I will never move to Okinawa…Ha! I said these same words about 15 years ago when we were stationed in Quantico, Virginia while Brandon attended TBS (this is a school every newly commissioned Marine Corps Officers has to attend when they begin their service). Near the end of TBS you get to put in a “wish list” for your next duty station. I can remember it like it was yesterday..I told Brandon I would never go to Okinawa and not to even put it on the list. He reminded me that we don’t really get to choose where we go..I was praying we didn’t get Okinawa!
We ended up going to Camp Lejeune, NC. But 15 years, 4 kids, and a lot of life later we would find ourselves again in Quantico. This time Brandon was attending Command and Staff College, and he came home one day and said you will never guess but there is an opening in Okinawa at Combat Assault Battlion and I really want to go. He was so excited about it that how could I say no…so I said OK..lets go!
I was still really nervous about going and living in a foreign country half way around the world. After Brandon got his orders we began the excruciating overseas screening process, and that is where God brought someone into my life that would completely change my perception about Okinawa. When you move overseas you have to have all your immunizations up to date. I could not find my childhood record so I had to get like 5 shots at one time..it was not a lot of fun. While I was in getting my shots, my boys had made friends with 2 other boys in the waiting room. When I came back from getting my shots, there was a lady and our boys were getting to know each other. She said my name is Dale your boys tell me your going to Okinawa…so are we! You are going to love it! She went on to tell me that they had been there before and were so excited to go back! Over the next few days we planned to meet for lunch! Dale told me all about Okinawa and all the things that she loved about it! Over the next few months, my whole perception about Okinawa had changed. I was so excited to go and see all the things Dale had been telling me about!
We have been here for about 7 months now and it has been the best experience for my family. My boys just love it here and so do I. I hope that you will enjoy following our journey here for the next few years. If you are a military spouse reading this, I hope that it will help you see everything I would have missed if I had decided not to come to Okinawa!
If I could sit down with my 23 year old self, I would tell her to take chances and to live life or you might miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime!!