Moving soon? Get ready to camp out.

Moving day has come and gone and we have spent our first night literally camping in our own place. This was our first experience with movers and it just so happens to be our first internationally move as well. Go big or go home, right? Not knowing what a good moving experience looks like, I can’t say we had the best experience. But I can say that I was pleased with how things were handled and I trusted our movers with all of our possessions. What more could you ask for? Honestly, I am not sure. 

Because this was our first move I am not certain if there is much difference in how things were handled for our international move vs. a CONUS move. But I can say from what I have witnessed with other’s PCS moves ours did look a bit different. My first realization towards this was watching a truck carrying gigantic wooden crates arrive out front instead of the ordinary moving truck. It was definitely a sight I never thought I would witness for myself or my belongings. Things started to feel a little more real and definitely more sobering at that point. Next as we walked through the apartment with our movers they informed us that everything, literally everything would be packed in about 3 to 5 sheets of padded brown paper. And when they said everything, they weren’t kidding. I watched them wrap a comforter in such a way… 

We aren't messing around here.

 The only other difference that I know of, and probably the most important difference with an international move, is calculating weight. Moving to Okinawa my husband’s rank allows us to take around 3,350lbs. THAT’S IT! Usually most CONUS moves allow about 10 thousand to 12 thousand pounds. Before the mover came we did a weight estimation and we were close to that restricted weight - within the hundreds. My husband and I knew we would be cutting it close, but I was determined to keep all my furniture. After doing a walkthrough our movers told us they believed we would be significantly below our weight restriction. Therefore we felt more confident about packing most of our belongings. However, after everything was packed and tetrised into crates, our movers told us we could be significantly over our weight. Wonderful… We are still waiting for our actual weight to be calculated at their warehouse. But word to the wise, if you are moving to Okinawa and are dealing with weight restrictions, maybe be a little smarter than this girl. I am just a bit hard headed and I want to bring all my furniture. I mean have you seen government furniture? No thanks! 

So what now? All our stuff is GONE and we are staying in our apartment for another 6 nights sitting on camping chairs and sleeping on an air mattress. We were excited for this change. We thought it would be fun. It will be just like camping! I don’t know what we were thinking. Actually, I honestly think this was our only option. Last night - our first night - was a little brutal. My back is killing me from sitting in a foldout chair, and my husband and I tossed and turned all night on the air mattress. As for dining, we saved some pots and pans that we plan on tossing and we bought some plastic wear. But we really didn’t think much about what we would need for these last few days. We only thought about what we wanted packed for Okinawa. There is nothing quite like realizing you practically need everything that is sealed in crates and being prepared to ship across the Pacific Ocean to Japan. I think we had this exchange of words multiple times last night:

“Where is such-and-such?”
“Crap, it was packed!”

  Last night was a bit frustrating.

Now I sit in a room that is full of echoes. Never did I think typing could be so loud. It’s just a waiting game at this point. And I honestly can’t wait to start our travel to Okinawa now that all our belongings are gone. Stay tuned folks. It’s beginning to get interesting.

Where Have I Been?

These past two weeks I have been traveling across the country to drop off a few items, including a vehicle at my parents house while visiting family and friends.

It has definitely been a whirlwind and a great opportunity to see more of America before we jet off to Okinawa, Japan. My husband and I saw a lot on our trip, but the most important aspect was spending some valuable time with our families.

We are back in Southern California now getting our belongings together and ready to be shipped across the pacific. And we also have been given our flights (finally). Therefore my stress levels have lowered drastically. In a few short weeks we will be on our way to a future full of new adventures.

Until then, I will be busy getting my entire lived packed up.

Consumed With Crazy

It’s no secret to the ones around me that I’ve let the overwhelming amount of anxiety I feel consume me. Just to give you an idea, if you look at my internet search history it’s smeared with the word “Okinawa” and peppered with “base housing” or "tsunamis". A part of most days here consists of me trying to learn simple Japanese and searching places to sightsee, whiling wanting to cry over pictures that expose the conditions of housing there on base. It’s pathetic. I also drag this out into my social life as well. My poor friends who have to hear me bring up Okinawa just one more time are probably dodging to see me at this point. I mean even I bore myself nowadays. And my husband… God bless him.

Why do I let this move take over everything in my immediate thoughts? Well wouldn’t you?! I knew that the life as a Marine Wife for this overthinking, constantly planning, and “type A” personality was going to be an issue when I married a man dedicated to a service that does all that (besides the worrying, I got that covered) for you. I’m not use to the fact I have no control over how things are organized and laid out for us. It is driving me insane. How insane? Well, let me share a typical day with you.

Yesterday I woke up, watched my morning news, had some breakfast and began my day. It was an average chipper morning with the Today show playing in the background as I found myself online. I happened upon a YouTube channel of a woman who is documenting her life in Okinawa as I was; well you guessed it, Google searching “Okinawa” for the one millionth time. This YouTube channel has over 800 videos… I had to watch a few, I mean it’s Okinawa! [insert eye roll here]. Watching some of these videos brought some excitement and I began to feel a bit more at ease seeing the island from a different perspective. Wonderful! But who spends their day doing that? Crazy.

After realizing I spent way to long searching the web - usually brought about when the news is covering the same issue over and over (Jodi Arias) - I decided I needed to start my chores for the day which consisted of cleaning out some areas of the apartment in preparation for our move. This is when all hell broke loose. I lost it. Deciding what stays and what goes is overwhelming when you are not sure of anything about your future home. It got to the point where I basically just pushed stuff from one room into another… yeah, that’ll work, Nicole.

But my frustration reached a new high when I received a text message from a friend I have met who will be moving to Okinawa as well this summer. In our texts back and forth she informed me that she has received her flights to Japan. This boiled my blood because we've been having some issues with getting our flights booked. And this family is leaving a few weeks after my husband is supposed to report on the island. And we, the ones supposedly leaving in a month, have NO flights. This is only a problem because we had to give our notice to the apartment complex 60 days prior to our move, and therefore have to be out on a certain date that we had to guesstimate. If we do not fly out on or around the day we planned for, we'll we have some additional issues. I internally held in my frustration so I could finished my chores - or pushing crap around would be a more accurate depiction of what I was doing at that point. However, as soon as my husband came home I let loose. And without going into detail, I showed how big of an ass this move has turned me into.

And sadly, that has become a typical day.

It’s hard to not let every moment up until I am standing on Okinawa soil be spoiled with the thoughts and uncertainties I have. It's just not in my nature to be a free spirit and go with the flow when it comes to a life move. And you know, I have always wondered why I couldn’t find anyone who documented their experience with moving to Okinawa prior to arriving on the island. But now I know why. No one wants to express and share with the world how crazy this move makes you feel. So yes world, I am moving to Okinawa and I have become consumed with crazy. If you are doing the same, you are not alone!

Or is it just me and my irrational personality?

Salon Specials in San Diego!

Calling all Military Families in the San Diego area!

There is a great opportunity for you next week at the Bellus Academy in San Diego to honor Memorial Day.

I have never been to Bellus myself, but you can't beat a free manicure. If you take part in this special let me know about your experience!

The Somewhat Process of Moving to Okinawa

A little over a month is left here in California for my husband and me. Soon we will be beginning our journey to Okinawa, Japan. I told myself I would blog about the course of gearing up to move to another country, by way of the military, because I have noticed little has been said about this process expect that it is agonizing. However, I have to tell you the fact this is a slow and at times stressful progression is all that there really is to say about the move.

As I mentioned once before, I feel like I am in a processing line. Everything is being planned for us in an administering way by the Corps. All we have to do is show up, let them know we have orders, fill out some documents and sign the dotted line. Neat right? Well if you know anything about being a part of the military you know how difficult it is to trust that everything will be taken care of for you correctly, or in a timely manner. For instance we have a date for movers (scheduled a month from now)... but yet no movers... We have an estimated date of departure... but no flights... And as far as housing goes, we have sent in an application, but we won’t know what to expect until we get to the island. I am just supposed to sit back and trust that all these very important aspects will be taken care for us (God help me).

Of course the military doesn’t take care of everything for you. Small aspects of the move are our responsibility. This includes selling vehicles, selling pieces of furniture that won’t be needed, moving household items into temporary storage (thanks Mom and Dad), ending leases, as well as stabilizing yourself before you depart.

For us those responsibilities mean selling one vehicle and driving across country with the other (out of our pocket) to give our truck to a family member until we return. This will also allow us to store some of our things at our parent’s home that we don’t necessarily want to toss but will not be taking with us to our future island home. And because we have no flights, we made a calculated and estimated guess ending our lease with our apartment complex a few days before we expect to embark for Japan. This means we are responsible for taking care of ourselves and finding lodging between those dates.

There were also a few things that I was responsible for as a dependent. First I needed to obtain a special “no-fee” passport. This booklet is different from a regular traveler’s passport that most of us own. This no-fee passport allows me to live in Japan. It is essentially a visa. Without this passport, I am only permitted to live in Japan for a few months. It is the dependents responsibility to obtain this important document. I was also responsible to take care of all my medical needs for area clearance. In the course of a month I visited my doctor five different times. That does not including dental visits. Getting doctors to sit still and fill out paperwork for you is a hassle, and I was put through the run around, but it is vital for your move.

Undoubtedly this international move has come a little easier for us compared to other families. We do not have children to worry about, or pets to quarantine. We also have limited furniture and are able to take most of our belongings to Japan.  But for my first real PCS move, it has been a trip so far and has taken a toll on me. These past few days I have been feeling a little ill. I have had a hard time sleeping and a few annoying stomach aches. I chuck these feelings up to the fact I am a bit overwhelmed and stressed. And not just over the fact I am living in a logistical nightmare, but because I have to say goodbye to a life I love here in California. I can’t even think about leaving this country without feeling like I need to puke.

From here I guess I just have to ride the emotions and tighten up my big girl pants. I feel like I am just reaching the beginning of the hassles I am about to face with this move. But keeping a level head and staying positive is all I have. Stay tuned, I guess.

Last Chance America - SeaWorld

Yesterday my husband and I cashed in our once a year, Salute to our Heroes freebee to SeaWorld and said goodbye to a park that we have always enjoyed together. We go to SeaWorld at least once a year thanks to the promotion for the troops and their families. We will definitely miss our time together there. 

We have a few favorites when we visit SeaWorld, one being the ray tank. My husband is actually a stingray whisperer. While every little kid is impatiently anticipating petting a ray with their little hands submerged in the frigid tank water, my husband simply puts his hand in and if he was able to he could pick the rays right out of the tank - no feeding involved. He is the man who literally cradled a large stingray in the Bahamas and taught me to do the same. But at SeaWorld I am in the majority with the discouraged little boys and girls. It takes a few minutes for me to pet a ray.
 

Another favorite is the penguin exhibit. We could sit for hours watching them dive into the water and come flying out, sometimes crashing and burning onto the ice. All while the large King penguins stand and stare as if they are rolling their eyes as the little mischievous and clumsy penguins. My husband and I are cute and creative and try to make up scenarios for these guys with loud personalities. I mean who doesn’t enjoy watching penguins waddle and slip as they try and get around? They are too cute.

My most favorite area of SeaWorld is Pacific Point where the Sea Lions hangout and scream at those who pass by in hopes there is a fish to be thrown their way. But SeaWorld made a mistake. They didn’t know I would be in attendance yesterday, and Pacific Point was closed for renovation. This meant no Sea Lions. I spent a moment being very disappointed over this. But we moved on to my favorite of all the whales - the majestic and oddly beautiful Beluga whales.

The Beluga whale, to me, is the cutest creature that lives and dwells in the ocean. A close second being the dolphin, of course. The Beluga is just so magnificent. At times, yes, they can resemble “Alien”, but looking past that they seem to have such innocent and playful personalities. I fell in love with them years ago when I once visited Orlando’s SeaWorld and witnessed one of their whales come and kiss the glass where I stood over and over again. They are beautiful creatures.

To close our day in SeaWorld we of course caught a show of Shamu! You can’t not see a Shamu show while at SeaWorld, come on. This time around we reluctantly sat in the splash zone, but lucked out because we came out of the stadium dry. Ha. But it was a blast watching all those around us get soaked.

Oh yea, and there is a baby Shamu at SeaWorld San Diego right now. He was born on Feb. 14^th – Valentine’s Day.

I will miss SeaWorld, dearly.  

I get it now, and I appreciate you.

It’s Military Spouse Appreciation Day! I learned about this day two years ago and usually I respond to it with a chuckle. To me it always just seemed like a day that I had an excuse to get my husband to act as though I am extra special and deserve a dinner night out to celebrate. I honestly never really felt the need to have a day to appreciate the fact I just followed my heart and married the man of my dreams. Being a military spouse was something I never conceptualized when I said “I do”. All I wanted was to be my husband’s wife.

My husband took me on this journey as a military spouse, and each year I learn a little more about what that means to me. I giggled this morning as I reminded my husband that today is Military Spouse Appreciation Day. He responded with a kiss and an, “I appreciate you.” It was sweet. As he closed the door I rolled my eyes over the fact he had to tell me he appreciated me. But then I thought about this past year and what I have been through as a "military spouse".

This past year, for the first time, after a collective two months of training I said goodbye to my husband for seven long months. And even though my deployment experience was extremely positive, I lived the majority of my 24^th year without the love of my life. That’s not easy for anyone. No one wants to look back at times in their life and remember that their husband wasn’t a part of it. I grew from the experience, but now as I revisit this past year I am sad that I did so much without him. And I honestly never thought I would associate with cheesy sayings like, “sexually deprived for your freedom.” But hell, it is a true statement!

Now that he is home I am soaking up as much as I can with him in the States. Because in a month being a military spouse has taken on a whole new meaning for me as it now signifies I am moving to another country. I never thought in a million years that I would have to do this. When I agreed to marry my husband I remember my parents trying to prepare me for the life I was about to embark on, and I just gaffed them off. Again, all I wanted was to be Mrs. M. I didn’t realize I would be giving up so much. Mom and Dad, I should have listened (not that it would have changed anything).

So needless to say, I sort of changed my tune this morning. After this past year, and experiencing more of a “military spouse lifestyle", I see how it is important to appreciate the spouses that stand behind those that defend our county. The same men and women that leave at a moment’s notice for months at a time, and follow orders that can alter their family’s lives. It is the spouse that is left behind, or who is just along for the ride, that hold the family together. Whether that be taking on a single parent role, balancing fluctuating finances or simply just keeping a positive attitude while creating a stable environment. We make sacrifices. We are constantly restructuring our lives with new homes, new jobs and new friends. A little appreciation, I think, is absolutely appropriate.

And now is the time I express my appreciation for all those military spouses I have met along the way. To my LES girls, you are the most encouraging group of women I have ever been around. And most of you are women I look up to as military spouses because you are all so “crusty” ;) To all my military spouse blogger friends, you have helped through the first year of my life as a spouse, and continue to be a source of comfort as I take on new chapters of this life. And to the friends I have made here in California - those friend I consider family… I love you. It is difficult to make friends in this community. It’s even more difficult to find where you fit within a group. But once you find your way and make lasting friendships, it just plain sucks to have to say goodbye. Yet another sacrifice we suffer. I will miss all of the incredible spouses I have met in the three years I have been here. You all are amazing – Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day.