Australia Part 2…Sydney!

I'm sure other navy wives can agree with me when I say the first few days after your husband leaves are the worst. For a while I thought going back to Japan after Brisbane would be better just to get home and try to get back in a routine, but after my Sydney trip I could not be more thankful I planned my trip this way. 

One of the coolest and probably my favorite part of Sydney was who I got to stay with. The trip would not have been the same without Whitney and Will being my hosts and also my tour guides! Whitney is the all time best friend/adopted sister of my sister in laws, Marylou. She has always been around since I've known the Cravens and we instantly became friends. The last time we saw Whitney and Will was at our wedding 2 years ago, and to be honest after finding out they were moving to Australia we had no idea when the next time would be. How amazing is that? Who would have thought the next time would be in Sydney, Australia? 

The first night I got to Sydney I stayed in a hotel with my friend Cait and we had the most amazing view of the Sydney harbor. We met up with some other girlfriends, walked around and had dinner. 

Cait, Sarah and I 

The second day we spent the whole day exploring and shopping. There were so many familiar stores, and even though sadly I didn't buy anything it was so fun having a girls day and trying on clothes that actually fit you. Haven't had that yet in Japan…

Whitney picked me up after work and took me back to her humble abode she shares with her fiancé Will, where I stayed the rest of the weekend. Whitney and I woke up the next morning and took a walk around their sweet little neighborhood. Now let me preface this by saying when I go on walks in Japan its usually on base where it is very flat. After the first 3 mountains we walked up and down, I found myself wishing I had an oxygen tank handy. I will remember that for next time. The views we saw and place we stopped for breakfast on the way back made the "walk" (hike) worth it though. 

Whitney had to go in to work after our walk so I took a bus down to an area called Manly, where I met up with my navy girlfriends and we hung out and ate dinner together. 

The next day was gorgeous and we knew we wanted to be outside again. Whitney and Wills friend Ben was going to hang out with us too but before we did our hike, I was told I had to see Ben's families house and the view it had. They weren't kidding…it was amazing. 

After meeting Ben's wonderful family, we drove to the area we were going to be hiking for the day called "Spit to Manly". The whole thing is about 10 kilometers which is equal to about 6.2 miles. It was never boring and you had a different view everywhere you looked. If I had not been staying with Whitney and Will I would have never seen this, and for that I am so grateful! 

Even though we were a little tired from our day…it wasn't over yet! Whitney and I were going to meet some girls out and celebrate my birthday that night. We went to a dumplings place for dinner where we met up with my navy girlfriends and 2 Raleigh girls I hadn't seen in YEARS! It was the most amazing and random reunion ever with Tori and Carrie. Tori's family lives a few houses down from the Cravens and we have known each other ever since Will and I started dating in high school. She now lives in Australia and seeing her was the best! Carrie is also from Raleigh and even though she is a year younger then me we have always hung in the same crowds through school. She is in Australia for the summer doing a nanny job and my mind was blown when I heard she would be there too! 

After dinner we went to a bar on the top floor of a hotel, and it was the kind that slowly did a 360 degree turn over the course of an hour. The views were amazing and the company was even better. Never did I ever think I would celebrate a birthday in Australia and with such great friends surrounding me. You girls are the best, thank you for making me feel so special! 

Elevator picture of everyone! 

Raleigh Reunion in Sydney! 

The next day was my actual birthday and sadly my last full day in Sydney. Whitney and I got our nails done, did some shopping, and laid low. I did get a special birthday "cronut" when I woke up compliments of Will, and even a birthday candle to complete it. Seriously could not have had a better birthday and felt more loved. Obviously I wish my Will had been there, but it was pretty darn close to my favorite birthday ever. 

That night Whitney and I cooked dinner with 2 of her friends Olivia and Jackie who both have the CUTEST little boys, and if you know me you know I was in heaven. It was so fun to meet more friends and I couldn't think of a better night to wrap up my trip to Sydney. The next day came very early and before I knew it I was back on a 10 hour flight to Japan. 

Whitney and Will, you have no idea how much fun I had with you guys! You made me feel so welcomed and I hope to return the favor one day in whatever state Will and I end up in :) I love you both and can't wait to see you back in the States for your WEDDING! 

Next stop…AMERICA! 

xoxo 

Caroline 

Australia Part 1…Brisbane!

After Grace left I only had a little under 2 weeks to prepare for my next June adventure. The trip I have been waiting for the entire year and really my entire life. Drum roll please…

It was time to go to Australia!!!!

Not only was I finally going to explore this beautiful country but most importantly I was going to see Will and be with him for a few days in Brisbane, Australia. 

I flew in a day early so I could get a good night sleep and be rested before he got there. I knew Will had to do some work the first night an hour away in the Gold Coast, but I assumed he would come to the hotel to drop his things off first. First mistake of the trip…don't assume. I got an email from him around 2:30 that said he didn't have enough time to come by and that he wasn't going to be home until around 7am the next morning. Obviously this wasn't the ideal thing to hear but I was in Australia and decided to make the best of it. I met up with most of my other friends in the squadron that night and still had a great time. 

The view from our hotel

4am rolls around, and even after an attempt to stay awake in hopes Will would walk in early, I passed out. Most of the time when someone comes in really late/early in the morning they are really quiet and careful not to wake the sleeping person up. 

Wrong. 

Will decides to loudly open our door and say "HEY" as loud as he could while walking in the room. I was so excited to finally hear his voice and to know he was there with me, but I don't remember the last time I was that terrified coming out of a deep sleep. Finally…we were back together! 

The next day we got some lunch, shopped around and later in the evening we went to Mount Coot tha to get a view of the entire city. It was absolutely beautiful and the time of day was perfect to see the sunset. 

The next day we had a Wine tour with our friends from the squadron. We took a bus full of 26 people up Mount Tamborine and stopped at 5 different wineries. It was such a fun day and weirdly reminded me of how much I miss having this crazy group all together back in Japan. 

The next day was probably the one I had been looking forward too for this entire trip. We were finally going to the Lola Pines Sanctuary where we could hold a koala and feed some kangaroos. Doesn't get more Aussie then that! 

We took the river ferry with our friends to get there and had the most amazing time. If you ever get a chance to visit Brisbane, this place is a MUST! 

Our last day together rolled around and of course I was dreading it. We wanted to spend the day alone, so after some research we found a place called Escape Hunt. If you play computer games you may already know what this is, but basically its a place where they give you a scenario as detectives and put you in a room full of clues to try and solve the mystery. As weird and random as it may seem, it was so fun and hilarious. Afterwards we stayed in the area of Brisbane called Southbank where we ate dinner and talked at a bar for hours trying to push the inevitable. Will had to be back on the boat that night and before we knew it we were back at the hotel packing his bags again. 

My first Port call experience was amazing. When you marry someone its with the intention of wanting to be with them and around them every second your given. The military obviously makes this difficult, but the time Will and I do have together gives me motivation to get to that day where this will be possible. It was almost a bit of a tease to have those 4 days with him but I am thankful and grateful for each one. Getting to see Will and being in Australia at the same time will be a trip we will never forget. Now the countdown begins to the next time we see each other at the end of this year!

With Brisbane being over and missing my husband already, what better way to distract yourself then a 5 day trip to Sydney, Australia?? 

xoxo

Caroline 

By the GRACE of God!

With the sad cloud of deployment hanging over my head, I was in need of some serious girl time and distraction. There was one friend in particular that would take care of this and has always been there when I needed her. Usually its a movie night, getting our nails done, a trip up to Virginia Beach, or just a phone call. This time she really out did herself and came to my rescue all the way in Japan! 

Grace was finally here! 

I impatiently waited in the hotel room of the New Sanno in Tokyo on Thursday June 4 knowing any minute she would show up! Once I walked out the front door and saw my amazing, extremely tired, best friend standing there it was like a scene of a movie running towards her. Call it dramatic and slightly weird if you want, but seeing a familiar face after 5 months of living in Japan was exactly what I needed. 

After Grace took a much needed 2 hour power nap, we were off to enjoy our first evening in Tokyo. First stop on the list was Shibuya. It was the perfect place to introduce Grace to the chaos and craziness of Japan. After shopping a bit and walking around we headed to dinner at a restaurant called Hacienda. It is a Mexican restaurant on the rooftop and the food and views were amazing. 

The next morning we wasted no time. We continued our Tokyo adventures and started out our day with a delicious brunch at the Clinton St. Baking Company. From there we went to Omotesando Hills and Harajuku to do some shopping…our favorite past time! 

Selfie Stick Fun! 

After shopping we headed back to my house in Zama. But the fun didn't stop there…

Saturday we decided to drive up towards the mountains to a town called Hakone. Our mission was to find Mt. Fuji and take as many pictures as we could. The drive was beautiful and we ended up at Lake Ashi, the lake where you are SUPPOSED to see Mt. Fuji. Sadly the clouds were in full force and even though we didn't see it, we still had a great day. 

Sunday we got to experience our first Japanese Baseball game together! I had always heard they were so much fun so I figured Grace would enjoy it too! We headed to Yokohama with 8 other wives to cheer on the Baystars. Even though it was pretty hot outside, we had great seats and loved watching the Japanese fans get into the game. 

After the game, Grace and I split off from the group to continue our day in Yokohama. We took a boat taxi from the train station to an area called Red Brick Warehouse to do some more shopping since we can't seem to break that habit. It was fun to see the city from the water and gave us time to cool off and rest our feet. 

From here we took a taxi to Chinatown. It is similar to the one in New York but most of the vendors only sold japanese trinkets. We were on the hunt for Dr. Fish which is the place where you put your feet in the water and fish eat off all your dead skin. I think Grace was pleased to find out it had closed down, but I was totally bummed. From here we went to eat dinner at my favorite restaurant in Yokohama. Another great day/night checked off our list. 

This was fate…and so random

Finally the sun came out and we had good enough weather to try and go to Zushi beach. Its about an hour train ride and on the way there we stopped in a city called Kamakura. This is where the "Great Buddha" statue is and where hydrangeas are starting to bloom everywhere. 

Cleansing our hands before entering 

As luck would have it, the clouds rolled in on our way to the beach. Being the beach bums we are, we were a little upset but still made our way down to the water. The ocean has always been our happy place and I found it so cool that we went from sitting on the sand at Atlantic Beach to sitting on the sand/shells in Japan. Definetly a moment I won't forget!

Zushi Beach

Tuesday was a lazy day and Wednesday came fast. That morning we woke up early to meet some girls to walk the flight line. The flight line is 5 miles long and circles the runway on base. On most days when the sky is clear you can see Mt. Fuji on your walk. We didn't see the whole thing but we did see the very tip of it through the clouds. It wasn't what I had hoped for Graces sake, but at least she can honestly say she has seen it now! 

The tip of Mt. Fuji above clouds

After walking we took the train to Vina Walk in Ebina. We ate brunch at a place called Latte Graphic and once again the food was delicious. The rest of the afternoon was back at my house washing clothes and repacking Graces suitcase. I was in denial that she was leaving the next day and couldn't believe a week had already flown by. That night we went to base and watched the Bachlorette with a group of wives. I loved introducing Grace to all my Japan friends and showing her a piece of my military life. Girls nights are always welcomed here. 

The dreaded day finally came and it was time for Grace to go home. I took the train with her to Yokohama and from there she took the Narita Express which goes straight to the airport. Needless to say…I wasn't too happy to let her leave!

I love you so much Grace and can't tell you how much I appreciate you being out here with me! Can't wait to see you so soon when I'm back in the states this summer. 


Next stop…Australia! 


xoxo,

Caroline