January: Grad school, Legos, Commissary trouble, and Lysander

Hi everyone! I'm sure you've figured out by my absence that we have been very busy! I'll catch you up.

January was an interesting combination. Nathan worked a lot over the New Years holiday, even all the way to midnight. We literally rang in the new year with a giant bell as part of a service.

The big news for me was being accepted into graduate school. I'll be studying Higher Education Administration with Southern New Hampshire University, as well as taking a few Distance Education Leadership classes with my employer, UMUC (gotta love free tuition). I've been considering grad school for two years now, but moving overseas changed a lot of my plans. I've been actively applying since last summer and was turned down more than once, so this is a triumph for me. I should be able to finish the degree before I leave island.

In January, we had fun trying some new things, including a Lindy Hop swing dance lesson taught by those at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. Danced with a room full of PhD candidates! We spent an afternoon messing around with Legos, cameras, and computers to make a comic book page. It was a neat combination of hobbies. 

For several weeks (that turned into months), the commissary- our word for on-base grocery store- has been struggling with stocking the shelves. There were strikes in the shipping ports, so we were unable to get a lot of fresh items. It was a little freaky, but there are always the Japanese grocery stores we shop at with translation apps. 

One amazing addition was Lysander, our ball python. His 

owner was looking for a new home for him, and I gladly brought him home. We absolutely love him. He is very calm and likes to explore.

July: Typhoon Neoguri, Sea Kayaking, Zip Lining

Hello! The summer has passed and I have barely been able to keep up! Here is a brief update from each month.

Over the July 4th, holiday, I experienced my first typhoon. Because they are huge and slow-moving, we know days in advance before it hits, which allows time for preparations. The wind picked up and the skies turned grey a day or two beforehand, hinting that some rough weather was ahead. Since this was our first typhoon in our 5th floor, ocean-front apartment, we were a little nervous. The wall facing the ocean is half windows! We taped cardboard over the sliding glass doors, charged all our electronics, put sandbags in our cars, and filled our water bottles. 

We ended up having to deal with a good bit of water coming in through the glass doors, making up tape and towel them multiple times. We lost power for about 30 hours, but our water still worked. We passed the time reading books, playing games, and taking naps. Since we have a gas stove, we were still able to cook, though we tried not to open the fridge. Growing up in a rural area with bad ice storms, I was used to dealing with power outages. The new thing for me was the noise. The wind and rain were roaring. We switched rooms as the storm changed directions to get a break from the noise. In the end, I had two days off from work and a lot of wet towels.

As for fun in July, we led two events, now deemed the Summer Island Adventure program at the chapel. The first was a day spent sea kayaking and snorkeling. Since it was through a tour group, we didn't get quite as much freedom as we would have liked while kayaking, but the snorkeling was amazing. The group was thrilled with all the fish, sea cucumbers, snakes, and coral they could see, without even having to go fully underwater. 

The other Island Adventure for the month was a trip to Forest Adventure zip lining park. That pretty much explains itself. By the end of that day, we were tired, dirty, and happy. Dinner that night was at a michi no eki, a large rest stop created by the government that has shops and food vendors. The guys got a chance to try soba, Okinawan donuts, and mango ice cream. 

Oh and one last thing. Blonde now :)

May: Promotion, Seminary, Ryugujo Butterfly Garden

May was a busy month, though in retrospect it is hard to remember why. We have two things to announce. First, promotion to RP2 (E5). 

Second, something that has been brewing for several months. Nathan has decided to pursue chaplaincy with the Navy, and was just accepted into Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He will start online this fall, but something within the next two years, we will move to Boston where he will finish his degree on campus. It is a very exciting step for us, and a path we are sure is the best way.

As for other things this month, we held a Star Wars marathon at the chapel in honor of May the Fourth. We saw X-Men, Days of Future Past and Godzilla in theaters, and worked on creating a calendar of several summer events to get the single Marines off the base for a day.

Our tour spot this month was Ryugujo Butterfly Garden in Ocean Expo Park in Nago, and it was just lovely. We spend the afternoon photographing tons of butterflies.

and spent a little time being butterflies...

April: A Summary

Considering the previous month, April was fairly normal. We hosted several dinner-and-game nights, especially since some of our friends were soon leaving the island. I had dinner one night with the girls from the ladies Bible study group one evening at a great Thai place near Camp Courtney, about half an hour from home.

 An unexpected event was the destruction of our car by the shop during a routine inspection. So we went through the process of junking, switching the insurance, de-registration, registration of the new car, and being refunding for the yearly road tax, being only a few days into the fiscal year. I say all this lightly, but it was a stressful week of doing all that, plus finding and waiting for our replacement vehicle, which involved a loaner first from a friend, then from the dealer.

bye old car. at least we got some cash from the junker.

 and one week later, hello new car. we knew we had to get a funny one this time around.

A highlight of the month was the Masquerade Ball. Put together by the Single Marine Program president of Camp Hansen, who also is a good friend and member of the chapel, he threw a grand party just before leaving the island. The event was very well attended and everyone looked great in their formal wear and masks. We ate, had entertainment, and danced (or didn't, when the DJ played country...). It was a fantastic evening.

we both love to dress up

Later in the month, the chapel had a beach baptism, followed by lunch. Baptisms are always special, but this time, the members had to try to keep from being knocked over by waves, which was admittedly amusing.

We also saw the newest Captain America movie, and spent more time exploring the beach right outside our apartment building. Playing with hermit crabs never gets old. And I got in the water for the first time since being here!