Week 1 Update

I'm sure you have been waiting to hear how this week has been and what we have been up to! Now that we are adjusted to the time difference and aren't sleeping most of the days away, I wanted to update you on our whereabouts…

First off Japan is SO amazing. We have felt so welcomed by everyone and already have some new friends. Here are some things we have been up to this past week:

-We stayed at the Navy Lodge, which is a hotel, and where they put you on base until housing becomes available. 

-We had our first Japanese restaurant experiences. First was a Ramen noodle place which was so yummy and the second was called Sushi-go-round. Sushi came around on a conveyer belt and you chose which ones you wanted!

-We don't have our Japanese drivers licenses yet so Will has had to take a bike to work everyday…and I run after him taking pictures because I think the helmet is hilarious. 

-The Japanese words we have learned to use on a consistent basis are:

       *Konnichiwa- Hello

       *Arigatō (Ar-ee-gah-toe)- Thank you

       *Sumimasen (soo-me-mah-sin)- Excuse me

       *Sayōnara- Goodbye

       *Atsugi Kichi- Atsugi Base (mainly for taxis to take you back to base)

-Fun Fact: You don't tip anyone in Japan including waiters or taxis. 

-We finally got an apartment and the best part about it (other then being out of the hotel) is that it is right above some of our best friends Cait and Andrew! Our furniture won't be in for another few months, but we are so happy to be able to have our own place! It doesn't hurt that it resembles a pent house suite either...

 

-We had our first Japanese Karaoke Bar experience with some friends. You can find a Karaoke bar on most any street you drive down out here. The interesting part is that you don't perform in front of a huge room, you rent your own rooms and perform as a private group instead. It gets loud to say the least...

-I got to have my first girls night out with wives from our new squadron. We took a train to the town of Yokohama and had dinner on the 28th floor. The views were so amazing and the wives here are awesome. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such strong and encouraging women! 

-Will had his first flight! He said he got to fly right over Mount Fuji (Volcano) and could see inside of it since it was a clear day. He also told me the flying out here is so beautiful and there were some really cool islands he flew over as well. Lets be honest…he may have the coolest job in the world. 

-Will and I got real brave on Saturday and decided to take a day trip to Tokyo by ourselves. The trains here can be seriously stressful but we used a really helpful website that shows you train times in english. We made it to the area of Shibuya with no issues, which was a miracle, and it was incredible. If you think Will and I stick out on base in Japan…you should have seen us in this city. We got a lot of stares but everyone was SO sweet and helpful. Shibuya has the largest crosswalk in the world and when that light turns green to cross the street…it is a MADHOUSE! Being there in the midst of it was one of the coolest things we've ever done. 

Picture doesn't do it justice

For you ladies that shop online, you may be familiar with one of my favorite stores Zara. It was like Christmas when I turned the corner in Tokyo and saw the store right in front of me! It was probably the only store that had my sizes because as you can imagine Japan caters to more of the miniature humans…not my category. In the dressing room they make you put on a face mask so you don't get make up on the clothes, which is actually brilliant, but it is not the most comfortable addition...

After a few hours exploring and shopping we made it back safely and were exhausted. The crazy thing about Tokyo is that there are so many different areas to visit and we already can't wait to see more! After just one afternoon there, it definitely made its way to the top of my favorite cities list. 

So as you can see we have had a very busy week! We have so much more to learn and experience too. The fact that we live here now and it is our HOME is still mind blowing. I am so encouraged by the fact that it has only been one week living here and already I love it all. Please continue to pray for us because I'm sure the homesick feelings are creeping up and will hit at some point. Will and I are so grateful for all of you and can't wait to update you with more adventures!! Bring on week number 2! 

Aiwokomete (with love), 

Caroline and Will