The inside of the front door is usually lower than the rest of the home and there is usually a built-in cabinet for the residents/guests to take off their shoes.  You do not enter Japanese homes with shoes on.  Some homes have Tatami rooms, which are rooms filled with Tatami mats.  These are somewhat delicate mats that help with temperature control.  Frequently, (but not always) they have an altar-type area set up where I think they make offerings to Buddha.  Not positive because every agent I've asked about the rooms say they are just for relaxing.  [I don't get why you need an altar to relax, but ok.]  The bathrooms are different in that (some?) Japanese do not shower in their bath tubs.  In traditional type housing they have a hand-held shower head that you can use in the area directly in front of the tub.  This area is lower than the rest of the bathroom and has a drain in the floor.  The toilets are never found in the same room as the tub.  Often they're in a closet-looking room.  Most kitchens don't have an oven.  Most places don't have a decent amount of storage, either; which makes me wonder if the Japanese are minimalists, awesome at organizing, are hoarders, or have storage lockers hidden away somewhere (though I highly doubt the last two).
I need to start taking more pictures.  I promise I will if we go look at more homes tomorrow/this weekend because I am sure I will want to remember this.  Hopefully next time I write it will be with pictures of our soon-to-be home and a move-in date!

OH! We went to the park between showings and [[TMI warning]] I really had to pee.  Went to the park bathroom and totally forgot about my public Japanese restroom phobia until I opened the stall door and found the dreaded floor potty.  It was magic!  I suddenly didn't have to go! lol  I wish I hadn't left my phone in the car otherwise you guys definitely would've gotten a picture with this post!

For Me: Typhoon Checklist

Today is officially Typhoon Season; which means I, in all my momma-bear glory, have to be prepared.

I know I don't want to go to the commissary or PX when everyone is trying to stock up when a typhoon is forecasted.   So here's what's suggested for a kit:

1. Water: 1 gallon/day/person recommended for 2-4 days. So we'll say 3 days= 9 gallons +1 for Addy= 10 gallons.  That's a lot of water!
2. Non-perishable food: peanut butter, cereal, granola, dried fruit, and nuts.
3. Canned food for Addy
4. Paper plates, cups, utensils (if power goes out we may be under a water boil order)
5. Flashlights & batteries, candles & lighter
6. Portable radio (extra batteries!!)
7. Coolers
8. Potty pads for Addy
9. Bucket/Mops
10. Tarp/plastic/heavy cardboard in emergency for broken windows
11. First Aid kit
12. Phone numbers for utility companies (if we choose to live off-base) and/or leasing agency; Red Cross on Foster (098-970-3800); renters insurance agency, Kadena Kennel in case we need to leave and board Addy; MTF and VTF as well as copies of policies, utilities account numbers, and vet records. 

12-72 hours beforehand:

• Gas up Cars
• Get Cash/Yen
• Take out all trash
• Charge Cell Phones
• Unplug electronics that could get damaged in a power surge
• Secure anything outdoors
• Ensure we have enough diapers & Addy food to get through the week
• Freeze containers of water/buy a bunch of ice; turn fridge colder so if power goes out it will stay cooler longer
• Wash fruits/veggies so they are good to go if power goes out

In case of power outage:

According to the FDA:

"Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.

• The refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened.
• A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.
• Buy dry or block ice to keep the refrigerator as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic foot fully-stocked freezer cold for two days."

Eat perishables while they are still at safe temperatures.

Whew! my need-to-be-prepared itch has been scratched.  Now I just need to get over to the commissary.  :)

In case you're wondering, my checklist is compiled from several sources and if I didn't cite them I'd feel like an English-major fraud (though I'm a terrible english major anyway):
1.  Okinawa Hai! My favorite Okianwa-everything blog!
2.  National Hurricane Center.  Don't know if Japan has a typhoon site, but I can't read Kanji, anyway.
3.  FDA because I <3 food & it's a different ball game when you're stuck indoors for a few days without power.
4. EPA  Tax dollars at its best!
5. Handy dandy "Okinawa Guide 2012" they handed out at the newcomer orientation.
6. Ready.gov, which looks like it was created in response to Katrina.  I found the food list helpful because I really try not to buy non-perishable foods for our day-to-day eating.

For Brittany: Cars!

There is a decent amount to learn about buying and owning cars out here.
1. Japan requires every car to be inspected every 2 years.  This is called JCI.  They look at the car from top to bottom and if there are any repairs that need to be done they will require you to fix them before it will pass.  This includes everything from the transmission to tires to brake lights... if it's on the car, they will require you to fix it. That being said, it can be expensive.  I am unsure of what the fees are if there aren't any repairs required, but I think our seller said our car is about $270.
2. Road tax is due every year at the end of May (do not wait until the end of the month-- the lines are insane).  I think the rate for our car was 19000 Y, which is $242.14  The cost depends on the size of the car's engine.
3. The military requires you to have private insurance.  It goes by your car size, sponsor's rank and age.  The Mr's was $370 for the whole year.

You will want to take all of this into account when you look for a car out here.  We found our car on www.okinawayardsales.com  You'll see most cars gor for $1000-$3,000.  You'll want one that has new tires because tires are expensive out here.  You'll also want the longest possible time left on the JCI.  We came in May, so our road tax was already paid and by the time you get here in November it will be taken care of.  There are also 'lemon lots' on each base where people who are PCS-ing park their 'for sale' cars.  We haven't looked at those yet, but we will once it is time to get a car for the Mr.

VERY IMPORTANT: Get a Power of Attorney from your hubby before you come over here.  They do not allow SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement, i.e. spouses, dependents, etc.) to own vehicles (or anything else, really) out here.  the Mr can own 2 vehicles, so everything is in his name.  The Mr and I both took (and passed) the driving exam on the same day, but they do not allow service members to get their license right away.  You cannot buy a car without a license.  You will have to get a letter from hubby's command stating that they know you are buying a car and that the service member will not be driving it-- only the SOFA-licensed wife will be driving the vehicle.  Then you will go to Vehicle Registration (on base) and register it in his name.  It's not mandatory, but life is easier if you have a power of attorney.

I hope this helps.  I know it sounds like a lot, but once you learn the terms JCI and road tax it's no big deal :)

Oh! Before I forget!  Check out the rules of the road/signs.  Japanese driving rules are largely the same as ours except for a few things:
1. DUI is .03.  Which means one drink and you're DUI.  They don't mess around with the fines/ jail time, either.
2.  No Left on Red.  (like right on red lights for the States)
3.  parking distances are in meters, so you need to know how many meters you can park from intersections, fire hydrants, passing/parking on one way streets, etc.

The signs aren't too bad, but they are different.

I think that's about it!  Let me know if you have a question about something I didn't cover.

New Car, New Rules

I got a car yesterday!!  woohoo!


I hated the Nissan Cube when we were in the States.  Now I own one.  I chose this car because it had very low kilometers and looks like it is in relatively good shape for being 7 years old.  The crazy thing about cars out here is that they all look so new!  Most of the cars for sale out here are 7+ years old and have 100,000+ km on them, so when I saw the Cube had 60,000 km on it, was in good physical shape, and reasonably priced I decided to get over my loathing and buy it.
I don't really like the boxy-ness of it and it looks like it's trying to be a shirt with only one sleeve.  Like it's trying to be sexy or something.  But it's boxy.  So, to me, it fails.  But, hopefully my car will treat me well for the next few years.  Also, a lot of cars out here looks like clown cars to me because they're so compact.  OH!! and the names of the cars!!!  Mine is a Nissan Cube, not too weird, right?  Well, there are model names like Note, Naked, Fun Cargo, Surf, Dion, Swift, Skyline... Idk, there's some fun names.
Anyway, so I was the proud grateful owner of a vehicle... Only one problem.  Everything is opposite.  We drive on the left side of the road on the right side of the car.  I proudly admit I did the "Okinawa wave" a few times yesterday.  It's what people nicely say when you accidentally use your windshield wipers instead of your turn signal because those controls are on the opposite side, too.  It's so bizarre driving on the opposite side of the road.  I didn't think it would be a big deal, but I have to consciously think about which side of the road I am supposed to be on.  I am very much looking forward to being able to be on auto-pilot again and not have to put so much energy into how I'm driving and instead learn where I'm driving.  For now, the Mr has to be in the passenger seat navigating.
BTW, the Mr isn't allowed to get his license for like 30 days or something ridiculous, which means all the getting around falls on my shoulders or his sponsor's.  I do believe a night in with a glass of wine is in my very near future!
The Mr isn't too fond of being the passenger because he constantly feels a need to remind me to slow down and stay away from the curb on the left.  Speeding tickets are very expensive out here.  In one of the briefs one guy said he knew someone with a speeding ticket for 4 km over the limit and it was $700.  Speed is photo enforced out here. And it's not clearly marked.  My. worst. nightmare.  Furthermore, speeds are very slow.  The fastest we've seen out in town is 60 km/h which is 37 mp/h.  This was on a road comparable to La Grange (Tinley Park) or Miramar Rd (San Diego) or  busier than Indianapolis Blvd (Munster)  ...
As far as the curb on the left... well, it's a learning curve.  As we were driving away from the seller she said, "Keep your heiny on the line-y!"  It clicked just a few minutes later when the Mr was yelling something about a curb and replacing rims if I hit it and yada yada yada :)
It's interesting and I'm getting the hang of it!

Freedom!

We had a busy day today!  We were out the door and at the newcomer's brief by 7a.  It was 6 hours of a lot of information.  Most of it stressed how we're ambassadors and that any incident that might be considered trivial in the States could become an international headline quite easily.  Kind of seems like a no-brainer, but they stressed it over and over, so it must be an issue.
What I loved most today was the culture segment.  We learned just a few things, but it is so interesting to me!  For instance, they have different ways of pointing to themselves (they point to their nose instead of to their chest), calling people over to them (we wave palm up; they wave palm down, as though they were looking through a filing cabinet) 'saying' excuse me (no one says excuse me, you just put your hand up perpendicular to your chest and bow your head), as well as some common phrases:  Konnichiwa (good afternoon), Doomo arigatoo Gozaiamsu (Thank you very much), Itadakimasu (before eating) Sumi masen (excuse me) and how to say McDonald's, cheesburger (cheeseborger lol) and a few other random things.
We took the Japanese driving test today.  I was so nervous and I studied. a lot.  I hate "rules of the road" tests.  I had butterflies the entire time I was taking the test.  Somehow, I passed.  The Mr did not study at all.  He passed.  Show off.  But passing means we are closer to FREEDOM!!!  Our sponsors have been incredibly supportive and fantastic, but nothing compares to being able to get in your own vehicle and just go and do and explore!
After we got our licenses taken care of The Mr and Sean (The Mr's sponsor) went and got haircuts while I wandered around the 'market' at the PX (the exchange).
I have been terribly guilty about not being very descriptive about what exactly we're experiencing over here-- more just listing what we're doing.  I know I am not conveying how much I am falling in love with the culture here.  It is so laid back here yet they are respectful.  Okinawans tend to be rather conservative and as much as they are trendy they are traditional.  I wandered the exchange and with every kimono, tea set, rice bowl set, coin purse, and piece of furniture my interest and desire to learn more about where I am grew exponentially.   I am sad that I am away from our friends and family, but at the same time I feel like 3 years just won't be long enough. crazy.
This morning the speakers also lightly touched on the million and one things there are to do here.  Between the snorkeling/scuba diving, castles, cultural events, and traveling we have a very full and exciting 'to do' list.  I really hope we make the most of our time here!

K did really well with Cheryl (Sean's wife) today, which was a huge relief and made me hopeful that we'll be able to have a social life.  Seems silly, but I've pretty much relied on family and wives from our last office (Cheri or Katie) to babysit.  When I had someone other than my parents watching K she was usually sleeping.  So leaving her for 8 hours when she was to spend most of that time awake today with someone we just met (we have really enjoyed our time with her) was rather difficult.

Random Japanese law that I LOVE: If you get into a car with someone who is legally drunk (BAC is .03 ... yep, point zero-three!!) you are just as guilty of a DUI as the driver!  Also, DUIs .03-.08 are punishable by up to 3 years in prison and $5,000 fine and the punishments only get more severe as the BAC increases.

Random USMC admin policy that I LOVE: If your juvenile is assigned community service for a 'bad behavior' the Inspector General views it as a cry for attention from the child and requires the parent to 'supervise' their child's community service.  They even assign parents to have 24 hour supervision of their child, which means if the child has school then the parent goes with them or the child goes to work with the parent.  How awesome is that?!  I wish they did that in the States.  I think a lot of bullying and YouTube videos would come to a halt rather quickly.

Our next couple weeks are going to be very busy.  What kind of things are you all interested in reading about? If anyone reads this, that is :)

Tomorrow:
Commissary
Assemble Typhoon Preparedness kit
BUY MY CAR!! woohoo!

Coming Up:
Go to Housing Office-- hopefully get our new home this week
Go to Tricare office
Hoping to get over to the FRO and through LINKS
Basic Japanese class (starts June 5)
Oshibana class (June 15)
Origami class (June 25)
Uruma Grocery Store tour (June 14) I'm all about trying to get local produce!!
Fridays is 'lapsit' at the library.  Not sure what this is, but it's for K's age and that little girl needs some friends!  They also have Play mornings on thursdays, but I am unsure where that is.

I really want to find a farmer's market in the very near future.  I'm really nervous about driving on the left-hand side, especially off-base!

ok need to go to bed.  g'night!

Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore

Japan is crazy and beautiful and wonderful and I feel like we're really going to enjoy our time here.  Saturday our sponsors, Cheryl and Sean, took us out and about a little bit and we had so much fun!  First we set up our phones (woot, woot we finally joined the iPhone crowd!), got some yen, then went to lunch out in town.  We went to Chatan Linya and had some pretty awesome ramen.  I cannot wait to go back!  It was so yummy!  We took our shoes off, sat on the floor and ate at a small table.  I found that I'm gong to have to become a pro with chopsticks very soon!
Afterwards we wandered American Village, which has a massive store.  It was kind of like a mall, but it's all open with very few shops having their own walls.  I found some decently priced produce.  Fruit at the commissary is so expensive: $3/lb for bananas, $4 for 1/4 pint (quart)of blueberries, $2.50/lb peppers, $3.50/lb apples... The fruit at the mall thing was like $2.50 for 1/4 thing of blueberries, $3 for strawberries... still kind of expensive, but better than the comm.  I'm looking forward to going to their farmer's market.
We wandered around the shopping center for quite a while looking at all their fun stuff.  I was kind of nervous about taking photos, so I only took a couple.  I don't know the customs yet, so I am trying not to be rude.  Side note: apparently tipping is considered rude.  I feel like I'm stealing when I walk away from the restaurant without tipping.  It's so strange.
After the market, (OH! we had some AWESOME juice with boba- so yummy) we went over to get frozen yogurt.  They have a shoppe that's a lot like the yogurt heaven we had in SD, so the Mr. is happy.  Then we wandered around the rest of American Village and by the sea wall/ beach.  You can see a 'flash mob' they did in 2011 here.
K loved every moment of it-- there was so much for her to explore.  The people here love her.  It's so cute how much attention they pay to her.
The (native) children here are so polite.  When we went to lunch K saw a little boy (about 6 years old) and walked up and stood behind him.  He turned around and accidentally knocked her on her bum.  He immediately picked her back up and spoke to her apologetically.  I have no idea what he was saying, but you could tell he felt badly.  He bowed his head and comforted her.  It was so cute.
Sunday we took it pretty easy since we were still jet lagged.  We went on another run to the commissary, played in the playroom and went to dinner at Macaroni Grill (yuck).  Monday, we went to this mega thrift store, then to dinner at this fantastic place where they bring you all-you-can-eat meat/veggies that you grill yourself.  I love dining out here.  It's so different from home.  Then we had ice cream and wandered American Village again.  It seems more festive at night because there are Christmas-like lights everywhere.
Today, we took it easy, looked at a couple cars, went to the px, did some laundry...
I am really looking forward to getting settled and getting into a schedule.  I really miss having a routine.    I'm also really looking forward to getting a license.  It's so hard not having a car and freedom!
Tomorrow, the Mr and I are going to the Newcomer Orientation Brief.  K is being watched by our sponsor and I'm a little nervous because it's the first time she will be left for that long when she's not being watched by my family.  I hope it goes well, but I'm going to have to get used to my family not being around.

I can't believe it's been 6 weeks since I last wrote.  So much has happened that I won't do any of it justice.

Saying goodbye to our friends and family was difficult.  We actually got to Skype with my family today and got all teary when I saw how excited K was to see them.  It made me think of all that they are going to miss by being away from each other....


But, back to the beginning of our journey here:
K and I left San Diego at 10a wednesday morning.  I cried when the dumb TSA agent told me my carry-on luggage was too big and had to be checked.  Then cried again when some random lady came up and asked if she could pray for me.  Sometimes God lets me feel His presence, sometimes I need Him to speak directly to me.  Her random kindness reminded me who exactly is in control and I pulled myself together.  Normally, bossy TSA lady wouldn't have reduced me to tears, but I had to repack my backpack  (in the middle of the terminal) so I could include what I needed from my carry-on.  Plus, I was just a little bit emotional leaving SD.  I love that city.
K cried most of the way from San Diego to San Francisco.   Then she fell asleep during the landing.  We got off the plane (did I mention I was carrying K in the baby bjorn, lugging a carseat, backpack, and camera bag? it was a bit of a pain) and hurried to our connecting flight.  Our flight to Tokyo was pretty uneventful.  I had read a few blogs about how to keep your child entertained on international flights and I am so ever-loving-grateful for them because they suggested things I never would have thought of like small, wrapped gifts to give K when she was bored.  so smart.  love them.  I had a happy baby on the way to Tokyo.  **sidenote: United Airlines is terrible.  ab so lute ly terrible.  ***
Then in Tokyo we transferred to All Nippon Airways.  Got a little lost, but our awesome flgiht attendant directed me to customs.  Got to our gate just in time to board our plane and we began the last leg of our trip.  K and I were so worn out and I am so grateful that she slept most of this flight.

I get all emotional telling this next part of our story.  Everyone we've been in contact with out here has been over-the-top helpful and kind.  We've had complete strangers offer rides, groceries, and every kind of help we might possibly need.  It's been wonderful.  There's this 'we take care of each other' mentality out here that I absolutely love and cannot wait to return.  So, back to our journey...  I'm waiting at the baggage claim with K in the bjorn and a very full cart with a backpack, carseat, and camera bag in it.  I see my four bags twirling around the carousel and am wondering how in the world I am going to keep an eye on my stuff and somehow go get the remainder of all the crap belongings I have.
I look to my right and there's a gal in an Air Force uniform standing there, so I ask her if she'd mind just watching my things for me.  She says, no problem and I go and get my 2 pieces of luggage, my carry-on that wasn't carried-on and K's pack-n-play.  I'm cursing myself at all the crap stuff I had to bring and lugging all this stuff back to my other pile of stuff when the Air Force gal goes and gets another cart for me AND rearranges my stuff.  I thank her and am about to try to maneuver these carts out when she calls her friend over to cart my stuff and all 3 of us walk out to the departure lobby.  I ask her where she's coming from and she nonchalantly says she's coming home from AFGHANISTAN! Seriously?! Not only is this woman just back from deployment, but she's pushing MY cart over to my waiting welcoming party when her son comes running into her arms.  I should've been the one helping her.  I was blown away that she took her time to help me when she's been separated from her family while on deployment.  She must have been dying to get on the other side of that glass.  I will be forever grateful for her kindness... She was completely selfless and I really admire her.  I wish I knew who she was so I could say thank you or do something nice for her or her family-- she disappeared before I got her name.

Anyway, I hope to write soon about our first full day out in Okinawa.  We had a ton of fun! We've learned so much already and can't wait to see and do more!

My! People Come and Go So Quickly Here!

So... It's been a while since I've posted.  It's because I have been very, very busy.  My life changed on a dime (again)  Here's how I've spent the last 10 days:

Monday, April 2: Woke up for the day feeling pretty peaceful and full of energy, but not knowing what was happening with my life.  By afternoon that peace had faded away and I was feeling pretty anxious, so I called my aunt Kathy (she's pretty good at calming me down and putting me back on track).  I was trying really hard to handle all of the unknown (and subsequent anxiety) over to God, but I really, really struggle with being a teensie bit of a control-freak.  just slightly.  are you laughing yet?  Because we all know this is an understatement :)  Called Okinawa as soon as they opened, which was about 3:30 our time and they insisted they would inform us as soon as they had an answer.  By about 9pm my anxiety must've rubbed off on the Mr a bit, so he called them and they said I WAS CLEARED!  Going to Oki!

Tuesday, April 3:  The Mr called from work to tell me that the movers were coming on Monday the 9th.  Spent the day on the phone with my family and friends updating everyone (while doing a little bit around the house).

Wednesday, April 4: Holy cow the movers are coming in 6 days!  One problem: Stuff that had to be picked up by the movers was in my parent's garage.  This meant the Mr and/or I had to make a trip out to Phoenix and be back by monday.  The Mr (and I) decided it would probably be best if K and Addy weren't around for the chaos of the movers, so we decided to go to Phoenix on Friday and then K, Addy and I would stay in Phoenix until we left for Chicago on April 20th (we're flying out of Phoenix and my parents are watching addy while we're gone).  This meant that I now had wednesday, thursday, and some of friday to organize my home and pack for our trips to Chicago, Phoenix, and Japan.

I love that the Marine Corps has made me grow as an individual.  I never would have thought that I would have been capable of sorting through and organizing our entire home in 2 days.  With a toddler.  and a crazy dog.  But I did.  Kinda cool. I wasn't just throwing stuff in random places and saying 'it'll do', either. No, I had to organize e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.

Said goodbye to Phyllis.  Phyllis was our old neighbor and has been my family in San Diego.  She pulled me back on my feet.  She took care of me-- brought light to my darkness.  Literally.  We survived the Great San Diego Blackout together.  It was kind of fun.  I kid, but really, she took care of me and was so kind and generous.  I am plotting how I am going to kidnap her and make her be my neighbor in Japan.

Thursday, April 5:  Said goodbye to Cheri.  Cheri is another USMC wife whose husband has pcs orders and is moving to North Carolina.  Cheri is so kind and thoughtful and sweet.  She and her husband used to watch K or Addy for us and never asked for anything in return.  Her friendship meant a lot to me and I felt like I failed at showing her how much I appreciated her.  Unfortunately, it wasn't an ideal goodbye (I was racing out of our playdate to try to meet the moving estimator).  I cried.  It makes me sad that I likely won't ever see her again.

Friday, April 6:  Ran around like an idiot.  Had K watch tv all day (felt HUGE mommy guilt over this, btw) so I could pack and load the car.  Drove to Phoenix

Saturday, April 7: Emptied our cars of all the stuff we're going to sell at a garage sale and reloaded The Mr's car with all the stuff that had to go to San Diego.  Did like 8 loads of laundry.  Ran tons of errands  Saturday night was fun, though.  We hung out as a family, Jared's girlfriend came over for a bit while he was at a wedding.

Easter Sunday, April 8:  Went to church then everyone came to my parent's.  We had Mom, Dad, Sar, Me, The Mr., K, Gigi, Mary, Sean, Joselyn, Michael, Kathi, Jared, Katie, Ashley, Morgan, Nana and Papa over for dinner.  I love full houses and family time!  It fills up my love tank.  Missing stuffing, however, does not fill up my love tank.  (people at dinner know what I'm referring to).

Monday April 9:  Ran errands and kind of just hung around.  Pushed Addy into the pool.  She likes to swim once she gets in, but she really hesitates about jumping in.  K and I splashed around on the baja ledge.  She loves to kick and splash and watch Addy play!  OH!  K randomly started doing this thing where she raises her hands palms up when she says 'uh oh'. So cute!  I have no idea where she got it from, though.

Tuesday April 10: Played at the 'choo-choo' park.  Joselyn, K, and I tried to go down a curvy slide together.  Joselyn and I have matching plastic burns where the slide protested.  Fun morning!
It is so dry and hot out here!  It was 93 with 5% humidity.

Wednesday April 11:  Went shopping with K and Joselyn.  Decided it's super easy to have 2 kids when they're like 5 years apart and one of them is the most intelligent, mellow 6 yr ever.  Made me wonder when/ if we'll have another little one.  K LOVES Joselyn and I am so grateful for the time we've spent together.  Joselyn is incredible and truly a special little girl.

I have a lot to write about what happened on the military side of this move, but it really stresses me out, so I may post about that another day.  For now, I've written quite a book and it is time for bed.

...

You probably shouldn't/ don't want to read this.

I have all these negative feelings I am so over with feeling.  I don't understand how people who truly have crises deal with it-- like people who have severely sick children, or deal with the untimely/unfair loss of a loved one, or traumas.  I've only been dealing with this Japan mess for ... going on 4 months?  and I am so, completely over it.
I just want an answer.  I want to know where I am living in two weeks.
I have had several people ask me, "Wouldn't it be worth it to just say 'forget it' and stay here for the year?"  and I wonder how they can even ask that.  Why would I willingly separate my daughter from her father if I can avoid it?  My family comes first.  Even if it means I have to be stressed out like this while not knowing the answer because there's always the 'what if'.  What if they come back and say we can go as a family? Then I am hoping all of this will have been worth it.

But.  There is a part of me that wonders if I fight too much.  I pushed for us to live in this apartment and now it has come back to bite me.  hard.  and it sucks.
Fighting the Navy's decision has taken a physical toll on me.  I feel like I've physically aged.  I've been physically sick-- I thought the first time I had food poisoning, by the second time I realized what it really was...  I feel like I haven't been a very good mom to K.  I know she picks up on my anxiety....

Part of being an adult is standing for what you believe is best and doing everything it takes to do what is right for your family... right?  At what cost?  When is it enough already?

Arm Floaties

Naval medical said they had initially disqualified me from accompanying the Mr due to my psychological services.  After K was born, I really struggled with postpartum depression.  I've been seeing a psychologist and have felt so much better recently.  I'm feeling like myself again, but have been having a hard time with the anxiety of this Japan mess.  Anyway, I submitted a letter asking them to reconsider.  They did.  They said I am no longer disqualified on the mental health portion, but my medical records need to be screened by their doctor for my asthma and by their OBGYN to "see how high-risk" I am in case I were to have another baby while in Japan.
I'm not worried about being approved with my asthma- I've been well-controlled for the last 3 years.  The only reason I had to go to the ER in 2009 was because my (idiot) doctor thought I had swine flu (I didn't) and refused to give me a breathing treatment in her office.  I was so angry with her that I switched to a pulmonologist.  He put me on a cortico-steroid (smart guy) and I haven't gotten sick since then.  
The obgyn situation is totally and completely out of my control.  I was born with a septate uterus.  Basically, I have a wall that runs halfway down my uterus and divides my uterus in half.  Not a problem for everyday life, but it becomes a problem with pregnancy.  I've been told by several doctors that K should not exist, that she's my miracle baby, and that I've been lucky.  With a septate uterus there is a high incidence of miscarriage (I've heard a rate as high as 47% for miscarriage).  There's also high risk for preterm labor.  I went into labor with K at 28 weeks.  Poor little gal didn't have any room to turn!  There's nothing I can do to change it.  I can't take medication, can't have surgery to fix it (I asked).  So they may look at my records and say no.  They may look and say yes.  Until then... we just wait on the hope they've given me.

Treading Water

K was issued orders for a 1-year unaccompanied tour to Japan, so I started making alternative plans.  We're working on renting an apartment in Anthem, AZ though I worry it is going to be a stretch for our budget.  K has moved on making arrangements for his travel.  And in the midst of it all we're appealing the decision made by Okinawa's medical board.  So there's progress, but I also feel like we're back where we started.  We're just treading water.

All the questions

It's funny how quickly the path you're on can change.  I went from being excited about our adventure to mourning.  I went from thinking this would be a great experience for my family-- eager to get started on a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity to wondering how I am going to keep my family close while separated by 6,000 miles, an ocean, and a 17 hour time difference.

And through all of this are all the questions.  You can stop reading now.  I'm using this as a tool to clear my mind.

Home

1. Where are K and I going to live?  I think Phoenix would be best-- I would have the most support, but I don't think I could move our home into my parent's home.
2. How/when am/are I/we going to move?
3. How do we divide up our things so that we both can have a functioning home in our separate homes?
4. How do we afford to run two homes?  How do we budget for groceries and cell phones and cars/gas?

Other Random

1. Are we still selling his car?  My car? If we decide to keep his car where will I keep it?  If we're not selling my car I need to get new tires. 
2. Am I going to get to visit the Mr?  Where will we stay?  How often will we get to see each other?
3. We were planning on a vow renewal ceremony in Hawaii, but I'd rather spend Christmas together.  
4. Do I get a job?  Do I got back to school?  What are my goals for the time we are apart?
5. How do we ensure we have family/bonding time?

At least now this stuff isn't bouncing around in my head anymore.

New Orders

The Mr will be going to Japan for one year unaccompanied.  I don't know when he leaves yet.

I have no idea what K and I are going to do-- if we'll stay here or move to AZ or where in AZ we'd live.

I don't know if I'm allowed to visit the Mr.  I hope he'll be allowed to visit me.

This blog has turned into a bunch of complaining and I'm sorry, but this sucks.

Be careful what you wish for

At the beginning of this blog I (foolishly) wished I didn't pass medical.  Yesterday, we found out I didn't pass medical.  I don't get to go, which is totally, completely, indescribably sad/disappointing/depressing/awful.  We don't know what this means for our family yet.  Our biggest fear is that the Mr will be sent to Japan or Afghanistan for 1 year.  If he went to Japan we'd be able to visit him, but he will miss out on so much with K and that breaks my heart.
I'm praying our new journey will be set out before us quickly.  I can't articulate why this is so disappointing.  Japan grew on me and we started to dream about what life would be like there-- how fun our new adventure would be.  Now, the unknown coupled with the loss of those dreams leaves an ache I haven't felt in a long time.  Like I said, I don't really have the words for it.

excited!

It's hard to believe that in less than two weeks our things will be getting packed, stored, and shipped!

I asked a friend about her experience living in Japan and if she had any advice.  This is some of what she wrote:

You will get very used to driving on the left-hand side. It is still natural to me now and I was only there for 2 years'ish. I sometimes still walk to the wrong side of the car to get in, rare, but they are mini-japan flashbacks.
The weather is great. Very rainy, but very tropical. That is on Oki, mainland is supposed to be beautiful as well, more like the states and not as humid as Oki. Buy an umbrella and rain coat or something that wont soak through.
To get your license you have to pass a simple test regarding signs and laws. They give you a class and it is very easy. You will get more comfortable driving as time passes and will venture out farther. Baby steps!
Japanese rarely buckle their kids, I swear they drive around with them standing in the front seat. They are also not the best drivers, buses and taxis especially, lots of mopeds and bikes, just makes you increase your awareness. The roads are more slick in Oki (including sidewalks) because of the coral they put in the cement mix. It gets slick so don't run when it's wet. 

They are casual dressers in Oki, more formal on mainland. Oki is like their Hawaii. so shorts, sandals are perfectly fine. You will get pamphlets saying otherwise, but if you walk around in business attire the whole time you will be hot, sticky, and overdressed.
The food is great. You can eat everywhere, super clean, english or picture menus in most all locations. Learn some basics, it will help out a lot and just make you more comfortable.
Lots of people hire mama-sans when they are there (housekeeper/nannies). They are usually very good with kids and are completely normal there, not a bad idea to consider. We had a cleaning lady weekly, it was really nice.
Public bathrooms are not the greatest. They have holes in the ground that are tiled that you have to balance over. Many restaraunts have put in regular western toilets. It makes it tough if you are out in a park etc, especially with kids who don't want to pee in a scary looking hole in the ground. Plus, you have to stand on the tile which is always suspiciously wet. Carry wet wipes and purell!
WHICH is why, you take off your shoes in restaurants (traditional, many let you keep them on) and put them on when you go to the bathroom. If this is the style of restaurant, you will see the collection of shoes. No one will walk off with them, they are perfectly safe.
They have lots of preschools/schools where American children can go to school and get the language exposure off base. The elementary offer japanese and chinese usually. There are jobs for spouses if you are interested and there are lots of activites and travel opportunities.
I missed clothes. The exchange there was terrible. Limited choices and everything seemed to be polyester and apple bottom or baby phat. Sometimes I wanted just a basic tank top or shorts and not have to pay $70. Off base the sizing is limited because they are made for short, tiny japanese women. So, lots of online ordering, especially for the kids. BUT, you can have pretty much anything made. Furniture is cheap. You can make do with government furniture and leave your things stored here, or buy new there. 
Mail is very quick, 2 weeks or less. All mail is picked up at a PO Box at your base's post office.
The internet was fine and the cable is funny. Same shows almost, but no commercials. Since they contract with whichever network to broadcast, they can't make profit and have to only show PSA's. So, you may be watching a kids show and then a military made commercial comes on about gambling addition, alcohol, sexual assault, smoking cessation, not running with headphones, not walking and talking on a cell in uniform, don't shake your baby, don't hit your spouse, don't be that guy, etc. They are low budget, sometimes entertaining and sometimes annoying.
The movies are about $2 a person and they have 1 or 2 new releases a month. Do you live on base now or have you ever? You know about the stopping for colors, standing at the movies, reserved parking spots, etc? 
Signing on guests is fairly easy, but you have to get it situated in advance. My mom came and visited and had a good time, we were locked down most of her visit and it was the 2nd occurance in 2 years, so she didn't get out much. We went to 2 other bases with beaches, so she still got to see things. Just not eat and shop or get her pedicure (best pedi's on the planet).
Mac flights are great. I am addicted. We did them before hand traveling on vacation to Europe from the states. So I was familiar with it there. Paperwork needs to be perfect, so just make sure it is in order before you try and leave anywhere. My fave mac flight travel site is dirk peppards. They list the outbound flights of multiple terminals so you can kind of plan.
Cell phones there aren't that bad. Inexpensive and we had a good plan to make unlimited calls to the states. We were with SoftBank. Cameron Diaz is the spokeswoman (or was). Green Mountain coffee has Scarlett Johanson and Boss Coffee has Tommy Lee Jones on their vending machines. Vending machine coffee is not bad. They have good coffee there if you like. Also, FANTASTIC curry. The only thing I missed was mexican food. They have everything else.
You don't make eye contact that much, it is uncomfortable for them. They don't shake hands or touch (like pats on the back) or hug hello, etc. They do have a tendency to pick their nose, belch, etc and not find that offensive. You will probably feel really tall and awkward at first, they might stare because you are blonde. They may randomly walk up to you and want a photo. They may come up and touch or want to hold your baby girl, not you, they just like kids. My good friend who is black used to have people touch her hair ALL the time. It was weird. The first time we went out, people were touching her daughter's hair. They somehow don't have that sense of boundaries when it comes to kids.
Playgrounds are awesome.
Japanese pro baseball has spring training in Oki, lots of games.
Ah, so I hope that helps. I LOVED it there, really. You will have a great time. The community opens up because you are all in the same boat.

I am so incredibly excited to experience a new, totally different culture!  I think it will be fun to explore and learn!  I think I'm most excited about the food.  As always.  I love food. so much.
[sigh]


I'm also kind of looking forward to rain.  I'm sure I'll get sick of it, but we get it so infrequently here that I really miss it.  I wonder if they get thunderstorms.  That would be awesome.  I wonder if they have any weird weather, like typhoons.  Do they get tornadoes?  Obviously Japan gets earthquakes.  I am really looking forward to getting out of the military and living somewhere the ground does not randomly shake.  I have an earthquake phobia.  Not sure if that is a real thing, but it's my thing.  [just googled it.  it's a real thing.  seismophobia.]


I have a strange fascination/repulsion/obsession with their public toilets.  My friend posted a photo on her facebook page and I am looking forward to the day I can share a similar photo with you guys.  I know, of all the things I am looking forward to posting the (lack of a) toilet shouldn't be on my top 10 or even probably top 100, but it is.  This is why you love me.  I am quirky and nerdy and maybe just a tad bit strange.  

mini-breakdown

I'm in the midst of a mini nervous breakdown and i need to get it out there somewhere because my head may explode.  or implode.  you know, I'm not quite sure what's in there and holds it all together.

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited about Japan.  I think it will be fun.  I think it will be a great opportunity for us.  We'll get to travel, to try a different lifestyle and to just do something many people can't do.  But I just want to be there already.

Point Loma NTC did our medical screening and told me we were good to go.  What I did not realize is that they sent their screening results to Japan and Japan has the final say-so as to whether or not we will be going.  They told us they would have an answer on monday.  It's now wednesday and I was just told that we could possibly not find out until next monday what Japan thinks.  TMO is coming to pack us up 2 weeks from tomorrow.  This stresses me out.  Not knowing 'for sure' if we're going or not.  [Having been a milspouse for 4+ years now I realize nothing is ever a sure thing in the military, but I'm really struggling with it this time!]

Addy and K must be picking up on my stress because both of them are super clingy and whiny.  Both have been constantly underfoot and crying/screaming/whining for absolutely no reason.  This is adding to my stress because it means we are not having productive days at all.  It also drains my patience.

So, I'd really like to be in Japan already.  I'd like to have the organizing, packing, moving, goodbyes, paperwork, and chaos over with already.  I just need to take a deep breath and try to enjoy all those moments that don't revolve around anything move-related, which is so much easier said than done.

stuff

We live in a 2-bedroom 920 sq ft apartment.  We don't have a lot of stuff.  At least, I didn't think we had a whole ton of stuff until I started trying to organize our belongings into 4 different categories: things to be stored for the 3 years we're gone, HHG (household goods) shipment which takes 2-6 months, express shipment which take 30-45 days, and things that need to stay with us. I also think I'll come across things we'll be selling, donating, or throwing out as well.
K loves to help me. She makes her own piles from the piles I have and reorganizes them into better piles.  She's funny.

We're potentially selling our car saturday.  This is getting more and more real!

Drama

Life in the military is crazy.  The Mr just called me and said, "what do you think about moving our TMO dates to April 5th and then going to Chicago and Phoenix?"  Wait, what?! Leave 4 weeks from tomorrow? I thought I had another 9 weeks to get ready to say goodbye to my home.  Now you're proposing 4 weeks?

So, tonight and tomorrow, we'll be weighing the pros and cons and seeing if we're going to be leaving earlier than expected.


o.m.g.

It's a date!

We finally have a date when all of our things will be moved.  TMO will be coming on May 8th & 9th to pack our stuff and ship or store it.
This means we have approximately 35 days left to get ready because the Mr intends on spending pretty much all of April in Phoenix and Chicago. Then, we will have have one week before our things leave and then, most likely, we will be following suit shortly thereafter.  We have yet to find out the date we will be flying, which seems backwards to me.  Shouldn't they make sure we were on a plane before they sent our stuff?  You know, make sure there's someone on the receiving end to ship to?  I suppose they do it this way because we need to sign off on our things being packed and shipped, but it just seems funny to me.
Anyway, with a date in place, the realization that this is happening so soon set in today as I thought about my goals before we left.  I need more time!  Seems to be a common theme with me!
This weekend my sisters are coming to visit.  The following weekend we have free except going to KaLeigh and Ryan's get-together (yay!)! The weekend following that Jared is here and the weekend after that will be April and we will hopefully be traveling.  We have one 'just us' weekend left?! Hard to grasp.

busy, busy day(s)

Lately I've been feeling like I don't have enough hours in the day. Take today for example:
Woke up late (8:30 because none of us slept last night), had breakfast, took addy to the dog park, went to the JRC and filled out passport papers 3 times for 3 people (9! applications-- so frustrating!), went to the commissary, went to lunch with my friend, came home and made dinner (did 3 loads of laundry between this morning and now), K took a nap so I took an hour and worked on my bible study, the Mr came home and I finished dinner (which included a run to Vons because our carrots were bad.  Have you ever seen Hairy Carrots?  Did the words 'hairy carrots' make you think of the Cubs? because I couldn't help but think of harry carry as I was contemplating using said carrots.) after dinner I had a doctor appointment.  Got home at 8:45 and folded laundry. Now a mountain of dishes are staring at me. So, basically, I got laundry and passports done.  I think it feels like I didn't get much accomplished today because I have a monster to-do list staring at me and I feel like if I could just have just a few more hours everyday then it would shrink.  Tomorrow, I have small group, then K has a nap followed by her one year checkup with Dr. Park.  I'm hoping to get to the farmer's market afterwards if there's decent weather and she's not too crabby after her shots.  But if I do those 3 things then nothing gets done towards my Japan 'to-do'.


I need to figure out what we're taking with us.  I think we're only allowed 2,250 lbs and according to a bunch of websites they say that one room is about 1,000 lbs!  So that pretty much means one bedroom and the kitchen!  Kind of nervous.  But, at the end of the day, it's just stuff and it doesn't really matter.  I worry about making a mistake that will set us back financially, but I really need to just rely on who is really in charge.  I know God always provides and has always, always taken care of us and that is so comforting.  He hasn't just provided, but has abundantly blessed us.  So I'm going to rest in that knowledge.

Identity Crisis

I have never thought about laws and how they affect me because, largely, they never have.  The big ones growing up were obvious-- no driving til 16, become an adult at 18, drink/gamble at 21, don't speed, don't steal... basics.

But what about residency?  I am legally a California resident.  When I move to Japan, where will I claim residency?  I can't claim Okinawa.  I won't have any ties to California.  I suppose I could claim Illinois because that's where the Mr is a resident, but I legally don't have any ties there.  I wonder if I should get an Arizona ID because I could use my parent's address, but I don't have any legal rights to do that, either.  So, where do I belong?

Such a little thing to take for granted... Where are you from?  I claim Riverdale, IL because I lived there until I was 10 and it's the longest I've lived in one zip code (I even had 2 addresses there!).  I'm 28 and have lived at 17 different addresses (15 if you don't count my dorm addresses). 

I'm looking forward to getting out of the military and settling down!  This is fun now when it doesn't really matter to K where she lays her head down at night, but my dream is that K will be able to go back to her room she grew up in and show her children her childhood room.  I want that kind of stability.  I want deep, deep roots. 

4.

K and I passed medical, so now we're working on the million things to move....

Just got home from a PCS brief.  It was more frustrating/ confusing than it was helpful.  I did learn that we are allowed to bring 2,000 lbs of our stuff.  Looks like we'll be selling a lot of our stuff!

We'll be taking a flight (unclear on if it's a military or commercial flight) to Seattle which will then take us to Japan.  Here's the frustrating part:  We are not guaranteed that Addy will be able to come with us on the AMC (I asked The Mr what AMC meant, but I forgot) flight.  Once we get to Japan we will be put in temporary housing until we are given our permanent housing. We could potentially be assigned housing that does not accept pets, so Addy would need to find a home.  My parents have offered to take her if we can't bring her, but I feel like if I leave her somewhere for 3 years then she's no longer our dog.  She'll be 2 in April and if we leave her here then she will have spent half her life without us.  I don't think that's very fair to her.  They should just tell military not to get pets.  It's not fair to them and I didn't know that we wouldn't be able to bring here wherever we went.

I also found out I need to have a no-fee passport in addition to my leisure passport.  It's kind of like my green card to be there.   I went to the JRC (joint reception center-- see, military loves acronyms!) to find out what documents I need for the no-fee passport and this gal went crazy with her highlighter.  It was kind of funny.  She basically highlighted everything that was typed out in this packet.  It reminded me of when I would flip through the used textbooks in college and whole chapters were highlighted.  I always wondered who those people were.  Now I know! :)

3.

K and I have an appointment Feb 7th to have the medical screening done.  The gal said it only takes 15 minutes/ person, so hopefully it will be painless.
Addy also has an appointment on the 7th to have blood work drawn so the amount of rabies vaccine in her blood can be verified.  Once the blood work comes back positive for enough of the vaccine her 180 day quarantine begins and I don't have to take her to another appointment until 10 days before we leave.
The Mr said he spoke with someone that lived in Japan and they said they took MAC (military) flights to some pretty awesome places.  Basically, military (and dependents) can jump on military planes if there's 'space available'.  Which, I think, means that we fly as cargo.  I just looked at Miramar's space available flights and there are some pretty cool places-- Italy, Turkey, Germany, Korea, Guam, Japan, and Portugal as well as various places in the US.  We've heard Japan has flights to Australia and several flights to Europe, so airfare would be free.  The only trouble with flying space available is that 1. you are never guaranteed to be on that plane, so if you're scheduled to go and there's a last minute change you could be stuck and 2. you fly in the cargo area, which I've heard is not too bad because you can bring a sleeping bag and just sleep on the floor in flight.
Military get paid a bit more when they live in Japan because it's expensive to live there, so I'm hoping that if I can shop frugally we'll be able to take some of that 'extra' pay and travel every now and then.  It would be a once-in-a-lifetime thing... I'm thinking moving there could have it's perks.

2.

Made a decent amount of progress today!  Picked up my EFM paperwork, requested K’s medical records (they say it will take 15 days- yikes!), picked up paperwork from my pulmonologist and gynecologist, went to a dr. appointment and K had a playdate at the park. Did you catch all of that?  K and I went to FIVE different offices today.  My house is a mess, but that’s ok, that’s what tomorrow is for!

People have asked me if I’m excited about going.  The answer that flies out of my mouth is no.  Right now I’m looking at all the things I stand to lose by moving: seeing my parents just about every 3 weeks, my church, seeing our Chicago family & friends (and all the things we will be overseas for like my brother's graduation, Jared's 21st birthday in Vegas, Ethan's 1st birthday.... those are all within like the first year), my familiarity/ comfort with my life here… 

It’s funny, really.  I hated California when I moved here.   I wanted to move back to Chicago after 6 weeks of being here. The people aren’t warm like they are back home.  People in San Diego are very good at keeping their distance until disaster strikes. I’ve been through wildfires, earthquakes, and a county-wide blackout.  People come together to make it through the crisis of the moment and it feels wonderful.  It feels like home; but then things go back to normal, well, California-normal and it gets cold.   But I’ve come to love it here.  What California lacks in warmth it makes up for in endless opportunities.  There is so much to see here and and endless list of things to do.  I always tell visitors I could keep them busy for a month and I wouldn’t even scratch the surface of what San Diego has to offer and I'm not exaggerating.  I can’t imagine leaving here.  I will miss it deeply.

I know once we get to Japan and get settled into our life I will find things to love.  I’ll have more patience for Japan because California taught me that even if somewhere doesn’t have the familiar ‘home feel’ when I get there it doesn’t mean I can't find a new definition of what home feels like.  I will adjust.  We all will. It just may take a little while. 

[I’ve been told, over and over again, people who go to Japan end up loving it there and don’t want to come back.  I’m fairly certain I will never feel like that. ]

In telling family and friends about this blog I realized not everyone is on the same page, so here’s where we stand:

The Mr has orders to report to Okinawa NLT (No Later Than… I love the military’s passion for acronyms.  It’s fun.) May 31.  I believe he gets 30 days leave before his report date.  We haven’t decided how we’re going to spend that time yet.

Here is how this situation may play out:

1.  We all pass our medical screening by Navy medicine and we go to Japan for 3 years.

2.  I fail our medical screening, can’t go, and a) the Mr is sent to Japan for 1 year by himself or b) the monitor (the man who decides where to send Marines) scraps the Japan orders altogether and sends us somewhere else. 

I’m planning for situation 1 and hoping for situation 2b.  Through it all, I know God is in control and if He puts me in Japan then that is where I am supposed to be.  I have peace with whatever happens.  I’m not saying it won’t be hard and I’m not sad about going, but I have peace about it and that is a great blessing.

First Orders

It's finally official.  The Mr has orders to move our little family to Japan.  I've decided to take you with us as we go through all the steps to PCS (which is the military's acronym for Permanent Change of Station).  Right now here's what's on my plate:

• Gather all of my medical records, K's too.  Sounds easy enough, but I have 5 doctors and one dentist to get records from and 1 doctor for K.  I also have to get my EFM (Exceptional Family Member) paperwork because the military requires all dependents with asthma to register in this program.  It's their way of keeping tabs on people with special health considerations.
• Go to Naval medical screening to see if I will be given the ok to go.  We've heard that family members aren't allowed to go to Japan if they have asthma due to the high incidence of mold in the military housing (pretty much everyone lives on base) as well as the high humidity in the summer months.  I've also been told that having asthma is no problem and the Navy will (happily) send me.
• Continue the course to get Addy ok'd to go over there.  So far she's had her annual exam and shots plus a rabies vaccine ($184).  Then this week she got the second rabies vaccine ($22).  In two weeks she goes back for FVN  (don't ask what that acronym is-- I have no clue) titer ($87) to make sure she has an insane amonut of the rabies vaccine flowing through her.  Apparently, Okinawa is a rabies-free island and they really like to make sure it stays that way.  Once the FVN comes back at an acceptable level she begins her 'quarantine' which is the military's way of saying she's under a vet's care for 6 months.   I always thought being quarantined meant she had to sit in a crate, but she gets to stay home with us.
• I need to apply for a no-fee passport for me & K.  It's done on base, so I'm hoping it will be done on time, but I know passports take a while.  We'll have to get K a tourist passport, too, because no-fee passports are only good on official orders; which means, basically, they'll get us to Japan then we can't leave. :)

Things we will have to do in the near future:

• Arrange a trip back home to say goodbye. That is going to be the hardest thing I have ever done.
• Sell cars-- no use in storing them for 3 years and we can't take them with us.
• Sell furniture?  Is it really worth it to store (paid for by the military) couches and beds for 3 years?  From what I understand we don't want to take too much furniture because the homes out there are really tiny.  Also, if TMO (another military acronym for the people that move stuff) damages our stuff they have to reimburse us, but I've also been told that they pay the current market price of that item, which means we would get little to no money for our 4 yr old tv if they damaged it.
• Change insurance companies.  State Farm says they can't cover us.  I also need to find out who insures our things as we move.  Where do I get coverage for our camera?  How do I find renters and car insurance in Japan?
• Change banks?  Do they have Wells Fargo in Okinawa?
• Change cell phone companies?  Makes me sad because I've had that cell number since I was 16.