Right now, my home is Japan. The always surprising military life has led me to Misawa, Japan. We moved here in January 2011 and it's been an eventful, and often shaky, ride since. From the quakes and shakes (I write about the big one here and here, the week after here, a visual quake map here, and finally my thoughts on the experience here) to the language barriers and culture shock, it's been the most eye-opening and memorable time of my life. I've tried foods I wouldn't have touched back in the states. I've experienced events and crisises that have shaken the world, which started about 3 hours from my doorstep. I've learned bits and pieces of a language so different from my own. I've met and befriended people that come from an entirely different background and have enchanting stories to share.
But life overseas isn't all exciting food and picturesque festivals, obviously. I've also had my fair share of jetlag, overwhelming fear of the crazy country I've suddenly found myself in, battling driving instincts with the new rules of the road, homesickness, severe withdrawals for the comfort foods of home, and all the other little aches and pains that moving across the world will bring. I try to balance the good with the bad.
Outside of my exciting residence, I'm a pretty normal girl.
I've been married since 2008 and we're still learning from and surprising each other daily. Jeff's an amazing guy who will tuck me into bed when I'm sick and stubborn or battle wits with me when I'm awake and argumentative. He has a massive movie collection and he encourages my ever-growing book collection. We met in high school drama, and we've stuck it out through long years of distance to be together when the military allows.
I have a bachelors in English and love literature in any shape or form. My favorite thing to do is get lost in the world of a new book. Since I can't get paid to read, I work with youth. Every day is different and that's more than a lot of jobs could offer. There's nothing like making a difference in a young person's life. I'm in graduate school earning a certificate for youth program management. I still dream of living in a library though...
The main point of this blog is to keep in touch with family and friends. With the time difference, the cost of calling back to the states, and the general chaos of life, keeping in touch with everyone I love and sharing the stories I share here gets impossible. This way, I write when I can and you can check when you can. No stress. It's also a way for me to vent, explore, and express my thoughts and ideas as I transition from college graduate to working woman with a career to develop and a possible family in my future. And in ten years when I have it all figured out (I'm envisioning my future self laughing in my face), I can look back at this blog and remember the life that was my twenties. In northern Japan and wherever our adventures take us next.
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