Way Back Wednesday- Orders to Japan

It's hard to believe this week marks one year since moving back to the states from Japan! I still remember the call letting us know our orders. The day we found out we were moving to Japan was a day, lemme tell ya. Well, we actually found out at night. Greg got a call from our wonderful commander, Col. Newberry. He called at home, at dinner time,so I knew, this had to be big. They were both very excited. I. WAS. NOT. I hadn’t wanted to go overseas AT ALL. But, Greg always had, ever since he had enlisted. Who was I to stop him? I didn’t want regrets. So I okayed, the overseas box being checked and held on for dear life hoping that it wouldn’t happen. If it had to, not Japan. No offence to Japan or the nationals. It just wasn’t for me. The night we found out, and the months preparing, I was scared and I wasn’t excited(can I blame it on the pregnancy hormones?). My friends who had lived in Europe and Japan said, “Simplify your life” and stuff like that, in regards to putting half our stuff in storage and tearing apart our house. I didn’t want to “simplify” I was 2 months from having Tate I had a sweet little nursery all set up… Thinking we weren’t moving yet. We usually leave our assignments early. One day I will get the hint. But, I didn’t this time. I painted and decorated and did all the things I didn’t do with Keegan because we were also..umm…moving, yep, moving that time too. My friends who also didn’t want to go overseas sympathized with me because they wouldn’t want to go either. While I was happy for their support that scared me too. Eek! If they don’t wanna go either this must be bad! What a big baby I was—I know!

After packing up our stuff, having a baby,  getting passports, going through security checks and clearances, reading and researching, and selling our cars, it was time. We arrived the end of May. May 25th I believe. It was raining. I had heard it rained a lot. And we were arriving in the rainy season. As we pulled up on the runway and I looked out the windows at the dreary –ness fear gripped me. I’m not going to lie. What if it rained for three years straight?  I would surely die- ha-ha. I know dramatic, but that’s me and in my defense I had so many unanswered questions about what life was going to be like. I guess I’m just not an adventurer. Tate in the baby carrier and Keegan wigging out from being on the plane for all those awful hours, we went through the longest customs line you could ever imagine. I honestly have never seen Keegan like that, and to be honest, if I could have acted like that and gotten away with it, I could have behaved the same. Greg was calm, I was stressed, like usual. Our sponsors met us, helped us carry our bags. And we boarded our 1980’s van that took us to the hotel. If you want to feel like you are in the twilight zone ride in a Yokota style van. Most vans there have curtains, yes curtains, and look a little like the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine.

We went to our hotel and started figuring out everything, slowly, slowly. Language, cell phones, housing, transportation. Later that week we got housing. It took awhile for it to feel like home. But, we eventually got there. Every need was met, every detail worked out. In fact, looking back I realize how amazing it is I made friends before I even boarded the plane. I was sad to leave Japan, for so many reasons. I went places, and did things I never would have done, made friends that I know I will have for life. Do I regret though three years? Not one bit. Was it was always easy?  No! From our time in Japan I thing I learned and grew more then I have in my lifetime.