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 :)

June: Tour Guiding, New Job, Hiji Falls/Okuma

Early in June, my friend Emma came to stay for a week. Being the adventurer she is, she decided to see where else she could explore while on a school trip to the Philippines. We took the opportunity to visit old favorites, as well as discover new places. 

Of course, the aquarium.

a native Okinawan village, also in Ocean Expo Park

the Tropical Dream Center

A local ruin, Zakimi Castle

Camp Zampa

We went to Futenma Fest (a Marine Corps Air Station), enjoyed fair food, stepped away for a bit to see Maleficent... 

 and climbed in all sorts of aircraft

and vehicles

and stayed for the All Time Low concert

 Another day, we went to the gorgeous Fukushen Gardens, a Chinese garden in Naha. 

After an application and interview in May, I started work part-time with Community Bank in June. The bank is literally across the street from Nathan's main chapel. I don't plan on making a career of banking, but it's a good way to fill my time and fund my future endeavors. 

Kicking off with our first summer event, we took a group of guys north to Hiji Falls. 

We walked along the trail, up and down hundreds of stairs to reach it, then jumped in the stream on the way back. We spent the rest of the day at Okuma, an area used by the military as a campground and resort. We swam in the ocean, built sand castles, drove go-karts and jet skis, and enjoyed a meal on a large, breezy patio. It was a great day outdoors, and everyone went home happy, albeit a little sunburned. 

March, Part 4: Shopping around/ E5 Exam/ Birthday!

Wednesday, March 12. This was the day before Nathan's E5 exam, and as he wanted to get in some last minute studying, we kept our activities to a minimum. We did go out for a little while in the afternoon to stretch our legs, stopping at the Ikea of Okinawa, Nitori, to get some things for the house. We also got some scarves and a vest at a clothing chain called Mac House, our first time going in one. And lastly, we wandered through a chain called Don Quixote, a giant store that has, well, basically everything. Clothes, blankets, shoes, jewelry, kitchen appliances, TVs, and everything else they could throw in, following typical Japanese style. This was a low-key day, most of it being spent with Nathan in front of his computer.

Thursday, March 13. My 23rd birthday! Nathan left around 5am to drive the hour to Camp Shields, straight across the island from White Beach. I slept ad hung out in the cabin until he came back, bearing flowers, cake, and gifts. We spent the afternoon in American Village. The whole day was a blast.

Dr. Suess Converses. He knows me so well.

 New year, new hair, compliments of Nathan's Salon.

 Dr. Fish. They eat away old skin and tickle like mad.

 Dinner was shabu shabu, named for the swishing sound the meat makes as you cook it in the broth.

The view from the Ferris wheel

Frozen yogurt at Partyland. They have exotic flavors like royal milk tea, mango, and aceola, plus Okinawan cookies and other local toppings.

Nathan's

 Mine

 Super fun birthday :)

February: Game nights, Nakijin Castle

February was a quick month, and not just because it has fewer days. We were busy with various projects, including taxes. Marriage, moving, new jobs, filing jointly... it was definitely trickier than any other year. 

We hosted several game nights at our house, mostly playing LotR Risk

and of course, Valentine's Day

Our touring this month was a visit to Nakijin Castle ruins for the cherry blossom festival. We went during the evening and walked among the stones and trees that were lit up by colored lights and candles. 

Ocean Expo Park Part 2: Tropical Dream Center

(Last posts about January. Slowly catching up.)

On the northern end of the island, near the city of Nago, is an area called Ocean Expo Park. It covers a rather large area and contains several different sites, including the Churaumi Aquarium, several gardens and arboretums, a native Okinawan village, and a museum. On this trip, we visited the one of the arboretums, called the Greenery Kingdom, and the Tropical Dream Center, a large indoor/outdoor garden walk, featuring hundreds of orchids and other flowers and an observation tower. Again, another pictorial post. The photos aren't in order, but in this case, it doesn't really matter.

the orchids were mostly kept indoors

the orchids looked like they were covered in glitter

the observation tower. you took an elevator up several stories, then climbed stairs the rest of the way.

 and the view