I've been doing hours and hours of research and I thought I'd share a couple links that have been very helpful to us.
www.okinawahai.typepad.com has been the best source of information, hands down. There are also many other blogs linked on this site that have been helpful. It's got pretty much everything you need to know, or a link to it. Including a map in English, which has been hard to find!
Next is www.okinawayardsales.com, which has been awesome for car shopping! It's also great to buy things like clothes, or home furnishings as many people sell things before they PCS out of Oki.
www.mccsokinawa.com is a great place to find out what's happening on the Marine Bases. If you're familiar with any of MCCS's sites, it's the same set up. If offers information about LINKS classes, a phone directory, gym locations and classes and many kids activities.
Like I said, these have been wonderfully helpful and with all the research on places to shop and dine we can't wait to get there. Hope this was helpful for you, too!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Honey, we have orders!
Every military wife has come to both love and hate those words. Or both.
I know we were expecting orders, it seems like we always are. Within the next month we'll be starting on our 3rd enlistment. (I say "we" because even though David signs on the doted line, I'm right there along for the ride.) We spent our first 4 years in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. It's one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the world and most Marine families have been there at least once. We LOVED it. Since both of us grew up in the south, it was like being home, just 12 hours away. We're crossing our fingers to go back there next. In fact, before getting these new orders, that's where we thought we were headed. It's crazy to assume you know where you're going next though, as I have recently learned.
The next 3 years were spent in Slidell, Louisiana. This is where we are now, and we jumped on these orders because it puts us only 4 hours from home. We've really enjoyed being close and having the opportunity to visit so often and have family visit us. We know that we likely won't be this close to home again while David's active, so we've made the most of it. But we're at a Navy command here, and while we've met amazing friends, it will be nice to get back to a Marine base.
Which brings me to the new orders. I was having lunch at my favorite place, with some great friends when my phone rings. I answer and David says "Can you step outside?" Great. I knew that wasn't a good thing. Once outside he tells me he got orders to 3rd CAB. Um...OK. I don't know what that means but I assume it's in North Carolina. Then he drops the bomb. "Jodie, that's in Okinawa, Japan." Never my wildest dreams did I imagine a small town girl from a tiny town in the south would to move to Japan. When I came back inside and told my friends they all laughed. They thought I was joking and if the tables had been turned I would have thought the same thing . But no, I wasn't. We were to report to Okinawa by February.
Our saving grace was that our best friends, and the only other Marine stationed here with us has orders to report there a few months before us. We started doing research and slowly got excited about the idea. Now, I can't wait to get there. I realize this will be amazing for us and we'll learn more then we ever could have if we'd gone back to North Carolina. The move will be stressful, as most moves are, but the end result will be worth it. The shock has worn off and has been replaced by plans of traveling, beaches, and learning new things. It's going to be an awesome adventure!
I know we were expecting orders, it seems like we always are. Within the next month we'll be starting on our 3rd enlistment. (I say "we" because even though David signs on the doted line, I'm right there along for the ride.) We spent our first 4 years in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. It's one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the world and most Marine families have been there at least once. We LOVED it. Since both of us grew up in the south, it was like being home, just 12 hours away. We're crossing our fingers to go back there next. In fact, before getting these new orders, that's where we thought we were headed. It's crazy to assume you know where you're going next though, as I have recently learned.
The next 3 years were spent in Slidell, Louisiana. This is where we are now, and we jumped on these orders because it puts us only 4 hours from home. We've really enjoyed being close and having the opportunity to visit so often and have family visit us. We know that we likely won't be this close to home again while David's active, so we've made the most of it. But we're at a Navy command here, and while we've met amazing friends, it will be nice to get back to a Marine base.
Which brings me to the new orders. I was having lunch at my favorite place, with some great friends when my phone rings. I answer and David says "Can you step outside?" Great. I knew that wasn't a good thing. Once outside he tells me he got orders to 3rd CAB. Um...OK. I don't know what that means but I assume it's in North Carolina. Then he drops the bomb. "Jodie, that's in Okinawa, Japan." Never my wildest dreams did I imagine a small town girl from a tiny town in the south would to move to Japan. When I came back inside and told my friends they all laughed. They thought I was joking and if the tables had been turned I would have thought the same thing . But no, I wasn't. We were to report to Okinawa by February.
Our saving grace was that our best friends, and the only other Marine stationed here with us has orders to report there a few months before us. We started doing research and slowly got excited about the idea. Now, I can't wait to get there. I realize this will be amazing for us and we'll learn more then we ever could have if we'd gone back to North Carolina. The move will be stressful, as most moves are, but the end result will be worth it. The shock has worn off and has been replaced by plans of traveling, beaches, and learning new things. It's going to be an awesome adventure!
Hey Y'all
I'm Jodie, and this is my life.
David and I met in middle school. He was in 8th grade and I was in 7th. His family had just moved up from the beach to my tiny little town. To say the least it was not love at first sight. But by the time his graduation rolled around we were already talking marriage. He joined the Marines when he was just 17 and left for boot camp the weekend he graduated high school. I still had a year of school left, but within a month of my graduation we were married and had moved to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Two deployments, two re-enlistments, and 6 years later here we are. We now live in Slidell, LA and within five months we'll be packed up and headed Okinawa, Japan. (But that's another story all on it's own!) We don't have any children, instead we have a 3 year told Boxer who is our pride and joy. I hate to call him a pet, because to us he's so much more.
Why a blog? Well, for a couple different reasons. It's very hard to keep up with friends and family from back home. And it's even harder to keep in touch with friends we've made at various duty stations over the last several years. While we're moving all over the world, so are they and phone numbers and addresses change. This is a way to share what is happening in our life and places we've been. Another reason is because since we found out we'll be moving to Okinawa, I've been doing hours of research. The resources I've found have been helpful but few and far between. So I've decided to blog about the things we've learned during our PCS (Permanent Change of Station) and things that I think might help other's planning a move. So here we go!
David and I met in middle school. He was in 8th grade and I was in 7th. His family had just moved up from the beach to my tiny little town. To say the least it was not love at first sight. But by the time his graduation rolled around we were already talking marriage. He joined the Marines when he was just 17 and left for boot camp the weekend he graduated high school. I still had a year of school left, but within a month of my graduation we were married and had moved to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Two deployments, two re-enlistments, and 6 years later here we are. We now live in Slidell, LA and within five months we'll be packed up and headed Okinawa, Japan. (But that's another story all on it's own!) We don't have any children, instead we have a 3 year told Boxer who is our pride and joy. I hate to call him a pet, because to us he's so much more.
Why a blog? Well, for a couple different reasons. It's very hard to keep up with friends and family from back home. And it's even harder to keep in touch with friends we've made at various duty stations over the last several years. While we're moving all over the world, so are they and phone numbers and addresses change. This is a way to share what is happening in our life and places we've been. Another reason is because since we found out we'll be moving to Okinawa, I've been doing hours of research. The resources I've found have been helpful but few and far between. So I've decided to blog about the things we've learned during our PCS (Permanent Change of Station) and things that I think might help other's planning a move. So here we go!
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