A Bad Case of Happiness: an Okinawa Tribute

Once I was reflecting on our incredible life in Okinawa with Mrs. Mom (my ever-insightful mother-in-law).  As I gushed about how much I loved living there she told me she thought I'd had a bad case of happiness.  That's a pretty accurate statement.  Our life in Japan was truly blessed, and not a day goes by that I don't miss it.  I wish I'd started blogging before we left, because it would have been fun to share our adventures with our friends in the States.  So I think I'll share some of the things I loved most about Japan here.  If it were possible to capture all the memories from the last four years I would, but hopefully these few pictures will give you an idea of what an awesome life we led in Japan!

I think what I miss the most about Oki was the incredible group of girl friends I had there.  We had an awesome weekly Bible study, and it was such a blessing to study God's Word with other women who love the Lord.  We got together for girls' nights all the time as well.  I'm looking forward to a reunion once we're all back in the States.

The Harbor was our church home for the past two years, and it is an incredible place of ministry.  It is run by Cadence International, an organization that does ministry with the military all over the world. I miss being part of the worship there, but at least we're still able to listen to podcasts.

I had the most amazing job in Okinawa.  I was in charge of all the children's programming for the library system (on base).  So basically I got to plan and do story time for kids of all ages everyday!  It was this job that made me realize that I want to be a teacher.  I'm so grateful that I had a job I loved so much!

Patrick and I led a community group, and through it we made friends for a lifetime.  The picture is from the World Hunger banquet that our group hosted.  We are hoping to go into full-time ministry overseas with John and Sarah (on the right).

I can't write a post about all the things I loved about Japan and not include something about the food.  We had plenty of culinary adventures, and we loved every minute of it.  Dining out in Okinawa always meant spending time with friends, and that's what made it so memorable.  

I had no idea it was possible to love a snake this much, especially since prior to getting him I was absolutely 100% dead set on NOT having a snake.  Patrick always wanted one so I finally conceded.  Within 10 minutes of having him and holding him he became "my" snake.  I never knew ball pythons could have so much personality.  I was so sad when we weren't able to bring him back to the States since we didn't have the required paperwork.  Saying goodbye to Legoless was one of the saddest goodbyes of all, I think partly because it was then that it really started to sink in that we were leaving for good.

Cocoks is a nail salon, but not like what you might have experienced in the States.  Going there meant true pampering where you would get a spa pedicure with massage and incredibly intricate nail art.  It was customary to take a "toe picture" every time we went.  

Patrick and I had lots of opportunities to travel while we lived overseas.  One stop was Tokyo where we also climbed Mt. Fuji.  While it was an experience I'm glad we had, it was also one of the toughest things I've ever done!  Other travels included (for me anyway) Thailand, South Africa, and Egypt.

Okinawa is absolutely beautiful, especially up north were there are large parks where the Cherry Blossom Festivals are held each year.  

Being 8000 miles away from home made it impossible to get back to the US every year for the holidays.  We were never at a loss for friends though!  Each year we would all get together for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, and it was always a great time of fellowship!

Forest Adventure Park is an awesome place to go zip lining through the jungle.  You'd be hard pressed to find a place quite like it in the States.  A great place to overcome any fear of heights. 

For some reason we started the tradition of Sunday Night Movie Night.  After church a group would come to our place and we'd watch a movie every week.  The guys always complained that it was a horrible way to start the week since they'd have to get up so early on Monday.  This picture is from our Harry Potter night where I made Butterbeer.  Yes, we're just that cool.  :)

One thing I miss about Okinawa is all the ridiculous signs.  The Engrish shirts were hilarious as well.  In case you can't tell, the sign says, "Because I interfere with traffic, please do not sit down on a corridor."  Patrick heeds well.  

Okinawa is a place to meet friends and say goodbye to friends.  Most people live there for only three years so people are constantly coming and going.  That's the way the military works, so I had to say farewell to my fair share of dear friends.  Elizabeth and I worked together for several months, and in that time she became one of my best friends.  She made the library an incredible place to be, and I miss her all the time!  This picture was from the night of my Snuggle Up Storytime so we got to wear our pjs to work!

The Marine Corps Birthday Ball happens every year in November, and Patrick and I usually ended up going to two each year (one for the Wing, and one for MACS-4).  I always looked forward to getting dressed up for a fancy date night with the love of my life!

I had the privilege of working with some truly incredible women, and Aiko was one of them.  Even after we both left the library we kept in touch and got together as often as we could for lunch or coffee.  She is a woman of incredible faith and I miss her dearly!

And I can't forget the beach!  We were fortunate enough to live about five minutes from a nice beach, and we never took it for granted!  We often had big group picnics on the beach and spent whole afternoon enjoying the sunshine.