Twenty years later......

So it has been weeks since I last got on here. Everyday I vowed to update but I just never got around to it. The truth is I haven't gone on too many cool adventures lately, partly due to not feeling that great and Trevor has been working almost every weekend. But, finally things seem to be back on track and I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (tunnel=living on Okinawa). We are creeping up on our one year mark living on this island, can you believe it??? We are also close to our one year wedding anniversary! Crazy! As much as I want time to fly by so I can move back to America (to be with my family, be neighbors with Alexandra, own a vacation home on Boca Grande with Lauren and Ryan, and plan lots of summer and holiday visits with my California besties) I don't want time to fly by too fast that I don't enjoy everything this island has to offer..... Hmmmmm let me think, actually I just want both at an accelerated rate! But let me slow down for a minute and allow me to present my top 5 things I love and don't love about this little island home away from home. We will start with the "don't love" list so we can end on a positive note!

Top 5 things I do not love about this island:

1. It is an island (65 miles long, average 5 miles wide), can you say stir crazy?! Side note, I saw an RV sales lot the other day, where in the world do those people plan to drive to???

Do not let the length fool you.

2. The humidity aka mold breeding grounds. I about died when we first arrived in July but I slowly grew accustomed to it. I think my blood has thinned because when I go back to California I feel like I am in Antarctica. 

3. The crazy price of produce (on base and off)!!! Maybe I am overreacting but $6.00 for a small bushell of asparagus, 1.27 for an apple or (drum roll please) 3,000 yen for two mangos (that comes out to about $37.00). What really gets me is that even after I pay an arm and a leg for produce it isn't even that great. FRUSTRATING!

These silly melons are about $26.00 each, it better be the best dang melon I have ever had!

4. The language barrier ON BASE. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect anyone to speak English on this island especially because it is their wonderful country not mine but man o man when I am trying to find something in the commissary, trying to get pants hemmed on base, or calling information I want to pull my hair out! This is my diva moment but if HR is going to hire people to work on an American base to interact with American personnel I think knowing English would be a fantastic idea. (background info to my rant: it is virtually impossible for military spouses or dependents to obtain the jobs that the Japanese locals fill. Not everyone can live off a single income so help those ladies out and hire em!)

5. Roads and speed limits. The roadways here are awful! When you are not sitting in the congested expressway exits you are chugging along at 20 miles per hour because that is the speed limit. Okay, I am exaggerating but the fastest you are allowed to travel is 60 KPH= 37MPH (on the 35 mile long expressway you can go a whopping 50 MPH, speed racer)!

Now on to happier things....Top five things I love about this island!

1. Bella Napoli. This cute little restaurant has the best pizza in the world! Who would have thought?

And it has a beautiful view! (it's on the 3rd floor of the pink building if you can't see the picture).

My favorite, the margherita.

2. Blue Seal Ice Cream. This chain has the best smoothies, crepes, ice cream and just writing about it is making my mouth water.

I'm loving their plastic smoothie spread. My favorite smoothie is the mixed berry with soft serve on top, yummm!

Their crepe display, I have yet to have one of these bad boys because I am on this special diet that consists of me never ordering what I really want and then not shedding a single pound. When I don't eat for a week I will order one and let you know how it is!

 3. My wonderful Japanese students.When I arrived back in July I was looking for something to do! I went to the job listing tab on the wonderful website okinawa.bookoo.com and there was a request for an English teacher to help Japanese spouses learn conversational English. Perfect! I started with 2 different groups of ladies, intermediate and beginner and we met three times a week for about 2 hours. When I went back to the states we put the classes on hold but when I got back we hit the ground running. This time I had almost all new students and I just have to say I love them! They are the sweetest, funniest, most eager ladies I have ever met and my experience on this island would not be the same without them!

Out to Lunch, there are a few ladies missing, we have 9 ladies total.

4. The amazing gyms on base. Okay so I cheated on this one, it is obviously not reflective of the Japanese culture or experience but the gym rocks! There are 8 different on-base gyms but I frequent the one closest to our house on Camp Foster. The facility is beautiful and the class selection is great. My favorites are spin/cycle, turbo kick, functional metal body and body sculpt. I have become a happier fit person because of this gym so that is why it makes it into the top 5.

5. The beautiful beaches. I do not even need to write anything because the pictures speak from themselves.

Beach at Naval Base White Beach, one of the first we visited. 

Torii Beach on the Army Base, I was really proud of my photography skills on this one, doesn't this belong in an ad or something? 

On our way to the Kerama Islands to snorkel

First snorkel spot, beautiful!

Last but not least!

6. Okay I have one more- The Okinawan people! Although Okinawa is a part of Japan, I think most would agree when I say that it definitely has its own distinct personality. I have yet to go to Tokyo so I am not an expert but from what I have heard Okinawans are much friendlier, in fact they may be some of the friendliest people in the world. Of course you have a few who do not like Americans and our presence here but for the most part everyone is so kind and welcoming and I just love them!

So that about rounds out my list, maybe next year I will have five more for each category or even better, ten more for the things I love and zero for the things I don't! I promise to be back tomorrow as I already have posts forming in my head, no more blogger block!

Oooooo I almost forgot for those of you who don't know, Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton got married this past weekend right outside of San Antonio and they used Don Strange, the same amazing event planning/catering company we used for our wedding! How cool is that?! Unfortunately, we did not have our receptions at the same location, Don Strange has 4 venues, but nonetheless great minds think alike! Here is a link to their website: http://donstrange.com/index.php   Enjoy!!