Catch up

Phew, I think I'm all caught up on the blog now and telling you all about our trips and Okinawa so far. Big posts with lots of pictures take a while. I'm new at this blogging thing, so they don't look as perfect as I would like. Uploading pictures one by one is kind of annoying. I'm a pictures person, so of course I want to post lots of them.

So here we are in Okinawa! We've been here for a week now and it has been a really busy, whirlwind kind of week. I kind of feel like I am craving normality at this point, we've been living in hotels for 7 months now. SEVEN. MONTHS. I've had this one suitcase of clothes for a month straight and I may feel like burning it by the time we finally get our shipment(s).

When everyone first gets to the island there are a number of things that have to happen, besides trying to figure out the new area and getting used to the whole new country thing. The mil requires everyone to attend a Welcome Aboard brief and a Housing brief. Military families are still required to live on base if there is something available. Boots and I really wanted to live off base, but it isn't going to happen and we are pretty bummed at being stuck in the towers. Being on base and having a house would have been fine, but the towers... not so much. However, I am ready to be out of the hotel room and to have all my things again. I can't wait to paint, plant a potted garden on the balcony, hang up all our pictures and make a new home for us.

To drive you have to take the driving test for your SOFA license which states that you are a professional driver and basically always at fault in an accident. People drive crazy here, not to mention on the opposite side of the road. If you want to study, here is the Drivers Manual. The test is easy, 30 questions, 15 of them being signs. So, now we're in the process of getting cars. I am a little nervous about driving, but ready to have the freedom of wheels again.

Poor Boots got stuck with 24 hour duty today. He hasn't even checked into the squadron, we don't have a car yet for him to get to work, and he doesn't know anything at the squadron yet. He was supposed to have 2 weeks to get settled and to take care of things, like getting a car, but I guess that's not going to happen. So, he's jumping in with both feet.

I am getting the feeling that jumping in with both feet is just how they do it here. I usually like having some time to adjust, take it in, assess and process. Today is really the first day I've had to have a "me" day.

I'm dying to get to the beach, to get a car and drive all the way around the island. For as long as I've known we were coming here I've wanted to go up North and go for a hike to a waterfall and then eat at Pizza in the Sky. Hopefully that is on the agenda for next weekend. I'm ready to get out and explore!