PCSing to Okinawa: Week One

We have been here for a week already and I can’t believe all we’ve gotten done!

Got a house already and (I think) a car.  We’ve seen a couple of beaches, swam in the East China Sea, eaten out a ton, gotten our driver’s licenses, found the church here, tried out the pool, found which parks have swings, found the local fish market, discovered which comissary is the best and we’ve both gotten pretty comfortable driving on the other side of the road and the other side of the car.  It’s, indeed, getting more natural!

Okinawa is hot and humid in August…worse than Arkansas (which I thought was impossible)! Swimming every day (I’m learning) is a must!  We went to Torii Station (a base on the East China Sea coast) last Friday evening and jumped in the water.  It was like a bath!  The beach area there has everything you could want as a family: a little restaurant, a huge waterslide, a fresh water fountain to play in, a playground in the shape of a pirate ship, umbrellas to rent, scuba gear and ocean kayaks to rent, waveless sea water…it was amazing! We then had a lovely dinner at the Kadena Marina, Sea Side restaurant (which is indeed, over the sea).  I looked at Adam while the sun was setting over the East China Sea, and a heron was flying onto a little island right off the porch of the restaurant and said, “What would we be doing right now if we hadn’t decided to come here?”  He laughed and replied, “Probably working on the house…while it rained outside.”

It’s beautiful here and I can’t wait to be in our own house…we are SO tired of being cooped up in this tiny hotel room in the West Pac.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice and a much better place than I had anticipated, we’re lucky to be here (and eating Macaroni Grill for every meal) but little E needs space to run!!  I also can’t wait until she finds some friends…she needs someone else to interact with!!