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 :)

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. 

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!

March, Part 5: Whale Watching, Pineapple Park, Neo Park

Wow, really far behind here. 

We came home from White Beach on Friday, March 14th. After a weekend relaxing from all that vacation, we headed to a harbor in Naha. We had signed up for a whale watching tour about a month before, and I had been anticipating it even since. Humpback whales spend about two months every spring around the island, and I had heard great things about taking a boat tour to see them. We were not disappointed. We boarded a two-level boat, along with Japanese, French, and German passengers. We spent about an hour out on the water, watching schools of dolphins. At last we spotted a whale, or possibly several different ones, as I could not tell them apart. It was breathtaking, being so close to such a large creature. 

This was a long and slightly sunburning day, but very rewarding. After this, we went to a Japanese McDonalds for the first time. And yes, they are different, evidenced by the fact that I got a shrimp burger and melon soda. Also that the burgers look exactly as pictured. None of those squashed meals here!

dolphin midair 

a humpback breaching 

and the tail

Wednesday, March 19th, we went two places. The first was Pineapple Park, a tourist attraction set up to show you around a pineapple farm and give you a chance to view the many pineapple products made on the island. We got to walk around and ride a small cart through the fields, and also sampled fresh pineapple and pineapple pound cake. Okinawan pineapples are simply amazing. The flavor of the pineapples shipped in to the commissaries doesn't begin to compare!

one of the fields

a baby pineapple

The next stop was Neo Park, which was an open-style zoo. We wandered along trails and through large enclosures, watching, photographing, and petting many types of animals, mostly birds. There are lots of pictures from this day, so email me or look at the Facebook album to see more.

we took a train ride around the facility before touring it on foot

mama and baby lemur

 turtles, as always

 there were lots of different birds, all kept together, that we could walk right up to. this shot is from about two feet away.

they were easily fooled into thinking leaves were food. this bird's bill was wider at the bottom than the top.

for the life of me, I can't remember what these are called. they roamed freely with the peacocks and liked cabbage.

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 :)