Welcome Home George!

My husband is home! Hooray!!! My heart is overjoyed to have him home safely and back into my everyday life. We’ve survived our first deployment. It was filled with short Skype conversations, dropped internet calls, letters, e-mails, Facebook posts, tears, joy, fear, strength and adventure. We figure this much—if the first deployment we faced dealt with an earthquake, tsunami, a nuclear disaster, giant decisions, 18 hours of college credit, a trip to the states and back, and returning to a forever changed country—and we can easily survive it... we’re going to be able to get through anything. And hey… all of that negative stuff was just what I dealt with. George has showed grace and integrity through this all, as well as faith, commitment, and just being an exemplary American. I truly couldn’t be prouder of my man. He signifies all that I could ask for in a husband. He’s incredible, smart, brave and handsome—and I’m proud to call him mine. He really is my hero.

The day of his return there was some debate about the time he would be landing, so after receiving various phone calls and e-mails I finally got to meet up with the other spouses who’ve been missing their other-halves too. We all looked fabulous in our colorful summer dresses. Hair was done. Make up was on. Houses cleaned. Beer in the fridge. Legs shaved.

Yep, it was going to be a good day.

I had butterflies in my stomach all day and could hardly eat lunch. I felt like I was getting ready for a blind date. Except with my husband; not a stranger. MY husband was coming home. Not just my husband, but my very best friend. The one who knows all my secrets, and loves me anyway. The guy who holds my hand in the movie theater, even though it’s uncomfortable over or under an armrest. The man who counted out the exact number of M&M’s that corresponded with the number of days he would be gone so I could eat one a day until he returned. The guy who left me random notes around the house that said “I love you” and let me spontaneously find them. The man who picked out my engagement ring and proposed within a few hours because he couldn’t wait. The guy who loves me, no matter what. Him. George. He was coming home.

Four months is really not that long. I realize that. There are thousands of couples who are separated for many many many more months than we were. But even if we’re apart for a weekend, we miss each other. How could we not?

So… the time SLOWLY ticks by. We wait about an hour at the squadron until their plane landed. It was easily the longest. hour. of. the. deployment. Easily. The anticipation in the room was as thick as the humidity outside. Truly. We passed the time with small talk about our plans for the next few weeks, and taking pictures before our hair was too windblown and our make-up sweated off.




Then the loud speaker came over in the building and said they were just a few minutes out! The butterflies seemed to flit a little faster. We all finally got to go out on the flight line. We took more pictures, made smaller talk with the other uniformed guys and girls of the squadron, and waited. Then, finally… a plane. There it was! They were coming in. The next thing I knew the plane turned and did another big loop. I’m sure some people thought that was funny. I couldn’t do a thing but be annoyed. Some of you may be thinking, what’s another 5 minutes? Ummmm… hello…? My heart is racing. I just wanted him on the ground.

One of the other wives, Melissa got a little teary-eyed during this 500 year wait and I took one look at her and kind of broke down too. She quickly pulled herself together and didn’t cry anymore. I went through about 3 tissues trying to stop crying. What can I say? I’ve always been an emotional person. I am a girl. In every sense of the word. A girl. A girly girl. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Anywho, I got the tears to stop just in time for the plane to land and taxi over to us. It stopped. Finally. Then the tears came again. I pulled it back together in time to see a group a people exiting that big, shiny, beautiful C-130. (Well... it looked like it at the time... in reality it's big, dirty and not so cute) All of a sudden there were people running. Men running off the plane. Other wives running. Oh! I could run over there too! My eyes scanned this crowd of tan flight-suits and then it was like the skies opened, the humidity cleared, the sun shined, and there he was. George. My panda. He was there. In front of me. Arms as wide as his eyes. It seemed to take another 30 seconds to get to him. He picked me up, and spun me around and I sobbed. Our arms found each other’s bodies and we just held each other. And then we kissed. And then looked at each other because there’s this weird moment of “… is it really you?” And it is him. And it is me. And we’re together again. And the world seems right. It was such a special moment. We just held each other for a few minutes. I don’t recall anyone else being there in that time. In that moment, it was just us. There were no cameras, no other people, no problems, no worries. It was all lifted, and if just for a moment, it was real.

Quickly there after George and I realized there were many more people to see. The sea of green flight suits looked strange to him, as everyone else he had been with and seen for the last four months wore only tan, or the gray and Air Force blue PT uniform. But there all his friends were, green flight-suits, smiles and all. There were lots of hugs, “welcome home’s”, handshakes, and happiness.

We took a bunch of pictures with our friends and with each other, hugged and hung out for a bit. And then it was time to go home and see Cheyenne. I left George at the bottom of the stairs and went up and got Cheyenne. I told her to “go see Daddy.” Her ears perked a little more, her tail wagged a little more, and there was an extra pep in her step as she hurried down the stairs. He was knelt down, so she could get to him and they embraced and she cried too. She remembered him, and he remembered her and my heart was happy and warm because my family was once again whole.

My neighbor Jane and I had made a sign that welcomed George and her husband Dereck home, so that was a special treat for them. I also had one on my door and a little sign that pointed to his name plate that said “my hero”, as well as a few balloons inside.
















He’s been home for about 2 days now and it’s been such a nice 48 hours. We’re just taking it easy and relaxing. We might do a few day trips here and there, but nothing too crazy. We’ve cooked dinner at home, had breakfast and lunch together, shopped, and ran errands. It’s just nice to have someone to share all of those “little things” moments with. It can be lonely living alone. Even though I was CRAZY busy during the last 4 months, in those quiet hours of the night, afternoon or the morning, when there’s no TV or music on, the house is quiet, strange and well… a bit lonely. I’m just thankful he’s home safely. Finally. The world seems to spin a little more, and my heart is constantly smiling.

I’m so proud of all of our men and women in uniform, and am thankful for the families and spouses of those who support our country and the rest of the world. I beam with pride just thinking about them and the sacrifices made by all. You’re all incredible. Thank you!!!


Love,
Chelsea

Here's a final photo taken by one of the base's staff members. It's on the base's home page as well as their official facebook page and has received a bunch of "likes" and comments. It really is a fantastic photo, and will treasure it forever. :)

Spread the LOVE

So… now it’s time for a post that I’ve been writing in my head since I landed in Seattle. But… it’s going to have to come with a disclaimer: I LOVE the United States of America. Please don’t take this post in any other context.

But OMG. I think everyone and their mom should have to live overseas in another country, for a minimum of 6 months. It’s been the most eye opening experience. I realize that Japan is a whole OTHER culture, but it’s been so informative to live there. Here are some interesting things I’ve observed while being back in the US over the past two weeks.

1. American food is delicious. The variety is probably the best in the world (wings, pizza, burgers, steak, seafood, coffee houses, cafes, Mexican food, Italian food, Chick-fil-a (it’s its own food group as far as I’m concerned), sandwich shops etc.) But the portions here are out of control. I mean—seriously. I ordered a half order of chicken nachos the other day at a Mexican restaurant. They came out on a 13 inch plate, stacked ridiculously high, smothered in liquid white queso cheese, chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and guacamole. It was disgusting. (But oh so very heavenly) It took me three meals to eat it. Imagine if it had been a full order. And we wonder why we’re all so fat.
2. Can we talk about recycling? I grew up in a house where my parents have always recycled. Maybe not everything, but cans and plastic for sure. When I moved out, I didn’t think twice about getting a recycling bin, meaning I did not use one, for several years. When we moved to Oklahoma we recycled because we lived on the base, and it was convenient for us to set our stuff by the curb. Texas was the same, as well as Arkansas, but I never went out of my way to do it. If it was inconvenient, oh well- I’d just toss a plastic bottle in the trashcan while I would pump my gas. But now—living in Japan where the base offers a nice, clear and easy way to recycle, and I’ve been doing it for awhile, and now I really see how much stuff could be recycled that we just toss in the garbage. Lately, the only reason my garbage has to be taken out is when it smells, and not because the bag is full. I take out the recycling at a much higher frequency! I challenge each of you to recycle everything you can, I’m talking paper, plastic, cardboard etc. for one month and see how much you’re tossing that could be recycled. I think you’ll be surprised!
3. Why are we so lazy? I sat in a Publix (southern grocery store chain for you non-southerners) parking lot today and watched not 1, not 2, not 3 but FOUR people leave their carts near their car. Are you freaking kidding me? Just take the cart to the cart return. And what’s worse is that Publix baggers will take your groceries out for you. If you’re too daggum lazy to put your cart away, at least pay the teenagers $2-$3 for them to do it for you instead of risking your cart to be rolled into someone else’s vehicle!!! That’s just common courtesy folks.
4. When did American vending machines get so expensive?! I’ve only been away for ten months, but since my return I’ve already paid $2.50 for a coke. And $1.25 for a bag of cheez-its. Are ya kidding me? (But hey, I paid it, so I guess if you’re not a part of the solution, you’re a part of the problem, right?)
5. Are we not smiling anymore? Are we so unhappy that we can’t offer a smile??? When I went to take my finals today I spoke with at least 6 different employees at the school. Not one of them offered me a smile. And I’m a smiley person!!! I smile when I ask questions, I smile when I thank them kindly for answering my questions. No “you’re welcome.”? No “Have a good day.”? No “Thanks, you too.”? And one lady at the post office yesterday was rude too. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve just been running into the wrong people at the wrong time (I really should credit it to that) but I’m unhappy with the friendliness of Atlanta, Georgia. What happened to my sweet state of southern hospitality???
6. We still have to tip here…. Awwww crap.
7. In Japan, the culture and relationships are a little different than here. Example: eye contact. In Japan, eye contact means a relationship has been made. Driving? Need to move over a lane? Just make eye contact with the driver next to you, and you’re in. Blinker, horn, staring… nobody moves out my way here in GA these days…


That’s all the negative I’ve got for now. I’m sure more will come up. I still love Georgia and am proud to call it my stomping grounds. I can’t just end the post with bad things about the country and state I love so much. So, let me also tell you about the wonderful things that have happened since I’ve been here.

I needed to reschedule a doctor’s appointment that I missed while in Japan. On the phone as I’m explaining as to why I don’t need a referral, how I don’t live here and why I don’t have my medical records, the woman at the doctor’s office was incredibly sweet. She told me of how she and her family have been praying for the people in Japan since they heard about the disaster. She and her husband lived in Yokohama, Japan for several years when they were younger. We chatted for about half an hour. What a doll. I’m looking forward to meeting her in person.

When I needed to cancel the various flights I had booked and would explain my situation to the various airline companies, each and every employee told me they had been thinking about and praying for Japan.

The shuttle bus driver at the Seattle airport said the same thing. So did the rental car people, store clerks at the mall. Many also told me they’ve donated their hard earned money.

The guy at my sister’s gym helped me out with a very cheap month’s membership learning I was here temporarily.

While one lady was rude to me at the post office, another wasn’t. As I asked a question about shipping to an APO box, she asked if I was in the military. I said my husband was and she shook my hand and thanked me for my husband’s service and all that I put up with as a military spouse. She about made me cry.

And today I saw a college kid give a bag of potato chips to a bum outside of a gas station who asked for money because he said he was hungry.

There is good in all of us. There is bad in all of us, but there is good too. As the human race, let’s all unite as one. Help your neighbor carry their groceries up the stairs. Stop and thank a veteran. Help an old lady cross the street. Tip the bagger at the store an extra dollar. Give a homeless man a bag of potato chips. Hold the door for someone. Let someone else have that parking spot. Smile at someone. Pray for someone. Let a car over in your lane, while you’re driving, even if they have an ugly Auburn sticker, and didn’t use a blinker. Thank your waiter/waitress sincerely for their job well done, not only with money, but with kind words that may help them get through their night. Leave a comment for the novice blog writer who seldom gets comments but loves when she does (yes, this means my blog… or anyone else’s for that matter!!!). And write “I love you” on 5 different people’s Facebook walls, and mean it!!

Be good. Be the change you want to see in the world.

And think. Use your brain, and your heart to make decisions.

And keep thinking about and praying for Japan. Please. And thanks.

Just trying to spread the love,
Chelsea

Not enough fun...

Ok. So.
VERY long story short, I left Japan temporarily. My heart is breaking for the Japanese people that have done nothing but show support, kindness and love towards their country, and the visitors (aka, me) that visit it.

I’ll never forget March 11, 2011… and the way I felt that day watching the tsunamis roll in that afternoon. I’ll never forget the heartache I felt watching the images on TV of people and their homes, cars and livelihood being tossed around like boats in a bathtub. I’ll never forget the fear and sadness I felt as I watched the news for hours explaining about the nuclear problems that came with the natural disaster. I’ll never forget any of it. Just like I won’t forget how I felt on September 11, 2001.

I had already made the decision to travel to Georgia to visit family many months ago, long before the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear issues. In the wake of these events, I chose to head back to the states a bit early, just to err on the side of caution and for my own sanity. I know the people at Yokota are doing incredible things for the Japanese people, and I truly can’t express the amount of pride I feel personally knowing some of the heroes that are helping in the wake of tragedy. I want them to sign autographs. :) HA!

I made it back to Georgia several days ago, and have tried to lay low! Leaving a little earlier than planned threw off my school schedule and put me in a frenzy of panic to get all of my assignments completed and submitted on time. I have finals this coming week and finding a location to take them at has been more of an issue than I’d ever imagined. I’d like to say Georgia has been just peachy (pun intended) but I’m purposely avoiding too much fun so I can keep a responsible mindset. It’s exhausting. All I want to do is explore my hometown, eat at all of my favorite restaurants, and see all of the people I miss and love so dearly. Responsibility sucks.

Now that almost all of my assignments are submitted, and all that’s left to do is study, I want to shout from the rooftops! I must admit that I haven’t let Georgia be all work and no play, as I’ve eaten at a few of my favorite places (Chick-fil-a TWICE and TWO different Mexican joints) I’ve also had pizza, and a Five Guys Cheeseburger. Yes, it’s been heavenly. I have had quite a few meals of leftovers, and am trying to remember that just because I’m kind of on vacation (not quite) I can’t let myself gain 20lbs… but it sure is hard!

If you’re in Georgia and would like to get together, shoot me an e-mail/facebook/whatever and I’d love to try to plan an outing (perhaps somewhere delicious???)

And please do not let Japan slip away from your minds. They still need lots of love and prayers. I am looking forward to when I get back to Japan and can throw my able body into the cleanup and relief efforts. Japan is so deserving. I promise. And if you haven’t been there… add it to the list of things to do… it won’t disappoint. It really is a wonderful country.

Thanks for reading and leaving comments. Love you all!

XOXO,
Chels

The Day the Earth Moved...

How can I even begin to tell this story? The past week and a half has inched by. It was filled with shaking from both myself and the floor, countless hours of alertness, friendship, hurt, hope, airports, security lines, panic, food, family, relief, fear, heartbreak, strength and sadness. The events I am referring to began on March 11th, 2011.

As most crazy days do, this one began normally. I woke up, did homework, had lunch, checked my mail, went to the BX, came home and sat on the couch with my laptop in my lap. About 2:46pm it feels like my couch is shaking. Have you ever had a dog? When they scratch their ears with their hind legs, sometimes it feels like the house shakes for a second. But Cheyenne is in my line of vision, and she is asleep on her bed. “Huh. Strange.” I think. “Oh, it’s still shaking. Oh, look at my lampshade. Oh! It’s an earthquake!” And I’m embarrassed to say that for a split second I felt excited. Earthquakes are very common in Japan, and I hear about them all the time, but I’ve never felt one. The second floor usually doesn’t. But then, it’s still shaking and I can see everything I own rattling, and I can hear it. And the Earth sounds as if she’s moaning. And I panic because I don’t know what to do. I quickly realize this isn’t okay. This is major. My mind searches for an answer about where to go, because with each passing millisecond the house shakes a little more. And it's rattling, and rolling. I get in the doorway of my bedroom because it’s a metal frame. I cry out for Cheyenne to come because the entertainment center hutch is rocking back and forth and I’m waiting on it to fall and crush her. She doesn’t hesitate to listen and as I brace myself in the doorway and actively am praying out loud, “Oh God, please make it stop. Make it stop shaking. The towers! Oh God, those towers! Stop it. Why won’t it stop? It’s still shaking! Father, make it stop!!!” And I can hear my blinds banging from side to side, hitting the window frame, then shifting outwards and slapping against the glass window, and I can hear my neighbor’s dogs barking. And it’s still rolling. I’m being pulled from side to side and it doesn’t make sense. I’d always imagined an earthquake would feel like you’re shaking from side to side, but it doesn’t. It rolls, and turns and twists, and you can’t keep your feet planted. It’s terrifying. I watch a picture frame fall over, but then it’s done. It stops. The Earth stops moving, I take a deep breath, and want to break into tears. What do I do now? I look at my bookshelf that’s been re-organized. It’s just stuff. Nothing’s even broken. The people. How are my neighbors? I can hear front doors being opened, and I get Cheyenne on a leash and we go downstairs where we meet two of our neighbors.

They both felt it. I didn’t imagine it. None of us knew what to do when it happened. Jane was about to walk out the door because she had somewhere to be at 3. We discuss aftershocks, and tsunamis. I gasp at the thought of a tsunami. The island is so small, and we all know it would cause a lot of damage. We wonder where the epicenter was. A word I’d learned only a week or two prior, in the English class I teach. The center of the earthquake. Where it began.

We talk about our friends who live in “the towers” which are 9 story apartment buildings on base, there are tons of them. We try to call our friends, but the cellphone lines are down. We discuss that it must have been really close, or else it was a huge earthquake. I take Jane’s dogs upstairs with me because I’m not going anywhere, and we were afraid if another one came, we didn’t want stuff to fall on them.

I got back inside, and immediately google, “What to do in an earthquake”. I read about getting under a sturdy piece of furniture, crouch to the ground, hold on. I come up with a game plan to get under my dining room table if it happens again. I pulled up facebook, where everyone and their mom at our base has already posted comments such as “Whoa! Earthquake!” Or “Rocking and rolling in Japan!” And other witty things. I think I posted something about how scary it was.

I turn on Fox news. Nothing about Japan. I turn on CNN, nothing. From my house phone, which is still working, I call my friend who is pregnant and has a 2 year old and lives on the 8th floor. She’s okay. She only had a vase break, but she and her little boy are okay. She says she googled the earthquake and gives me the link. It says the quake was a 7.something and all it says it was off the island of Honshu. I can’t do anything but think, “No shit. Why isn't it more specific?”

I google Japan earthquake. Nothing. Then someone puts on facebook to watch the Japanese news coverage. Duh! And then there’s the tsunami. There’s a giant wave. And I begin praying again. Silently this time, but fervently. And it hit shore. I’m watching this live and the homes are being swept again, I see cars, and ships being tossed like toys in a bathtub. The cars are trying to outrun this wave, but it’s hopeless. They’re gone.

For the next few hours I can’t tear myself away from the TV or the internet, except for the 3 major aftershocks. When it started shaking, I yelled for the dogs to come, and all 3 of them did, and we crawled under my kitchen table. I have Cheyenne in the nook of my arm and the other two babies by the collars. They aren’t going anywhere. They understand.

I think about calling my parents, but know it’s after midnight there, and they both work early. There’s no way for me to contact George until he gets on Skype. So, I call other people around the base and make sure they’re alright. The base checks on me. George’s commander’s wife calls me. I say I’m fine. The squadron calls me; friends call me, my phone rings about 6 times. Those who don’t call, send mass Facebook messages asking if everyone is okay. We Facebook chat. Everyone has a different story, but everyone is okay!

Jane comes back and spends the rest of the afternoon and evening with me. We choke back tears as we watch the images of the country we love and call home, being destroyed.

I get home that evening and realize that when my parents, family and friends wake up in the morning and turn on the news, they’re going to worry about me. So I wait until about 4am their time and then call. My dad answers, and I explain that there was an earthquake, and when they turn on the news they’ll see how bad it was but I promise I’m safe. He tells my mom, and I’m relieved they won’t worry. Except, the worry just begins.

Then we hear that Yokota took in 11 airplanes that had been diverted from the Narita airport, and they need volunteers with the Red Cross to help. So we go. Jane and I take off to the Taiyo rec center on the base and wait for instruction. They have too many volunteers so I sign up for a shift for the next morning.

I get home that night and decide to send an e-mail. Here’s a copy of it (edited, this time):

Hello friends and family!

Just wanted to send you all a message and let you know that I perfectly fine! About 2:50pm here this afternoon there was an 8.8 earthquake about 230 miles from me. My house, which is on the second floor, shook like crazy. I had a couple of picture frames fall over, and everything hanging on the walls is now crooked, but nothing was broken! I did have some friends who live on the 9th floor of an apartment building here on base have things break (one had a tv fall off the wall) but there have been no injuries reported on base! What a blessing!

The quake itself was horrifying. The noise it brought was super eerie! It sounded like a monster rumbling outside and I could hear the blinds in my house bouncing back and forth off the window frames. I had always imagined an earthquake would shake side to side, but my house shook back and forth, left and right, up and down-- I don't know how else to explain it- except that I didn't like it one bit!!!

Cheyenne and I stood in a door frame and held on. It shook about 2 minutes! That is a really long time to have your home shake! I heard someone on the news report they thought it was 4-6 minutes long. I'm not sure, but I know it was WAY longer than I ever needed to feel one!

We also felt after shocks all afternoon, well, even until about an hour ago... we'll probably feel them all night, and maybe into tomorrow! Ick!

The main airports here in Japan are closed and Yokota Air Base (where I live) is taking in airplanes! The Red Cross here on base has been quick to respond, and I went in to help and am signed up to help from 7am-12pm tomorrow. There is going to be plenty of help needed throughout Japan for the next few weeks (if not months) and I'm happy I'll be able to do something! We're supposed to get an estimated 2500 people here that need to sleep in our community centers tonight.

Please keep Japan in your prayers. Just heard them say on a Japanese news channel that 3.98 MILLION people are without power tonight. Which means no heat, and it's supposed to go down to below freezing tonight... it's even supposed to snow. Watching the footage as it was happening just miles from me has been devastating. I feel pretty helpless. Japan is a wonderful country who will get back on their feet quickly. And continue to pray for the other countries throughout the Pacific that are being affected by the tsunamis that have resulted.

I'm a little shaken up (pun completely intended) but am fine! I am very thankful to be alive and well, warm, with food and water (and a little glass of wine).

George is off in a lovely sandy country right now and won't be home until June-ish, so he is fine too! Thanks for all of your concern!

Our cellphones were out all afternoon, but they are working now (you can't call it without costing us both an arm and a leg) but my home phone which has worked all day is now not currently working. I'm sure as people are waking up throughout the US people are calling us all here in Japan to check and it has jammed the lines! Call if you want, but know that I am fine!!!

I love you all!!!!!

Chelsea




I FINALLY got to talk to George that night around 10pm. He had just heard about the quake and was very worried, but we both felt so much relief to be able to see and hear each other. I love Skype. And I love George.

So, that was just the beginning. That was the first day. Quite literally—the day my world was shaken. I am safe and well in Smyrna, Georgia with my family. Cheyenne is here too. How I made it here is another story, for another day. I’ll be sure to tell you all about it.

Please continue to pray for their country. It is the saddest thing that I’ve ever experienced, watching Japan fall apart. They’ll prevail. I’m sure of it.

Chelsea

Here's one little picture I took of a bookshelf I have in my living room. The DVD's got shifted, and a few things fell, but nothing even broke.




Check out these reputable links if you would like to donate money/supplies, or your time-- if you're in Japan. Japan needs all the love they can get:

www.crashjapan.com

http://www.redcross.org/


AND Here's some more interesting links:

This is my fantastic friend Kate's blog. She's in Japan still and is working and doing incredibly brave and gracious things for Japan. She has wonderful information about what you can do to help... check out the blog from 3/11/11 and after.
http://tdubandkate.blogspot.com/2011/03/31111.html

This is an interactive map so you can see how MANY quakes they've experienced in the past week and a half.
http://www.japanquakemap.com

This is a cartoon that's aired on Japanese TV to explain the nuclear problems to the children of Japan. It's pretty funny!
www.urlesque.com/2011/03/17/nuclear-boy-cartoon-japan/

This is the bases official website. It's got up to date information on the truly INCREDIBLE things the USA and many other countries are doing for Japan, and the victims of the quakes/tsunamis. I am SO proud to know and be associated with the people at Yokota. Truly, they are heroes. From the pilots flying the planes, to the mechanics working on them, to the groups packaging supplies, loading the planes, the spouse groups making food around the clock... the outpouring love from Yokota to Japan is overwhelming. They're amazing.
http://www.yokota.af.mil

Defining Home

One thing we military spouses find ourselves doing is redefining the word home. My parents still live in the same house I was born in, and the back bedroom there will always be "my room", and that house will forever have a place in my heart as home. I moved away to college, and after long nights of studying at the library, I would just want to go "home" to my dorm-room. I upgraded the following school year to my "home" in a townhouse. The year after that to a house, living with my 3 BFF's. We had a blast living there, and those girls certainly helped it feel like "home". The next year, George and I were married and moved across the country to Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas in less than a year and a half's time. Crazy huh? Each place, just being with George, made it feel like home.

Living in Japan we certainly cannot drive the 4, 8, 15 or 20 hours "home" to Georgia. But there's always the thought in my head when I'm complaining to George that I miss my family "you know what? I don't live there anymore. I haven't for many years, and home is wherever I'm with you." Living a life as a military wife doesn't give you much leeway to be home sick for your family. I will always miss them, with each passing holiday, birthday, town events etc... but it's nice to know we have a great "family" here in Japan as well.

I have a song I've been singing for a month or two nonstop in my head. I've posted it on Facebook before, and will post it here now; just trying to spread the love. The lyrics speak to me just as much as the musically talented multi-person band does. They're hippy-esque, with some folk, rock and indie thrown in. I just adore them and the song. It's a duet. Here's the lyrics, and a link to the video:

Home
By: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjFaenf1T-Y

Her:
Alabama, Arkansas
I do love my ma and pa
Not that way that I do love you

Him:
Holy moley, me oh my
You're the apple of my eye
Girl, I've never loved one like you

Her:
Man, oh man, you're my best friend
I scream it to the nothingness
There ain't nothing that I need

Him:
Well, hot and heavy, pumpkin pie
Chocolate candy, Jesus Christ
There ain't nothing please me more than you

Both:
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you

La, la, la, la, take me home
Mommy, I'm coming home

Him:
I'll follow you into the park
Through the jungle, through the dark
Girl, I've never loved one like you

Her:
Moats and boats and waterfalls
Alleyways and pay phone calls
I've been everywhere with you

Him:
That's true
Laugh until we think we'll die
Barefoot on a summer night
Never could be sweeter than with you

Her:
And in the streets you run a-free
Like it's only you and me
Geez, you're something to see

Both:
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you

La, la, la, la, take me home
Daddy, I'm coming home

(talking)
Him: Jade
Her: Alexander
Him: Do you remember that day you fell out of my window?
Her: I sure do, you came jumping out after me
Him: Well, you fell on the concrete, nearly broke your ass, you were bleeding all over the place and I rushed you out to the hospital, you remember that?
Her: Yes, I do
Him: Well, there's something I never told you about that night
Her: What didn't you tell me?
Him: While you were sitting in the backseat smoking a cigarette you thought was going to be your last, I was falling deep, deeply in love with you, and I never told you until just now

Both:
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is where I'm alone with you

Him:
Home
Let me come home
Home is wherever I'm with you

Her:
Ah, home
Yes I am home
Home is when I'm alone with you

Her:
Alabama, Arkansas
I do love my ma and pa
Moats and boats and waterfalls
Alleyways and pay phone calls

Both:
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you
Ah, home
Let me go home
Home is where I'm alone with you

Beijing China... Part Uno

Well hello friends, family and random readers! I’ve heard I have family and friends of my friends who read… which is very exciting news to me! I am happy to announce that George and I just returned from our first big vacation since we moved to Japan: Beijing, China! Yay! We really had a lovely trip!

This was our first experience taking on a foreign country (or a non-foreign) country with a tour guide. We were pretty hesitant about touring China with a tour guide but felt we would be in good hands based on the experiences of our friends here who have done the same trip. There were about 40 people who went on the trip from our base and about 50 from another base here in Japan! That’s a lot of Gaijin. (Which means foreigner in Japanese). We took on China with great force! Our group from here was separated into 2 groups, which put 19 people on our bus, and 20ish on the other. Our bus was mostly couples, all of us relatively young in age, and the other bus was mostly families with kids.

We had a wonderful tour guide. His name was Trevor and he would often say “eh- whatever” at the end of his speeches about China… to which we nicknamed him- (fittingly) Trevor Whatever. I still get a kick out of this. Ha! :)

The first day was spent traveling to the airport in Tokyo, the flight to China, the airport there, dinner, and checking into our hotel, which was really nice except for the most awful hard, spring-digging, crunchy, bad, horrible, (insert 100 more negative adjectives) mattress. Relatively boring, but hey- isn’t the first day of vacation usually boring… or at least bothersome?

Day two was Thursday; Thanksgiving Day and it was FAR more eventful. We had the hotel’s breakfast buffet, which was actually not bad—not great—but not bad! Then we joined our tour group (which Trevor Whatever referred to as “our family”) on the bus and we headed to Tian an men Square. We were dropped off at the center of the action, which consisted mostly of beautifully structured monuments, memorials and government buildings. Trevor gave us the history behind a lot of it; google it if you’re interested… I learned way too many facts to share in one blog. And I don’t always remember the correct facts; since I’d hate to share false information—I’ll just recommend you google it yourself. :)

Us at Tiananmen Square:


We headed to the Forbidden City next. This was something I had never really learned about. Basically, thousands (here comes a possibly inaccurate fact) of years ago, the Emperors in China had this giant palace they lived in that had somewhere between 9,000-10,000 ROOMS. THIS is not an exaggeration. Can you imagine having to clean 9-10,000 rooms? I guess if you’re the emperor of a powerful country you would have servants (slaves?) to do it for you- but that sounds WAY too overwhelming. You couldn’t even play hide-and-seek safely! He also had concubines. And thousands of them! I learned that the term “Dragon Lady” means the emperor’s wife. She would often get to choose which concubine would “service” the emperor, and wouldn’t always choose the most attractive one… or maybe Trevor was making a joke—who knows? :)



It took us 2-3 hours to walk through maybe a quarter of the “palace.” It was beautiful and truly amazing. The intricacy of the architecture was incredible—which is how I felt about almost everything we saw in China… well, at least the stuff that’s more than a couple 100 years old! (I’m talking mostly about the bathrooms there… one word to describe them… EW.)




We hiked up a giant hill to Jingjang park, where we could see the entire (well, what we could see through the smog) Forbidden City. It’s incredible to me that for hundreds (maybe thousands?) of years the people of China couldn’t enter or see into the “Forbidden City” I’m sure they created many stories about what went on in there. We made the hike back down the hill and headed to the Tea Shop.
I won’t comment a lot about the Chinese-government mandated shops (mandated because we were on a tour and they’re required to make us visit them) but I will say I did enjoy the tea shop. They did a ‘tea ceremony’ where we tried a few handfuls of Chinese tea. The woman explained what temperature to drink the tea at, how to drink it properly, how to hold the cups etc. It was neat to see that, but wasn’t crazy about the prices!

JinShang Park


After the tea shop we rode to Hutong, which is a much older district of Beijing. In my book “1,000 Places to See Before you Die” it recommends you go to Hutong and take a rickshaw ride. I was SO happy to learn this was on our tour itinerary! It’s a district that is being torn down and renovated. You can see the charm of it fading with each corner you turn, but it still had plenty for me to fall in love with it. The streets were so much quieter, a little less touristy, and overall one of my favorite things we experienced in China. The rickshaws were men of various sizes (we were lucky to have a larger ‘driver’) who could pedal us, and even tried ‘racing’ some of the others. He gave us a blanket to drape over ourselves and it was actually a really precious memory. It was so sweet (warning: getting sappy) holding George’s hand experiencing something so special. He says to me “I told you I would show you the world” and I couldn’t help but smile. I had to secretly pinch my own arm… what a lucky girl I am. I’m lucky to not only live in Japan, but get to travel Asia and visit other fantastic countries and cultures, all with George, which is the best part of it all.



After our lovely little ride, we attended an Acrobatic Show, which actually was really awesome! I’ve never had the opportunity to see a Cirque Du Soleil show but was told this show was pretty comparable. I can’t imagine the production value of this show even grazes Cirques but I was pleasantly surprised by the performers. It made me ill watching their bodies twist and turn, balance upon one another, do flips, turns, and jumps. The theater sold popcorn… which was popped in your very own bag in the microwave behind the counter. I also had a peach flavored coke (er—soda for all of you non-Southerners), which was delicious.

Dinner rolled around finally and we feasted on… I don’t remember… but all the food was good. They’d seat us at (usually) 2 tables of ten, which gave us the opportunity to mingle and interact with the other people on the tour. There’d be a giant ‘lazy Susan’ in the middle of the table and the food would just keep coming. There was always leftovers and we were always full at the end of the meal. Luckily we walked SO much on the trip there is no way I didn’t lose weight on that vacation… well… at least I didn’t gain any. 

We were so exhausted at the end of the night, we were so thankful to get back to our hotel room! And we were greeted by the floor of a bed. Ugh. As we were entering our room, a room service team showed up, and not speaking to us at all, (nor a smile) they came in, stripped the sheets from our bed, put a feather topper on the mattress and re-made the sheets. We didn’t ask for it, but were very pleased with it! At least then we didn’t feel the springs from the bed digging into our bones and muscles. The following morning we learned there were other people on our bus that had complained to the staff about how unbearable the beds were, and didn’t receive the mattress toppers they had asked for! Ooooops…. Guess we got it!  (FYI they all called back down and did get their mattress toppers!)

So that was day 1 and 2. I’ll update with pictures and the rest soon! I hope y’all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with family, friends, adventures and love.

XOXO,
Chels