Driving in Japan

I took my driver's class to earn my Japanese Driver's License. I learned some differences about driving in Japan:
- Narrow roads
- Slower speed limits
- No shoulders
- Deep ditches
- Concrete poles along the roadways
- Minimal signage (and all in Japanese of course!)
- No street lights
- Drive on the left side of the road
The last is the biggest difference as I now do everything opposite even turn my head the opposite way as I back up and use my right hand to put the blinker on.  Josh has had my start driving on base first and I only one time went into the right lane.  Watch out Japan, here I come!

Japanese language on the signage.  This sign is on base.  Off base there is no English translation

Top is a stop sign.  This one is strange to me as it looks like a yield.  Good thing it is red.

Exploring Misawa

Josh took us outside of base on our second day in Misawa.  Right away I could tell I was not in the US.  The roads are narrow, the signage is all in Japanese, the architecture is different, the bushes are manicured in the houses, and the cars are different.  We went to Universe, a Japanese grocery store.  We could not read a single label and we had fun guessing at what to buy for lunch.  We did a pretty good job and the food was tasty!

Universe Market food

Josh took us to Homac, a store like Walmart, and then it was out to Miss Veedo Beach to see the memorial of the first Transpacific flight made by two American Pilots.  This is a big deal in Misawa and many of the street signs have the plane pictured.  I loved to see the ocean.  I love the sounds, the smells, and the feel of the moisture on my skin.  It was a foggy and chilly day but the kids had no trouble collecting shells on the beach.

Miss Veedo Memorial

The concrete slabs are used slow the riptide

We ate dinner at Kappa Sushi where no one spoke English but it did not matter as we ordered on a touch screen and all the sushi came around to the tables on a conveyor belt.  When we did make a touch screen order, the food was brought out on a tiny train.  The kids were thrilled to see the food go around and hear the train as it traveled from table to table.  I think this will be a favorite restaurant just for it's novelty.  So, we had a taste of Japan today. I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I will be living in this beautiful place for three years.

We find ourselves in Misawa

We started our journey to Misawa in Salt Lake and flew to Seattle.  We arrived in time to get some dinner and go to bed as we were required to return to the airport between 2:30am-5:30am. We were sleepy as we arrived at the gate at 4:30am.  Then it was waiting until 7:30am to load the plane.  I had given the kids new Kindles as we had a long haul in front of us and I anticipate other long flights as we return to the states or travel abroad.  Unlike Josh, we had no problems loading and taking off.  I urged the kids to sleep and Pants was the only one who took me up on it. Bear and Bub spent the whole nine hour flight on their tablets.  The blessing and curse of technology!  We were given two meals on the plane, lunch and dinner, and that helped to pass the time and break the monotony.

We arrived in Misawa at 10:00am so we had skipped Sunday night and moved on to Monday morning. The customs officer inspected the plane first and then we were allowed to unload, collect our bags, and fill out the customs form.  We could see Josh but were not able to go to him until we had passed customs.  It was definitely a happy reunion.  Josh had flowers for me and we had hugs and kisses for him.

Our Japanese Porch

 Josh then played tour guide for us.  There were some advantages of him arriving before we did.  He had a car and our house and he knew some of things that we might want to see like: the library, the Potter Fitness Center where I will be teaching yoga, the school, the Mokuteki Community Center, the North fitness Center and North side of base housing, the 8 mile running track around the base, the post office with our PO Box, the BX (home of Baskin Robbins, yay!), where to get yen, the Weasel's Den (large indoor playground and track), ITT, Outdoor Recreation, the Youth Center, and Airmen Family Readiness Center.  We also saw the base beach at the Lake Ogawara.  There is so much to do on base!  This is very different from Nellis in that Nellis is right in Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world.  Since we are out of the country, the base provides all the entertainment since outside the gates it is Japan.  The base commander has the goal to make Misawa the base of choice for the pacific air force.  We did sign up for a Japanese language class to help us get around outside.  I was struck by how green the base is.  The drive around to the North side is really beautiful and lush.  I am no longer in the desert!

Weasel's Den playground

From Nellis to SLC, awaiting Misawa

I find myself in a unique time while I wait to join Josh in Misawa.  We decided that we wanted to wrap up things in Las Vegas and visit family in Salt Lake before the kids and I flew out.  Bear and Bub needed to finish school, we needed to hold a birthday party for Bub so he could spend the day with good Las Vegas friends, and Bear and Bub had a dance recital that they had been preparing for all year.  It is important to do these things for our closure on this Nellis chapter of our lives.  We were grateful to spend lots of time with family and good friends both in Las Vegas and Salt Lake.

Turner Cousins on Las Vegas get away.  We did not have to go far to attend the party!

Special Great Grandparents- Grandma Marr and Grandpa Earl

Bear Lake get away with family

The hard thing about waiting to join Josh is the disconnect I feel with him and the world that he is currently experiencing.   I do not know how to picture him there as it is foreign to me.  I do not know where I fit as we do not currently live anywhere.  I do not particularly enjoy saying my goodbyes to our precious family and friends on my own.  Saying that, I realize that Josh did not get a change to say goodbye to most people as he left straight from Las Vegas.  So, I have decided that most of these things are out of my control and all I can do is enjoy my kids, enjoy our family, and enjoy our friends.  This is a unique and precious time.