Hello Japan Friends!

With Nick out of town for two weeks of conferences in Hawaii, I decided to leave my calendar wide open in the off chance a flight opened up on Space-A for me to meet up with him. As luck would have it, a Friday afternoon flight was heading straight there, so I packed up my bathing suits and sundresses, closed up the house, and drove to the terminal crossing my fingers.

I arrived to find out that the flight was no longer traveling east and instead was heading west to Okinawa, Japan. Bummer! My dreams of spending the weekend at the Ko Olina resort were quickly squashed. Luckily I have played the Space-A game before, so I was not at all surprised and only mildly disappointed.

Coronado neighbor turned traveling buddy!

With a whole unscheduled week ahead of me, I sat down in the terminal to check out some options. I had a Facebook message from my friend Kristi, my former neighbor in Coronado who now lives in Japan. She was writing to tell me how excited she is that we are both going to be on the East Coast in a few months. I replied on a whim and said something like, "Hey, can I come visit you... like tomorrow?"

A few hours later when I got home, I lugged my disappointing Hawaii bags back into the house and checked for her reply, which was simply, "Come on!!" I was going to be sensible and fly out two days later, but was met with the news that Kristi had already lined up a babysitter for Sunday night to go to a lantern festival in Tokyo. Yeah, I need to go to that, I thought. So at 10pm I booked a flight to leave the next morning. I repacked my bags, found a last-minute ride to the airport, and just like that was off to Japan!

First Japan visit in 2010!

While this trip wasn't technically on the calendar, it wasn't a completely whimsical decision to go either. I went to visit my friends Mary and Kristi back in September 2010 when I first moved to Guam (a trip that was also booked with less than a week's notice... sorry Japan friends!). Nick was away on his first long work trip, and my friends in Japan were smack in the middle of their first foreign deployment. The unexpected visitor (me!) was a welcome distraction while their husbands were away, and I got to see Japan, my first glimpse of Asia.

Japan's very own Tofu Fox!

Looking back, I remember that the nuances of traveling there were completely overwhelming at the time. Despite being a comfortable traveler (or so I thought), I had no concept how my friend Mary was navigating the crazy, confusing network of trains in a language that didn't even use a recognizable alphabet. Everything from the food to the transportation to the customs seemed so foreign.

As our overseas tour is coming to a close, it has been on my radar to slip in one final visit there to see my friends and to do a few more exciting things in Japan (which, conveniently is only a three-hour flight and one time zone change away!). My friend Mary has been blogging about her adventures and discoveries for the past few months as the Tofu Fox. It made me realize that there was a lot I missed on my first trip simply from being in a fog of misunderstanding. I wanted to visit Japan within the context of the many other fascinating countries I have traveled to so I could better appreciate how truly unique and extraordinary of a place it is.

Two years later, I had a very different experience in Japan. I felt like I could actually get around the city on my own if I needed to, and rather than spend the moments in my brain fretting over the city's complexities, I now had the space to focus on its captivating intricacies. Everything there is so beautifully decorated and delicately presented. A small part of me is envious that my friends have been able to live somewhere so different, so elegant for their overseas tour... while I was sloshing around in a muddy jungle.

And with that, here are some pictures from my first couple of days in Japan!

Lantern festival in Tokyo

 

 I wish I knew what the lanterns are for aside from beautiful beach decor.

Have some crazy architecture

And some really awkward train signs! 

Like Singapore, Tokyo loves its order and its signs.

Hi friends!! Meeting up with Mary and Annika and kiddos on Omotesando-dori 

for a day of shopping and lunching and shrines!

Japan has lots of fun surprises... like an energy drink that shoots out of a cooler. 

Nice catch Kristi!

So great to see this little guy... I have known Will since he was three months old. Now (somehow) he is about to start second grade!

And last time I saw Bean he was six months old. Now he is covered in ice cream and wants to get out of his stroller :)

Sights along the gorgeous wooded stroll to Meiji Shrine

We arrived during a wedding procession! What luck!!

I love the sea of tourists that formed a little paparazzi pod on the left, including Mary :) She got much better pictures than I did with her fancy camera and front row seat. See them and read more about the weddings we saw that day and the shrine on Mary's post here.

Entrance way at Meiji Shrine

Hi friends! So great to see everyone!

We unknowingly went to this area on a very eventful Monday. It was a school holiday, and there was a massive protest as the nuclear power plants began reopening in the previous weeks. We later learned there were over 170,000 people present for the protest. It was hands down the most polite and orderly protest I have ever seen (that's Japan!).

A few people crossing the street

The fabulous outfits were everywhere. The Japanese are always dressed to the nines, but this particular ensemble caught my eye. So chic!

And, oh yes, there was Zara :)

The same Zara we stopped by almost two years ago... 

 look how much Annika-chan has grown!

I think it's safe to say we've all grown quite a bit in these past two years abroad. My friends in Japan are also wrapping up their overseas tours, and I'm crossing my fingers that Mary's family will join Kristi's in being our neighbors on that side of the world too. So grateful for Kristi and Mary for hosting me during two wonderful trips to Japan. Definitely goes to show that you never know where the friendships of this small Navy world will take you... and if you're lucky, maybe even twice.

Our Second Guamiversary

The calendar has somehow already rolled around again to the middle of July, meaning Nick and I have officially called Guam home for two years now! Each year on our Guamiversary, I have reread the very first post I wrote on Peyt's Island, First 24 Hours in "Paradise". Especially now as Nick and I are beginning to create our exit plan, it's fun to read those first impressions and to marvel at all of the things I didn't know then that are so much a part of me now. 

Our two years on Guam have far surpassed my expectations. Our initial hopes for choosing to go there was to spend more time together, to escape deployment (that was my goal, at least!), to take a few trips, and to do a lot of diving. On the diving front, Nick and I just got our Rescue Diver certification cards in the mail... (so I guess now we are certified to rescue each other). I was asked to write up a review of my Top 12 Best Dives on Guam for the Guam Guide, making great use of the many awesome photos Nick has taken over the past few years. I so love that the walls of our home are decorated in these breathtaking images of fascinating underwater creatures. Each colorful image has a back story of a time and place that only Nick and I know about when we see it. They are pieces of creation that the two of us discovered together in our own underwater fantasyland.

In terms of traveling... let me just say holy crap! I am so amazed at all of the incredible places in this part of the world we have been able to see, both separately and together. When we first moved to Guam, the only places I for sure had to go were Japan, Palau, and The Philippines. Tokyo ended up being my very first trip, and coincidentally where I am writing you from right now (yes, I got to go back!). Palau turned out to be my all-time favorite place of anywhere I have ever been any time ever (yes, it was that awesome). And the Philippines originally made the list because that's where I thought Nick would be going for work trips. Well, that changed as soon as he started his new job (he was assigned to India, the Maldives and Sri Lanka), and it turns out The Philippines is where I ended up going for trips with my job. Many of you know my experience in Manila and the road to get there proved to be a far more life changing experience than I ever imagined. In addition to my top 3 destinations list, I have also been able to explore countries I couldn't even have located on a map before, like Singapore and Saipan. I hiked the Great Wall of China and even touched down in North Korea (thankfully only for a few minutes!). 

In addition to traveling, Guam has afforded us the opportunity to have some incredible visits with friends and family that never would have been possible in the States. Both my dad and Nick's stepdad got SCUBA certified so they could dive with us here! My sister and I painted an entire mural together! Nick's brother got a passport and did his first overseas flight ever to come see us! We've had another handful of close friends come our way to see this place for themselves (thank you Annie, Jenny, April, Mary & Annika!). Each visit has been so special, so meaningful. It has brought so much joy to Nick and me to share the island with a familiar face and know we have stories to tell about this place together once we are Stateside again. 

While at our core we are very much the same people we were when we arrived here two years ago, it is remarkable how much we have grown in these 24 months. Together we have faced some of the highest highs (skydiving! babies in Manila!) and the lowest lows (pneumonia, unexpected tragedies and family funerals). Both categories have challenged our faith and forced us to redefine who we are and what lies ahead for us.

I could go on and on about the many ways our story has been richly blessed and shaped these past two years. But at the end of the day, at the end of that list, the most wonderful part of Guam for me has been the irreplaceable time that Nick and I have spent together, just being us. Whether it was taking the boat out on an adventure to discover new diveable seas, or hiking through the jungle to explore caves and climb mountains, or a lazy Sunday afternoon playing golf after church... Guam has been the perfect setting for us to spend our free time in wreckless escape. In May Nick and I hit the eleven-year mark of life spent together, although few of those eleven years were actually spent together. I am so grateful that during very much of these past two years (often for months at a time!) we were able to return at the end of the day to share space under the same roof at the same dinner table. It may have taken moving to the other side of the world to make it happen, but I would travel twice that far again if that's what it would take to recreate this sanctuary. 

Pop quiz... what does this sunset cloud look like??

When the winds of change breezed through last year, they diverted our eyes not back to where we came from, but on to a new arena to begin a new chapter. We know not what the future holds for us in Virginia Beach, but I'm not worrying about that now. There will be time for that later, just as there is a season for everything. But right now, this is the season to savor... our home... our island... our days spent together. I am certain that on the other side of our two years in Guam we will be blessed with even more moments of joy and triumph together. But I know there will always be a special place in my heart for this precious time of exploration and contentment and togetherness. All made possible by this little place I so precisely on our first day called paradise.

Paradise, indeed :)

The Fresh Factor: Salute to the Fish Co-Op

The Fish Co-Op is one of my all-time favorite places on Guam. I go in there at least once a week and am fairly proud of the fact that the guys behind the counter know me by name. They also know I'm going to ask, "Is it fresh?" They almost always roll their eyes and say yes... but every once in a while they don't answer and instead go look in the back to see if something else just came in :)

For any Guammies who are reading, this is a great place to be a consistent tipper, as it has paid off in a number of ways.... like the employees' willingness to check the back for me (when they don't have out what I want). Sometimes they surprise me and throw in a free tray of poki, which is absolutely to die for. Oh, I am going to miss this little market.

Here's my write-up on the Guam Guide, accompanied by a lemongrass ginger marinade recipe that turned out to be pretty fantastic. Enjoy!

Sharing Paradise

 

Last week we were blessed with one final visitor to share this island adventure with. After much prodding over Christmas break, we convinced our friend Annie to come out from Houston. Annie went to high school with both of us and, after running a zillion marathons and biking between major US cities, is one of the most active Muggles we know. We had a hunch that she would love Guam as much as we do, and we didn't want the opportunity to pass without getting to show her our slice of paradise. What do you know, she actually took us up on the idea and flew out over 4th of July week. We had an absolute blast showing her around! Here's the Annie on Guam photo shoot that ensued throughout the week:

 Peeking in the bunkers at the WWII landing site in Agat

 Defending herself against mad cow disease

 Enjoying the gorgeous views

 Not afraid to get her hands dirty, Annie experienced what I mean when I say that we earn our showers around here!

 She discovered the underwater world we so love

 Got to hike to Spanish Steps (which has been closed during several of our last visitors' trips!)

 I loved Annie's observation about the beaches... that what makes them so amazing (in addition to how beautiful they are), is that we are the only ones there!! The above picture was taken at picturesque Tarague Beach.

 Finally Nick was able to join us for the Fourth of July festivities... we snorkeled the massive coral heads behind the Apra Harbor breakwater.

 And we kayaked out to Anae Island, one of my favorite spots only accessible by boat.

 

Everyone make fun of Annie's Grandpa socks! (oh, and I called Stacey and Clinton to see if you could be on the next episode...)

Checking out the sights around Anae Island (or "Annie Island" as I called it for the day!)

A memorable July 4th for so many reasons!

 ....The main one being that we sank our kayak! Check out that lovely hole! Our hunch is we must have scraped a weak spot on the bottom with some of the sharp coral in the shallow area around the island. Nick swam the sunken kayak back to the island and Tim & Annie towed me back so we could figure out Plan B. With only one kayak (now) and four people, the guys insisted Annie and I take the kayak while they swam the mile back to the mainland. Luckily the guys in our crew are very good swimmers!

 The next day we opted for some less action-packed adventures. I took Annie to our church so she could see the gorgeous mural my sister painted. Having seen pictures on the blog, she said it was even more impressive to see in person :)

 We went shopping, went to lunch, and then went cave exploring in Pagat Caves.

 Friday made for an absolutely perfect beach day at Gun Beach.

 Followed by the tough girls hike to the top of Mt. LamLam, arguably the world's highest mountain.

 Big smiles at the top

 And gorgeous sunset views

 A few last activities... we played tennis, hit golf balls, and took Annie to see the plane wreck near the old runway behind our house.

And in the early hours of Annie's last day, we went paddle boarding at Gab Gab.  We saw lots of turtles and two black tip reef sharks, in addition to a beautiful sunrise before taking our friend to the airport to start her long journey home.

Of course I LOVED showing the best and most beautiful parts of Guam to our friend and sharing this awesome experience with her. But even more than that, my favorite part of her visit was getting to catch up... to really catch up. Amid our beach sitting and muddy hiking (and kayak sinking!), we found ourselves deep in conversations about real things that matter to us... about friends and family, joy and sadness, heartache and triumph. We have both been through a host of new life experiences these past two years, experiences that our quick dinners and coffee dates on my stopovers in Houston haven't completely covered. But with a whole week to ourselves and few distractions of everyday life, we had the beautiful gift of each others' time and presence to make up for years apart. Guam simply provided the gorgeous scenery for my friend and I to get properly caught up.

Once again our house has that eerie and familiar quiet that has each time accompanied the day after taking special visitors to the airport. The stack of beach towels have been washed and put away. The guest room is ready again for whoever (if anyone) comes next. Annie's visit is over, and yet our shared experience here will be tucked in the folds of our memories for years to come.

Thanks for coming out, Annie! As much as I'm going to miss it here, spending time with a good friend from back home is making me excited about heading that way here shortly. See you in ten weeks (gasp!).

PS... Good luck with the jet lag!

The Fresh Factor: Plumeria Leis

My friend Annie is on island visiting us this week! I can't wait to share pictures from her visit, but in the meantime, here's a Fresh Factor post I wrote up about the plumeria lei I made to meet her at the airport with. So fun having my friend here and showing her our beautiful island! Nice to have an excuse for a craft project too...